How To Bbq Chicken On A Charcoal Grill
While barbecues sound like a fun occasion to spend time with friends and family, chatting away and devouring delicious meat. However, this gaiety can soon fall apart if the meat is not grilled properly. Nonetheless, the allure of tender juicy meat, perfectly seasoned, and with just a hint of smokiness is a temptation far greater than the risks. Even grilling a tricky protein like chicken cannot tip the scales. Therefore, instead of fearing the process, let us learn the perfect technique to BBQ chicken on a charcoal grill.
The completely cooking process is divided into three main parts:
Acing each part is as important as the other is because messing up even a single step can destroy all your handwork in putting forward a delicious meal.
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What I Like Most About This Recipe
There are two things I particularly love about this recipe.
Number one time does most of the work. All the time spent marinating in the fridge and on the grill is completely hands off. For maybe 20 minutes of actual work picking the mint and wood sorrel, spatchcocking and marinating the chicken, and firing up the grill, you get an incredibly flavorful entrée. Charcoal grills really are magical when it comes to flavor.
Number two its fun to use herbs from the backyard! Theres something thrilling about picking wild plants and eating them. Like it instantly transforms you into an explorer ready to take on backpacking the world with nothing more than a knife and water bottle.
How To Grill A Whole Chicken
Grill-roasting a whole chicken creates that smoky barbecue flavor everyone loves. Learn how to grill a whole chicken on a charcoal grill with Kingsford’s recipes.
Let’s get grilling
For grill-roasting a whole chicken, you need a two-zone, medium-hot fire. Fire up a full chimney of Kingsford® Original Charcoal, or light a pile of about 100 briquets. When the coals are ready, arrange them in a parallel configuration. Replace the top grate and allow it to heat up with all of the vents fully open. Just before placing the chicken on the grill, dip a folded paper towel in cooking oil and oil the entire grate using long-handled tongs.
Remove the neck and gizzards, then trim any excess fat. Rinse the chicken in cool water and dry with a paper towel. Brush the entire chicken with oil, then season with your favorite dry rub. If possible, let the chicken sit covered in the refrigerator for an hour or two to allow the rub to penetrate the meat.
A bit of smoke tastes great on whole chicken. If you like, add about two cups of Kingsford® hickory or mesquite wood chips. Be sure to soak the chips for at least 30 minutes in water before spreading onto the coals.
Place the chicken in the center of the grate , breast side up. Close the lid and let the chicken cook for 60 minutes without removing the lid. After 60 minutes, remove the lid every 10 to 15 minutes to check for doneness using an instant-read meat thermometer. An average four-pound chicken will take about 90 minutes to grill-roast.
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Preparing The Kettle For Roasting
Now I need to re-arrange the baskets to either side of the Weber Kettle to allow for indirect cooking.
In between the baskets I place a tray and fill it with water and put the roasting rack in position.
The chicken gets placed on the middle of the rack over the tray underneath. You can use an additional tray for the chicken or place it directly on the rack, try with both to get your preferred method.
Using The Charcoal Grill
We usually start the fire with charcoal to heat up the grill and get the coals going, then switch over to wood to get a nice bed of wood coals before putting the chicken on the grill. The grill is maintained at a 300- to 350-degree temperature, and the chicken is left until it reaches the 170-degree mark, which tells us that it is done.
The amount of time that it takes to cook the chicken fully will depend on the size. The one we did here was 5.2 pounds, so it took longer than normal, but it was well worth the wait. Any size chicken can be smoked with this method, even something as small as cornish hens or even quail. You’ll want to adjust your cooking time accordingly. The most reliable way to tell when your bird is done is when the thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 170 degrees.
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How Long To Cook Chicken On A Charcoal Grill
Are you one of many people playing the guessing game when trying to cook chicken on a charcoal grill? Dont be embarrassed, youre not alone.
We act like grilled chicken is easy, and its popularity would certainly make you think so, but the fact is that no one actually takes you out back and shows you exactly how it all works.
But, thats exactly what I am here to do.
Ive been a chef for over a decade and grilling chicken is problematic and confusing due to the many variables involved.
How much charcoal should you be using? How long should you wait before the charcoal is ready?
Not to mention that the many different cuts of chicken available all have different cook times and what visual cues let you know that they are ready to come off the grill?
Charcoal grilling is special because the intensity of flavor goes beyond what a gas grill can do.
Its smoky, fire-kissed food thats delicious on a primal level and this guide will answer all the questions you may have on how to master grilled chicken.
What Is The Nutritional Information For This Grilled Chicken Recipe
With each serving of this delicious chicken, you get 350 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 26 grams of fat with 9 grams being saturated fat, 119 milligrams of cholesterol, and 500 milligrams of sodium.
On the plus side, you also get 30 grams of protein, 320 units of vitamin A, 20 milligrams of vitamin C, and 16 milligrams of calcium as well as 2 milligrams of iron and 275 milligrams of potassium. The amounts will vary depending on the cut of chicken you eat and whether you remove the skin.
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How Can You Tell If Grilled Chicken Is Done Without A Thermometer
Alternatively, if you dont have access to an instant-read thermometer, you may always make a little incision into the centre to ensure that it is just about opaque in the middle. Generally speaking, if you poke a little knife into the bone and juices run clean, you are fine to go with bone-in chunks. If they are still pink after a few minutes, give it a bit longer. Last but not least, bast!
What Grill We Use
Most of the time we dont take the time to cook a chicken on the grill. Whole chickens are expensive, and most of the time you have a roast chicken or oven roasted chicken. For some people, this is fine, but for others, nothing is better than a grill. Lets look at some of the benefits of a grill to cooking a chicken.
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How Long To Grill Chicken Legs On A Charcoal Grill
Its important to use temperature zones when cooking your chicken legs because bone-in chicken takes a bit longer.
Chicken legs are tricky to grill properly as they give the appearance on the outside that theyre done, when theyre not thoroughly cooked on the inside.
Sear the chicken legs for 10 minutes on each side so you begin to see grill marks. The rest of the cooking will be done using indirect heat.
Cover the grill because this will take a while. After about 10 minutes, the chicken legs will even look like theyre done, but theyre not. Continue to grill for another 15-25 minutes until the temperature reaches 165 degrees. The difference in variation is due to how many chicken legs you have loaded on your grill.
When in doubt, its hard to overcook a chicken leg over hot coals because the dark meat is so juicy and the skin gets better as it roasts, they can be overcooked by 20 minutes and still turn out delicious.
Once over the indirect heat, you can open the grill and turn them every five minutes or so if you want because theyre cooking on indirect heat and slow roasting. This helps develop good barbecue-looking chicken skin.
Dont forget that chicken legs love a good glaze with barbecue sauce or other sweet glazes!
What Are Grills Made Of
Grills can be made out of a variety of materials. Grilling is one of the most popular ways to cook and serve food. This is because its quick and easy. Its also a very versatile cooking method. You can grill everything from vegetables to meat. Grills are typically made out of metal or cast iron. This can be done on a gas or charcoal grill. Some grills are heated by electric coils. For more information on how to use different types of grills, check out our guide.
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Should I Pre Cook Chicken Legs Before Grilling
Bake or microwave the chicken as close to the time that you will grill it as possible. If you must precook the chicken an hour or more before you finish it on the grill, allow the chicken pieces to cook completely before you pack them away. Keep them cool or harmful bacteria might grow on the partially-cooked chicken.
How Long Does It Take To Grill Whole Chicken
We used an outdoor gas grill for this recipe. Once spatchcocked, our grilled chicken will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour over indirect heat.
While the grill is heated to 400 degrees F, the burner directly below the chicken will be turned off, the other burners surrounding it will be on. Thats what we mean by indirect heat here .
Why indirect heat? Grilling whole chicken over indirect heat is the secret to juicy, well-cooked chicken. The indirect heat essentially roasts the chicken to perfect doneness without dealing with flare-ups, burnt chicken skin, or underdone meat.
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What Is The Best Way To Cook Chicken On A Charcoal Grill
Charcoal grills are the perfect way to cook chicken. They heat quickly and evenly, making it easy to cook your bird perfectly every time. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your charcoal grill:
Mix Up A Marinade Dry Rub Or Brine
Unless glazing with a barbecue sauce, always season your chicken, whether its boneless breasts or the whole bird. Wet marinades, dry rubs and brines all add flavor and moisture to chicken breasts and can also act as a tenderizer. Heres what to know about each type:
A wet marinade is any type of highly seasoned liquid, such as herb or spice pastes, wines, spiced oils, vinaigrettes, yogurt/buttermilk, Cuban mojo, etc. If a marinade includes something very acidic, like vinegar, wine or citrus, keep the marinating time relatively quick 30 minutes to three hours, depending upon the thickness of the chicken breast and cut it with a little olive oil. Yogurt and buttermilk, which are both rich in lactic acid, are much less acidic and can stand a longer marinating time two to six hours, depending upon the chickens thickness. Non-acidic marinades, like herbs and spices mixed with oils, can sit for two to 10 hours.
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Cooking Chicken In A Weber Charcoal Bbq Grill
I like to place miy chicken in another disposable foil tray as the meat tends to retain a lot more of the delicious juices and yeah I know, I wont get the smoky char happening on the skin but it isnt far off it.
Once the chicken is on the rack, place the lid on the Weber Charcoal Kettle BBQ grill to keep the heat in.
The roast chicken will take around 1hr 15mins 1hr 30mins depending on the size of your bird. A good rule of thumb is to allow around ½ an hour per pound.
If you have a meat thermometer, chicken is done cooking when its internal temperature reaches 165ºF . This is a safe way to measure regarding any cut of chicken, whole, breast, thigh or whatever.
Tips & Tricks For Whole Grilled Chicken
To get perfectly grilled chicken every time, be sure to follow these tips and tricks:
- Be sure to let your chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving, as this allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
- If you want extra flavor on your grilled whole chicken, try marinating it overnight in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. This will help infuse the chicken with tons of delicious flavor!
- For extra crispiness, consider rubbing your chicken down with BBQ sauce just before grilling. This will help create an irresistible crust on the outside that will please any crowd.
- Experiment with different seasoning combinations to find a combination that you love, from cumin and paprika to dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage. There are endless flavor possibilities for grilled whole chicken the key is to have fun and get creative!
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How Much Coal Do You Put On A Grill
HOW MUCH COAL SHOULD I USE? When working with coal, the rule of thumb is that the more coal you use, the hotter the fire. A good rule of thumb is about 30 briquettes for smaller or portable grills and 50 to 75 briquettes for larger dishes and Kettleman grills. You will need more coal on cold, windy or rainy days.
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How To Choose A Whole Chicken For The Grill
Youll want to look for a broiler or fryer chicken, theyre about 3-4 pounds. Their smaller size is perfect for grilling.
Look for the organic and antibiotic free on the label whenever possible. Even better, buy a local, truly free range bird. Try your farmers market, or this handy guide to local poultry in your area.
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Whole Chickens On The Grill
grilling chicken is one of the best ways to prepare chicken. With the right ingredients, grilling chicken can be one of the tastiest meals you can make. But what is the best way to grill a whole chicken? What are the best ingredients to use when grilling a chicken? How do you know if your chicken is done?
If Youve Got 30 Seconds And A Blender Youve Got Homemade Herb Sauce
The best spatchcock chicken recipe is only as good as the herbs and spices that flavor it, and this easy, creamy garlic-and-herb sauce is what pushes the particular whole chicken recipe into overdrive. A whole spatchcocked chicken, fresh off the grill and carved at the table while its still steaming and juicy, served with this garlicky, bright, basil-y sauce for dipping and slathering and drizzlingwell, lets just say that itll make even the newbiest of new home cooks look like a master. And the best part? You just toss a bunch of fresh herbs in a blender with some mayo and lemon juice and give it a whirl. Herb saucemade.
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How To Grill A Whole Chicken Over Charcoal
Want the ultimate grilled feast no oven can ever replicate? Learn how to grill a whole chicken over charcoal and dinner will never be the same.
Shortly after my wife and I started dating we took a weekend trip to Chicago. In-between getting lost looking for that giant metallic bean from outer space that landed in Millennium Park, and getting drenched with a deluge of puddle water from a passing car because I wasnt smart enough to roll up my window, we went to The Publican for a nice meal.
I was really excited to try out one of Chicagos best restaurants, and it didnt disappoint. We ordered a very simplistic sounding half chicken and what arrived at my table completely blew my mind! It was the juiciest, most flavorful grilled chicken that had ever teased my taste buds. Flavor permeated every bite, and I was intoxicated by its essence.
Ever since that day, my eyes have been opened to the miraculous wonder that results from grilling a whole chicken. Now one of my annual bucket list items is firing up the charcoal grill and letting a whole chicken roast to perfection. I always look forward to savoring that deep flavor no oven can replicate.
Choose The Right Cuts Of Chicken
When youre grilling chicken, size matters. If youre grilling large cuts, itll take longer to finish. Smaller cuts take less time and require more attention.Think about how much time you have to cook. Are you grilling for hours at a backyard party or cooking a quick dinner for your family?If you have a half-hour or less, stick with small cuts of chicken. Boneless chicken breasts, drumsticks, and wings are good options.Big cuts will grill faster if you cut them up. Consider cutting the chicken into cubes and grilling it on skewers. Itll take much less time than grilling breasts or thighs whole.Set aside enough time if youre grilling a whole or half chicken. On a charcoal grill, it could take over an hour to cook a whole bird.Consider your recipe when youre choosing cuts of chicken, too. Depending on which sauces, marinades, and spices youre using, a recipe may require bone-in cuts or chicken with the skin on. For example, some recipes ask for chicken thighs because they retain moisture better than breasts.When you buy chicken, youll notice options like free-range and organic. These arent required for an exceptional meal, but many pitmasters believe they produce firmer meat. Some pitmasters will tell you free-range birds have a more distinct chicken taste, too.
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