This is a complete guide & recipe of how to cook charcoal grilled chicken on the grill. It includes an easy seasoning as well. See how to grill a whole chicken or by the pieces like breasts, legs, thighs, wings, and quarters. Also see their times and temps. Finally, see how to cook different chicken pieces together. Also, this is a part of our Grilling on Charcoal article and is listed in our Grilling, Chicken, Main Courses, Holidays, Thanksgiving, & Christmas categories.
How To Cook Charcoal Grilled Chicken By The PIECE
The best way to grill chicken on a charcoal grill is to prep all the chicken pieces. You season them with a rub first and, when ready, put them on a hot grill. After that, you’ll turn the pieces after a certain time period and remove the different parts as they become done. So, keep reading to see all the steps and the differences among the different pieces.
1. Prep The Chicken Pieces: How To Season Charcoal Grilled Chicken
The best way to season chicken on the grill is to apply it before it goes on the grill. It’s an easy method of combined the dry and wet ingredients and then rubbing them over each chicken piece. Also, the ingredients are listed in the recipe below. Then, it’s ready for storing in the fridge or for cooking on the grill.
2. Prep The Grill: Chicken on the Grill Temperature
Position all chicken pieces onto indirect heat on a preheated grill of around 400°F. These are not on top of direct heat. Then, close the grill lid and try to have it around 375-400°F. However, if it’s lower or hotter, manage the heat source (if gas or electric) or the vents (if charcoal). Or, manage it by raising or lowering the rack, if you have that feature. And, as usual for grilling, you can adjust the cooking times based on the heat during cooking.
Here’s our article on “How To Keep The Weber Charcoal Grill Hot” while grilling or smoking on a charcoal grill, in case you need longer than usual time for grilling such as for this Rotisserie Chicken Recipe.
3a. Recipe for Grilled Chicken Wings
Chicken Wings are white meat. These are popular in grocery stores and have become very expensive in recent years because of that. If you’re grilling a lot of wings in bulk, this is the perfect enhancement if you’re choosing to finish them to be drenched in Wing Sauce. Buffalo Wings from Grilled Chicken Wings is an incredible duo of flavors. Also, vegetable sides are good as being fresh celery or carrot sticks.
How Long To Cook Chicken Wings On Charcoal Grill
Chicken Wings will cook extremely fast and will need to be considered for removal in about 15-22 minutes. However, this time will vary with different temps. This is typical with the higher temps of around 375-400°F.
3b. Recipe for Grilled Chicken Legs and Thighs: by Piece or by Quarter
Chicken Legs and thighs are dark meat. Their desired internal temp for doneness and tenderness is about 175°F. While they’re safe at 165°F, dark meat takes a bit longer to become as tender so, that’s why the higher temp consideration. You can cook legs and thighs separately or together as “chicken quarters”.
These are very good as is but, for a change, they can also be with some BBQ sauce. Also, chicken legs and thighs go well with sides like French fries, fried onion rings, or fried mushrooms.
How Long To Grill Chicken Quarters On Charcoal: Includes Legs & Thighs
Chicken quarters, chicken legs, or chicken thighs all take close to the same amount of time and temp. Because of this, for ensuring tenderness for a dark meat, you’ll want them to cook to a higher internal temp of around 175°F. However, food safety only requires 165°F. So, the chicken pieces of leg, thigh, and quarter usually will take about 40 minutes.
3c. Recipe for Grilled Chicken Strips
Chicken strips are usually white meat. These will cook fast like chicken wings, compared with all the other pieces. Their sizes vary so you’ll want to check them for removal in about 20-25 minutes. And, because of their small size and being boneless, you’ll want to lay them on the grill cross-wise so they don’t fall through. These are good with dips such as Ranch, BBQ sauce, Wing Sauce, to name a few.
3d. Recipe for Grilled Chicken Breasts
Chicken breasts are white meat. These are very popular in grocery stores as bone-in and boneless. The ones with bone will have the best flavor, but the boneless are the more popular and easier to get. These can be checked for doneness of an internal temp of about 165°F.
How Long To grill Chicken Breast on Charcoal Grill
So, with bone-in chicken breasts, they can be checked for doneness in about 35-45 minutes. The bone helps transfer heat deep inside the meat.
So, with boneless chicken breasts, they can be considered for doneness in about 45 minutes, or longer. However, if you want them quicker, consider slicing them in the middle, on the side, to spread them out for a thinner, larger area. Those will cook often in about 35 minutes.
How To Grill WHOLE Chicken Charcoal Grill
You can grill a whole chicken on the charcoal grill in three ways.
- Grill a whole chicken on the charcoal grill starting on direct heat and move to finish it by indirect heat.
- Or, cook the whole chicken using only indirect heat.
- Or finally, cook the whole chicken using a rotisserie over the charcoal grill.
Here’s a good video for cooking whole chickens on the Weber Charcoal Grill. It’s by the TosTinMan EasyCooking channel on YouTube.
BBQ Sauces for Charcoal Grilled Chicken
You can use a Southern recipe for a vinegar-based BBQ sauce or just enhance a popular store bought tomato-based BBQ sauce with some popular additives.
Potato Sides with Charcoal Grilled Chicken
Fortunately, grilled chicken breasts can go with just about anything as they are a main course. However, they will go extra well with mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, potato salad, or French fries.
- Southern Potato Salad or Mashed Potato Salad
- French Fries from Air Fryer
- Pan Fried Potato Slices
- Baked Potatoes (Oven) or Loaded Baked Potatoes
More Popular Sides for Grilled Chicken
Regardless of which chicken pieces you’re grilling, these are some good ideas for some very special sides for grilled chicken that you might enjoy. Also, here’s a good article on how to cut up a whole chicken. However, if you’re going to keep the chicken whole, here’s a detailed article of a “Complete Guide to Using a Weber Kettle with Rotisserie“.
Conclusion of Charcoal Grilled Chicken
So, you’re now more familiar with cooking charcoal grilled chicken on the grill. You’ve seen about charcoal grilling all parts of the chicken. Also, you’ve learned about cooking the whole chicken on the grate or the rotisserie. And you have a clear guide of the seasoned coating to apply for the great flavors. So, make it this weekend!
Also, with leftovers, you can make this Chicken Broccoli Quiche recipe.
Related Charcoal Chicken Grilling Recipes
Here are some other related chicken recipes for the charcoal grill.
- Rotisserie Chicken on the Grill
- BBQ Chicken on the Grill
- Gyro Chicken on the Grill
- Chicken Fajitas on the Grill
- Shish Kabobs on the Grill
Chicken on the Grill – Seasoned Legs, Strips, Wings, Breasts
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Ingredients
- 2 legs chicken legs
- 2 thighs chicken thighs
- 2 wings chicken wings
- 2 breasts chicken breasts
- ¼ cup vegetable oil best is peanut oil
- 5 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne red pepper
Instructions
- Please all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine together to thoroughly coat the chicken pieces and to distribute the spices.
- Place all pieces onto indirect heat on a preheated grill of around 400°F. These are not on top of direct heat. Close grill lid and maintain around 375-400°F. Turn all pieces in 12 minutes and reclose lid. After 10 more minutes, check and remove any smaller pieces (non-breast) as they become done. Keeping lid closed, check for breasts doneness after a total time of 45 minutes. Remove when done.