It doesn’t always have to be about barbecue sauce. Grilling chicken on your barbecue gives the skin a nice, crusty look and taste. The chicken is juicy and tender. If you grill it correctly.
Here’s a little secret to getting your chicken to look like the chicken I’m grilling here. I thought I pulled out chicken breasts but they were thighs. Dolp! Disappointment – but I wanted to use them since I thawed them out and wanted them to taste good. But I’ll takie chicken breasts any day.
I took a bowl and put in milk and an egg – then thoroughly mixed with a fork. Then I added some Worcestershire sauce (a few shakes), some chicken seasoning salt, pepper and some onion powder. I don’t measure these ingredients. Again, this gets thoroughly mixed together.
The grill heats up. I want it hot when I put on the chicken. When it’s heated, lower the heat so you don’t burn the chicken. Dip the chicken in the mix. I like to start the chicken on the grill with the bone side down. I let it cook pretty good before turning it over. It’s the bone side. Some burning on this side won’t hurt. I want the chicken to reach about the halfway cooking time before I turn it.
Before I turn the chicken, I add some pepper to the meaty side and brush on some more of the mixture. To me, pepper brings out the taste. Now, when you turn them over, try to avoid the heavy flames. With most grills there are spots that flare up more than others. Move away from these spots. If you have 3 burners – great. Turn 2 on low and put the chicken over them, then crank up the other burner to kick up the heat. Yes – lid is closed.
Grill until the chicken reaches 170 degrees. Chicken must be cooked thoroughly (no red!) and I recommend a meat thermometer be used. You can turn the chicken a couple times if you like to make certain you get that crusty grilled look you see in this picture. I like to turn up the burners and raise the lid and make certain I get the skin crispy.
Even these thighs hit the spot!
I’m a closed grill cue’er, gas or wood,love to smoke also. Recently I bought a open gas grill, no lid . I was cueing chicken breasts & thighs.
I noticed my braests cook very slow & the thighs somewhat faster. Should I lower heat & fiqure longer cooking times in the future. so I can serve both meats at the same time?
If you have 3 burners, simply turn down one burner and put the thighs on that side. Before I had 3, I used to check for the hot spots and then put the breasts on the hot spot. I even occassionally would put the chicken thighs that were done of top of the still grilling chicken breasts to keep them from further cooking – but it you have the warming grate simply put them there when they finish.
And, of course, if you grill chicken regularly you can see the difference in the grilling time and put the thighs on after the breasts have grilled for awhile.