Grilling Chicken

• A whole chicken (cut into pieces)

• Barbeque sauce

• Poultry rub

• Grill

• Fuel for the grill

• A good meat thermometer

Prepare the Chicken

Prep your chicken to grill by taking off any unnecessary loose skin as well as large fat clumps. Doing so reduces the chance of flare-ups while grilling and makes the final product more presentable. You should also wash the pieces and pat them dry before you start seasoning.

Season

When you add the season to your chicken before grilling, you get more flavor and increased crispiness on the meat’s surface. Simply use your favorite seasoning or rub. Remember that the skin will prevent the flavor from working its way in, so get the season as much as possible underneath the skin, right on the meat. Don’t be afraid to go overboard with seasonings, because extra will fall off during grilling.

Clean Your Grill

Before you can start grilling the chicken, you have to ensure the grill itself is clean. Be sure to check the cooking surface as well as the grill’s bottom. Most of the time, a flare-up will be due to your previous grilling experience, not the current one. Preheat the grill at a high temperature to ensure old dripped burn off completely before you start.

Put the Chicken in Place

Because larger chicken pieces take more time to cook, most people simply put them on the grill first to give them extra cook time, and grill the smaller pieces later. In reality, however, you can make everything at once simply by having one side of the grill at a higher temperature.

If you have a charcoal grill, simply put most of the hot coals underneath one end of the grill. If you have a gas grill, set the burners at different temperatures, creating a hotter end, a cooler end and a moderate area in the middle. After the grill is heated, bring the temperature down to between 350 and 375 Fahrenheit. When placing the chicken on the grill, put the larger pieces on the hottest end. This means you can put the breast at the hottest end, then the thighs, then the legs, and then the wings. Your total cooking time will be around 45 minutes.

Manage Flare-Ups

While your chicken heats, fat becomes fine liquid, which then drips onto the grill. To prevent flare-ups from happening at all, shake your chicken pieces on the side of the grill where it isn’t warm whenever you move them. If there is a large flare-up, take the chicken off the grill and let the fire be normal before you put the chicken back.

Turn the Chicken

To know whether it is ready, check for a firmer meat on the bottom with a brown color. Turn the chicken over and rotate it. Also check how pieces are cooking, so you can move them closer to or farther from the heat as needed. If the chicken isn’t firming up inside but browning outside, then lower your heat. After around 30 minutes, you should be ready to add the sauce. If you don’t want to add sauce, simply keep grilling until the meat is 165 Fahrenheit. 

Add Sauce

Start adding the optional barbeque sauce when the chicken is almost done. Turn down the heat, so it drops below 265 Fahrenheit (when sugar burns), then rub a few layers of sauce. For a good coating, let your sauce cook into the meat, so apply it on one side, close the lid for five minutes, then open the grill, turn the chicken and coat the opposite side. Keep repeating this process. 

Check Temperature

When your chicken is almost done, pay attention to temperature. The internal temperature should be 165 Fahrenheit (74 Celsius). Be sure to check every piece, and once it is ready, take the chicken off the grill. Cover it and let it rest for five minutes before serving. Although you can’t overcook chicken, it is possible to dry it out. You can increase the temperature, but be careful to ensure it stays moist and tender.