The key is dual-zone cooking
Summer is almost here, which means it’s grilling season, and in our house there’s no more popular choice than this simple grilled barbecue chicken. Whether your grill is gas or charcoal, you can achieve perfectly cooked meat in about an hour.
The key to this recipe (and many more) is dual-zone cooking, also known as cooking with indirect heat. For this method, your grill needs a hot zone to crisp the skin and a cool zone (indirect heat) to cook the chicken.
INGREDIENTS
2-3 pounds chicken parts with skin on
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce
For charcoal grill:
Build a medium size fire, then carefully move the hot coals to one side of the grill, leaving an area with no direct heat underneath.
For a gas grill:
Light enough burners to heat the grill to 400 degrees with the lid closed. On my six burner Weber Summit, I light two burners on the left and two on the right, leaving the center two off. I start on full blast to get the grill hot, then turn the heat down when I’m ready to cook.
Use any kind of chicken you want, from drumsticks and thighs to whole legs, breasts or even a whole chicken (butterflied).
INSTRUCTIONS
- Chicken should be room temperature to start.
- Brush both sides of the meat with olive oil, then season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- To crisp the skin, place the chicken skin side down on the hot side of the grill. Keep an eye out for flare-ups and move the pieces around if necessary.
- Once the skin is crisped (about 5 minutes) move the pieces to the indirect/cool zone, skin side up, and close the lid. Adjust the heat, if necessary, to maintain about 400 degrees.
- Grill for 35 minutes.
- Choose your favorite barbecue sauce (around here, it’s Big Bob Gibson Championship Red Sauce). Working on the cool zone of the grill, brush a liberal amount on both sides of the chicken and close the lid when you’re done.
- Grill for 20 more minutes to caramelize the sauce.
- Every grill is different, so it may take a bit of trial and error to get tender, juicy chicken that’s cooked through. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. 160 to 165 degrees is your target.
- 2-3 pounds chicken parts with skin on
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
-
Build a medium size fire, then carefully move the hot coals to one side of the grill, leaving an area with no direct heat underneath.
-
Light enough burners to heat the grill to 400 degrees with the lid closed. On my six burner Weber Summit, I light two burners on the left and two on the right, leaving the center two off. I start on full blast to get the grill hot, then turn the heat down when I’m ready to cook.
-
Use any kind of chicken you want, from drumsticks and thighs to whole legs, breasts or even a whole chicken (butterflied).
-
Chicken should be room temperature to start.
-
Brush both sides of the meat with olive oil, then season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
-
To crisp the skin, place the chicken skin side down on the hot side of the grill. Keep an eye out for flare-ups and move the pieces around if necessary.
-
Once the skin is crisped (about 5 minutes) move the pieces to the indirect/cool zone, skin side up, and close the lid. Adjust the heat, if necessary, to maintain about 400 degrees.
-
Grill for 35 minutes.
-
Choose your favorite barbecue sauce (around here, it’s Big Bob Gibson Championship Red Sauce). Working on the cool zone of the grill, brush a liberal amount on both sides of the chicken and close the lid when you’re done.
-
Grill for 20 more minutes to caramelize the sauce.
-
Every grill is different, so it may take a bit of trial and error to get tender, juicy chicken that’s cooked through. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. 160 to 165 degrees is your target.
