Cooking Chicken On A Charcoal Grill

How Long To Cook Chicken On A Charcoal Grill? So you’ve recently purchased a Weber charcoal barbecue and are wondering how to prepare a delectable chicken on it. While you presumably understand the essentials, there are a few things you may not be aware of. Here are some recommendations for cooking chicken on a Weber charcoal barbecue.

Pick Your Chicken On A Charcoal Grill

Keep in mind that the quality of the chicken you cook will significantly impact the outcome. Of course, if you invest in free-range and organic chicken, you may anticipate excellent results in terms of flavor. These are chickens allowed to walk about freely in the open air and have firmer meat with a stronger taste.

Ensure An Even Cooking Surface

You should be aware that the thickness of skinless and boneless chicken fluctuates during grilling. Be careful to remove any thin flesh strips found below the breast. It must be separated from the remainder and grilled separately. Additionally, cover the breast in plastic sheets and pound with a heavy pan or mallet to promote equal cooking.

1. Get Rid Of Any Extra Fat And Skin

Fat adds taste to chicken, but too much fat causes a lot of flare-ups on the grill, which can result in charred skin. Trim any excess skin and fat that hangs over the main section of the chicken thigh and drum.

2. Prepare A Dry Brine Using Kosher Salt

This is a tip for tightening up your chicken skin and getting rid of excess moisture on the surface so you can achieve crispier skin.

Simply season the entire chicken quarter with a good quantity of salt. Don’t be concerned about the amount of salt used; some will not absorb the meat and fall to the grill.

Keep the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, uncovered. You may move in any direction and get a variety of results. Longer is usually preferable. This is a very crucial part if you want great grilled chicken leg quarters.

Tip: Brining chicken wings and breasts is a terrific technique to add flavor and crispiness to them. Grilled chicken drumsticks are also a must!

3. Get The Grill Ready

Preheat your grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure your grill grates are free of debris. Once the grates are nice and hot, scrape them clean if there are any residual parts from the previous time you grilled.

It’s critical to have hot grill grates before adding your chicken leg pieces if you want crispy skin.

Grilling Bone-In Chicken

Because the meat of boneless chicken is so thin, you should not cook it totally over direct flame. If there are any bones in the chicken, it will take longer to cook. As a result, you’ll need both indirect and direct heat.

Cooking Chicken On The Grill

Instructions In A Step-By-Step Format

1. In a mixing dish, combine all marinade ingredients.
2. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. There should be altogether six pieces: two legs, two breasts, and two wings.
3. Toss the chicken parts into the marinade-filled basin. Mix thoroughly and set aside to marinate the chicken. Refrigerate for up to four hours. If you do not have enough time duration, you can bake the chicken instead.
4. Get the charcoal grill ready—Preheat the oven to 350°-450°F.
5. Brush the cooking grates clean before beginning to grill the chicken. When grilling the chicken, make sure you start with the skin side. Keep the lid covered while grilling it over indirect heat.
6. Cooking time for the wings and breast should be approximately 30 to 40 minutes. The thighs and drumsticks should take around 40 to 50 minutes to cook.
7. Put the chicken flesh on direct heat for the last five minutes of cooking. Cook till it turns a golden brown hue. Before taking it from the grill, turn it once or twice more.

How Do You Know When It’s Finished

According to the USDA, only when the interior flesh temperature reaches 165°F is the fowl considered done. Keep in mind that while the chicken is resting, its internal temperature may rise by 5-10 degrees. By putting a thermometer into the thickest section of the thigh, but excluding the bones, you may check the inner portion of the thigh.

Depending on the section of the chicken and the temperature at which it is cooked, it will approximately take anywhere from 10 to 90 minutes. I’ve included a list of typical grilling timings for chicken.

What’s The Best Way To Cook On A Grill

Step 1 To Cook Chicken On A Charcoal Grill

Remove the grill grate from the top and set it aside. Arrange a layer of charcoal briquettes on the bottom of the charcoal grill in a uniform layer.

Step 2 To Cook Chicken On A Charcoal Grill

Using a squirt bottle, squirt lighter fluid over the briquettes. Soak the charcoal in water for a long time. Light the lighter fluid-soaked coals with care and let the flame go down. Wait until the coals have mostly become ashen. Replace the grate over the grill’s top. Big John Grills suggests raising the grate to about 3 inches over the coals to avoid flare-ups while sealing in juices.

While the coals are heating up, boil a kettle of water on the stove. Boil the chicken quarters for around 20 minutes in a boiling saucepan. The skin will be yellowish, and crimson liquids will still be present on the insides. By doing so, you may cut down on the amount of time you spend cooking on the grill.

Step 3 To Cook Chicken On A Charcoal Grill

Preheat the grill and place the chicken parts on it. According to Fire Pit Cooking, you should place the chicken in the center of the grill, where the temperature is the highest. Keep an eye on the heat and re-distribute the coals if they become too hot. If the meat starts to brown too much, flip it with tongs.

Utilizing a meat thermometer, check the temperature of the meat until it reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Using the brush, apply barbecue sauce to the meat during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Transfer the grilled chicken to a serving tray after it has finished cooking.

Conclusion

To make juicy and tender grilled chicken, heat the grill, spend some time preparing just the correct slices of meat, and keep an eye on the heat. Patience is required when grilling over charcoal, but the result in flavor is well worth the effort. A little expertise with a grill, like anything else, goes a long way. Mastering this cooking method is only a question of time once you get more comfortable with it. Enjoy the benefits of delicious grilled chicken with your family and friends.