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So you picked up a pack of chicken legs to grill; drumsticks and thighs and you want to cook them on the barbecue. What temperature do you grill your chicken legs to?
How high should you set your grill? How do you get a nice char? All these questions and more will be answered in this quick and easy, no crazy recipe, how to grill chicken legs tutorial!
Last week I grabbed a pack of chicken legs at the grocery store that had thighs and drumsticks in it.
The next obvious question is, how do you cook them on the BBQ grill? You’re in luck, I’m here to show you!
Also See: How To Grill Beer Can Chicken
How to Grill Chicken Legs Thighs and Drumsticks
Ingredients
- Chicken Legs; thighs and drumsticks
- Salt
- Pepper
- BBQ Sauce »
Directions
Preheat grill to medium-high 400 degrees F.
Trim any chunky fat off the thighs if you wish
Pat chicken dry with paper towel
Oil grill grates
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper
Place legs (skin side up for thighs) on grill for 5 minutes.
Turn and continue grilling and turning every 5 minutes for about 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 185 degrees F.
To get a char, apply your favorite BBQ sauce at the 20-25 minute mark, flip and apply more as you wish.
Tip: Grill with lid closed. If you’re lookin’ you ain’t cookin’!
We love this BBQ Sauce, since it has enough sugar in it to produce the perfect char!
Also See: How To Grill Steak Tips
So 185 degrees is the magic number for grilling chicken legs; use a thermometer to get this internal temp correct. The chicken leg meat will fall off the bone and be juiciest at this temperature.
Turn the chicken legs every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning the skin and assure you’re cooking the chicken legs evenly.
You’ll want to apply the BBQ sauce early enough that you can apply more to the other side after flipping, and get a nice char all around.
Although 165 is a safe internal temperature for chicken, if you want it to fall off the bone and the fat to render better for the juiciest chicken, cook thighs and drumsticks to 185 degrees F.
165 degrees F. is great for chicken breast meat.
You might also like:
Happy grilling!
How To Grill Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- Chicken Legs - thighs and drumsticks
- Salt
- Pepper
- BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high 400 degrees F.
- Trim any chunky fat off the thighs if you wish
- Pat chicken dry with paper towel
- Oil the grill grates
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken
- Place legs (skin side up for thighs) on grill for 5 minutes.
- Turn and continue grilling and turning every 5 minutes for about 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 185 degrees F.
- To get a char, apply your favorite BBQ sauce at the 20-25 minute mark, flip and apply more as you wish.
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Be Inspired!
Subscribe for a free sweet dessert recipe delivered instantly!
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Thanks for the excellent advice and easy breezy instructions. I felt like a pro when everyone rolled up sleeves, belied up, and dug in.
Way to go Randy! Glad to hear the chicken came out great! 💪
Do you grill with the lid up or down? Flipping chicken every 5 mins.
Hi Elizabeth! Grill with the lid down. I follow the old adage “if you’re lookin’ you ain’t cookin'” 🙂
If using charcoal do you cook direct or indirect?
Hey Keith, great question! For charcoal, cook over direct heat, but set up for indirect as well. That way you can move things around if you get flareups and use the indirect side for smaller pieces that might cook faster. Hope that helps!
I tried this recipe this afternoon. It’s GREAT. It took all the guess work out of cooking chicken thighs. Mine were perfect. Even the bbq sauce came out great.
Excellent! I’m glad you enjoyed this method of cooking chicken legs and drumsticks!