How Long do you Cook Chicken Legs on the Grill

A frequently asked question amongst home cooks and barbeque enthusiasts is: how long do you cook chicken legs on the grill?

It really isn’t possible to give an exact answer to this question as it really depends on the type of grill you are using, the grilling method and how big the chicken legs are.

It really is an excellent idea to invest in a good quality cooking thermometer. I personally own a voice alert electronic thermometer. It really is a fantastic little cooking gadget and I would be lost without it. It is extremely accurate and eliminates all guessing, and guessing is not an option when cooking meat, especially chicken.

Methods to Cook Chicken Legs on the Grill

Boil the Chicken Legs First

The goal with boiling the chicken first is so that it is cooked all the way through before it even goes on the grill. This eliminates the risk of food born illnesses and also cuts down the grilling time significantly. The downside to this method is a serious lack of flavor.  Since you will be cooking the meat on the grill for a much shorter period of time, the meat will not have a chance to pick up that delicious grilled flavor.

Marinate Then Grill:

Marinating your chicken legs first is always a good idea. Not only does it impart an excellent flavor, but it also keeps the meat moist during the cooking process. For the best results, marinate the chicken over night. Below is an excellent marinade that I use often and it is quite versatile. It works well with seafood also.

CITRUS HERB MARINADE

INGREDIENTS

4 Chicken Legs

1/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 1/2 Tablespoons of Fresh Lemon Juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice

1/3 Cup of Freshly Chopped Parsley

1/3 Cup Freshly Chopped Cilantro

2 Cloves of Garlic Minced

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except the chicken legs. Add chicken to the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Refrigerate for several hours, over night if possible.

Let’s Get Grilling

I have found that the best method for cooking chicken legs on the grill is to first sear the meat and then finish the cooking process over indirect heat.  The result is a nice moist chicken leg with a delightfully crispy skin.

Step 1: Remove chicken from marinade and rinse. This will remove any ingredients from the marinade that are stuck to the chicken. If left on, this can burn. Coat the chicken with some oil to prevent it from sticking to the grill.

Step 2: Clean the grill. The best method for cleaning a grill is to turn the grill up high and allow the heat to burn off any grease and grime. Use your grill brush to scrape the grates clean. For charcoal grills, just light up the charcoal and allow the fire to heat up the grates and scrape the grates clean.

Step 3: Heat the Grill. We are going to set up our grill for a  searing/indirect cooking method. For gas grills, this is pretty easy. All you do is turn one burner up high and leave the other off. For charcoal grills, it is a little more involved, but not rocket science. All you do once your charcoal is ready, is push all of your charcoal over to one side leaving half of the grill without charcoal. The side with charcoal is for searing and the other side is for the indirect cooking.

Step 4: Begin Cooking. Once your grill is good and hot, go ahead and put your chicken legs on the hot part of the grill and sear on all sides. Only sear your legs for a few minutes per side. You are looking for a nice sear, so avoid burning the skin. After you sear them, go ahead and move them on over to the cool side of the grill and cover.

Let them cook for a good 20 minutes and then get out your basting sauce. If you  used the citrus herb marinade from above, try and find a thick basting sauce that compliments the citrus flavors . Baste the legs on all sides and then cover. After another 20 minutes or so, using your thermometer, go ahead and check for doneness. You are looking for an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the legs are done, If they aren’t as crispy as you like, go ahead and put them on the hot side of the grill again for a few minutes before removing them from the grill.

Enjoy!

The Many Ways to Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Boneless skinless chicken breast is the most popular cut of poultry in the United States and with good reason: they are low in fat, quick and easy to prepare and extremely versatile. This wonderful cut of poultry can be grilled, sauteed, broiled, poached, fried and baked. There is a downside however to this cut of meat: they are rather low in fat. You may be asking: “What is wrong with that? That makes them healthy right?” Yes, they are a healthier way to eat, but because they are low in fat, they are also low in moisture and that makes them very susceptible to over cooking. Nothing is less appetizing than a dry and overcooked piece of meat.

There are two ways to make certain your chicken is not overcooked. The first way, and the most accurate in my opinion, is to use an instant read thermometer. I own a handy little electronic thermometer with a voice alert feature. It is extremely accurate and has never let me down. The other method for checking doneness is by pricking the meat with a fork. If the juices run clear, then it is done. I think the first option is much safer, but you can be the judge.

There are literally hundreds of combined recipes and methods for cooking chicken breast, far too many to cover in this article, so I will talk about two very popular methods.

One of the easiest and tastiest ways is to marinate and grill them.

Below is a great marinade recipe.:

GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST WITH CITRUS HERB MARINADE

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

1/3 Cup of Freshly Chopped Parsley

1/3 Cup of Freshly Chopped Basil

1 Clove of Garlic Minced

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Mix together everything, accept the chicken breasts, in a large bowl.

Step 2: Add boneless skinless chicken breasts to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for several hours.

Step 3: Get you grill nice and hot and oil the grates to prevent the chicken from sticking.

Step 4: Grill chicken breasts about 4 minutes per side or until done.

Another fantastic way to cook chicken breasts is by baking them in foil in the oven. The foil helps keep the meat nice and moist while cooking. What you put inside the foil is only limited by your imagination, but to make things easier, I have included a great recipe below.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

10 - 15 Kalamata Olives Pitted and Chopped

8 - 10 Sun Dried Tomatoes Cut Into Thin Strips

4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Chopped Basil

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Chopped Parsley

Salt and Pepper to Taste

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Preheat Oven to 450 Degrees F

Step 2: In a bowl, combine the olives, tomatoes, basil, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Step 3: Cut 8 Squares of Aluminum Foil (Cut them large, about 18 inches square)

Step 4: Grab 2 squares of foil and place one on top of the other.

Step 5: Grease the foil with some olive oil

Step 6: Place a chicken breast in the center of the foil and spoon some of the tomato and olive mixture on top

Step 7: Loosely fold the foil over the chicken forming a tent and seal tightly

Step 8: Repeat this process for the remaining chicken breasts

Step 9 : Place the wrapped chicken breasts on a baking sheet and place in the pre-heated oven

Step 10: Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until done. To check for doneness, cut a small slit in the foil to allow the steam to escape and then carefully unfold the foil. Check for doneness with an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should read 160 degrees F.

Step 11: Let the chicken breasts stand for about five minutes before serving.

More Ways to Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Below are a handful of videos I found on YouTube that include fantastic recipes and instructions for cooking boneless skinless chicken breasts:

Chicken Breasts on the Grill

Cajun Bourbon Grilled Chicken Recipe

Cajun Bourbon Grilled Chicken Recipe
By Lee Griffith

I just put this simple recipe together and tested it yesterday. Talk about layer upon layer of flavor! The brown sugar and bourbon marinade gives the meat sweetness and full flavor from within. The Creole spices provide a nice tangy surface.

While you can use pre-mixed Cajun or Creole spice blends as a substitute for my mix (described below the chicken recipe), it would be well worth your while to mix from my instructions (or tweak it a little if you’d like). In “I’m Just Here for the Food,” Alton Brown describes how he bought a jar of spice mix with a full color photo of a celebrity chef on the label. At the same time he bought all of the individual ingredients that were listed in the chef’s mix. He put together his own blend of the raw ingredients and, using a pharmacy scale, discovered that the markup on the chef’s mixture was about 500%! It will take a little time to mix these, but if you do, you’ll have plenty left over for when you make jambalaya, gumbo, blackened fish or chicken, etc.

Griff’s Cajun Bourbon Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

4 to 6 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

1 cup bourbon

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 cloves minced garlic

2 to 3 tbsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix (see below)

Instructions:

Combine the bourbon the brown sugar, the Worcester sauce, the soy sauce, the minced garlic and 1/4 cup of the canola oil in a deep dish and mix well with a spoon. Add the chicken and cover. Refrigerate for four hours. Pour off and discard the marinade and place the chicken breasts on a well oiled, hot grill. When grilling each side, brush on oil (from the remaining 1/4 cup of canola oil) and sprinkle on Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix (see below). Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. paprika

2 tbsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. white pepper

1 tbsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)

1 tbsp. celery seed

1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves

1 tbsp. dried basil leaves

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

Instructions:

Mix together in a roomy plastic food storage container, put the lid on and shake everything together real well. (For best results, use fresh spices!)

Copyright © 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Griffith, a.k.a. “Griff” is the author of several blogs. Griff describes himself as a “former kitchen klutz” who now has a passion for cooking and developing great recipes. Griff would like to send you a FREE E-BOOK with 32 great chili recipes, along with a free recipe every week via email.

To receive, simply click on http://optin2.griffsrecipes.com

Check out “Griff’s Recipe Report” at http://GriffsRecipeReport.com

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