Cooking chicken on a charcoal grill is easy once you know how to do it. While charcoal grills have a reputation for being more difficult than gas grills, this is not the case. In fact, charcoal grills are great for making grill marks and helping chicken reach the perfect internal temperature.
Additionally, charcoal grills add a smokey flavor to chicken and you have great flame control options. For example, you can choose between medium-hot fires, low-hot fires, and larger charcoal flames.
Read on to learn more about how long to cook chicken on a charcoal grill below.
Prep the Grill
First and foremost, you need to prep the grill. Prepping your grill is not as simple as getting hot coals and cleaning the grill grates. To prep the grill, we’ll take you through a few good rules of thumb to follow.
Choosing Your Charcoal
Our first tip is to choose the right charcoal. Whether you’re cooking a whole chicken or skinless chicken breasts, it’s important to have the right charcoal for chicken. Most chicken cooks prefer to use natural hardwood charcoal (the lumps).
Natural hardwood lump charcoal gets hot and gives you the best results for grilled chicken. Plus, it’s flexible and the flame is easy to control.
If you want a smokey flavor we recommend using wood chips. First, soak the wood chips in water for 20 minutes. Then, drain the wood chips and add them to the grill once they’re dry and ready to burn.
Using wood chips will help you achieve a rich and smokey flavor that’s great for bbq chicken. It’s also possible to get the same results with charcoal briquettes.
Preheat the Grill
The next tip is to preheat your charcoal grill. Unlike a gas grill, charcoal grills take a while to reach a grill temperature that’s suitable for cooking chicken. For charcoal grills, a good rule of thumb is to let the coals burn for 15 minutes before you start cooking.
For faster preheating times, we recommend using a charcoal chimney. You don’t need lighter fluid to light the coal in the grill. Instead, simply fill the chimney with coal and light it.
Clean the Grill
Before and after using a charcoal grill, make sure you clean it. Use a proper grill brush to clean the cooking grate and make use of a drip pan if possible. Without a drip pan, juices from the chicken will reach the charcoal and that makes the flames harder to manage.
Create Temperature Zones
Another quick note is to create temperature zones on your charcoal grill. With a charcoal grill, you have the flexibility to move the charcoal around to create indirect heat. Indirect heat allows you to move the chicken pieces around to the cooler side of the grill when needed.
As long as you follow these simple tips, cooking chicken on a charcoal grill is a breeze.
The Best Temperature to Cook Chicken
The best temperature to cook chicken on a charcoal grill is between 350 degrees f (Fahrenheit) and 400 degrees f. For many chicken cooks, the sweet spot for cooking chicken is 375 degrees f.
How to Measure a Charcoal Grill’s Temperature
When measuring a charcoal grill’s temperature, you have a few options. However, the best method is to use an infrared thermometer. Infrared thermometers will give you an accurate heat measurement.
To get the best results, measure the temperature just above the grill grates and not near the coal. Measuring the hot coals will give you an inaccurate reading of the grill’s cooking temperature.
Prepping the Chicken
The best thing about cooking chicken on a charcoal grill is that you have a lot of options. There are dozens of flavor options and prepping methods that enhance the flavor.
That said, the easy recipes involve boneless chicken breasts (without the chicken skin) and chicken thighs. Still, it’s possible to prep any chicken cut on a charcoal grill.
Chicken prepping methods also differ based on the type of chicken you’re grilling. For example, spice rubs are best for cooking the whole bird. However, sauces work the best for chicken wings and marinades are excellent for white meat and thick chicken breast.
We’ll take you through a few simple tips to prep your chicken.
Marinade
One of the best ways to prep chicken on a charcoal grill is to marinade it. When it comes to marination you can use whichever flavors you like. For chicken, a good basic marinade is teriyaki or honey chipotle.
When using a good marinade, place the chicken pieces in a plastic bag and seal them. Sealing it in a bag with marinade will help it reach all sides of the chicken.
Then, let the chicken rest in your refrigerator for at least 20 to 30 minutes. After you take the chicken out, add some kosher salt to prevent the juices from escaping.
When using marinade on a charcoal grill, you don’t need to add olive oil or other spices. Also, we recommend using a paper towel to remove excess marinade.
Rubs
Dry rubs are another great way to prep chicken. Spice rubs like chili powder are great for adding spices and you can be creative to make your own.
The best things to add to dry rubs are listed below:
- Onion powder
- Kosher salt
- Table salt
- Black pepper
- Brown sugar
- Garlic powder
- Adobo
- Crushed red pepper
Feel free to let your creativity flow! You never know what easy recipes you’ll find when using dry rubs.
Sauces
Sauces are another great way to prep chicken. Unlike dry rubs and marinades, you apply sauces to chicken when it’s done cooking or use them as dipping sauces. Sauces are often the best thing for chicken wings, chicken pieces, and chicken tenders.
When it comes to selecting sauces for grilled chicken, it depends on what you’re looking for. While hot sauce is a go-to for chicken wings, it’s too spicy for some people. In these cases, use bbq sauce instead or have a side of ranch or blue cheese handy.
Furthermore, using thinned barbecue sauce will help you distribute the sauce more evenly. Additionally, it’s best to use a meat mallet first if you plan on adding sauce to a thick chicken breast.
Following these simple tips will help you prepare the perfect chicken for your charcoal grill each time.
How Long to Cook the Chicken
Cooking time for chicken on a charcoal grill depends on several factors. These factors include the type of chicken, how large the chicken is, and the cooking temperature.
To get the best results, the cooking process starts with indirect medium heat. Then, place the chicken on the hot side of the grates to achieve grill marks. From there, leave the chicken on for extra time to get your preferred results.
To make the cooking process easier, we’ll take you through the cooking times at 350 degrees f.
How Long Does it Take to Grill Chicken Thighs?
On a charcoal grill, dark meat chicken thighs take 16 to 20 minutes to cook. You want to cook the whole leg for about 8 minutes on each side for the best results. Feel free to leave the chicken on the grill until you get your desired grill marks and sear marks.
When in doubt, always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. For chicken thighs, aim for an internal temperature of 165 degrees f.
How Long Does it Take to Grill Chicken Breasts?
Chicken breasts come in all shapes and sizes, so the cooking time varies. For most average-size boneless chicken breasts, cook the chicken for 5 minutes on both sides. In total, it will take you between 10 and 15 minutes to cook most skinless chicken breasts.
With chicken breasts, make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees f with a meat thermometer.
How Long Does it Take to Grill Chicken Pieces and Quarters?
When it comes to chicken quarters and chicken pieces, the chicken skin becomes a factor. Therefore, place the chicken on the hotter grill grates for 30 minutes. To get the best results, flip the chicken after 15 minutes of cooking.
To check if your chicken pieces are done, use a meat thermometer. Make sure the meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees f in the thickest areas.
How to Know It’s Done
Knowing when chicken is done is easy. Primarily, there are two methods you can use to know the chicken is done. These methods include checking the color of the meat and using a meat thermometer.
Check the Internal Temperature
Checking the internal temperature with a meat thermometer gives you the best results. For most types of chicken, the perfect internal temperature is 165 degrees f.
For thick chicken breasts and the whole bird, check the internal temperature at its thickest parts. On whole chickens, you can also measure the chicken wings, chicken legs, and chicken breasts separately.
Check the Color of the Meat
Another way to know when chicken is done is to check the color of the meat. For white meat chicken, the color needs to be white with no pink.
Keep in mind that chicken thighs and chicken wings are different. Dark meat chicken has a golden brown exterior and a pinkish or brown interior when cooked.
To check the color of the meat, remove the chicken from the grill. Then, let the chicken rest before cutting into it.
Cook Your Best Chicken Today!
Charcoal grills give you a smokey flavor you can’t get on gas grills. Plus, you get the flexibility to control the flames for slow cooking or searing. For example, you can have high flames, low flames, and even medium-hot flames in different areas of the grill.
You’ll also discover that some of the best charcoal grills come with unique features. Most Weber charcoal grills, for example, have innovative grill racks and drip pans to help you get the best results.
Overall, you can’t go wrong with charcoal grills when you’re grilling chicken breasts, thighs, wings, or even the whole bird.