How Long Do You Grill Chicken Legs and Thighs?

Chicken Legs and Thighs are the most eaten parts of the chicken, and for good reason since they are cheap to buy and easy to cook. But mostly because they are juicy, taste great, and have a built in handle.

Directions:

Bbq

1. Make sure that the chicken has been rinsed completely before cooking, unless the chicken is soaking in a marinade.

2. Pre-heat the grill on med (240 degrees) and place the legs/thighs on the grill. Legs/thighs grill much better at a lower temperature for a longer period of time.

3. Frequent turning of the legs/thighs will insure a more even cooking, but will prevent any clear sear marks.

4. Legs/thighs come in so many sizes that it is hard to say exactly how long to cook in minutes. Start by letting the bottom side cook to a golden brown before turning. Continue turning as each side browns. If the outside is browning in only a minute or two than the heat is probably up to high and the outside will burn before the inside is cooked.

5. If juices are coming out of the chicken then you have cooked it through and it may start to become dry if allowed to cook much longer. You can make a small cut in the chicken at the thickest point to see if it is still pink in the middle. It is preferable to not make any cuts though, because this will break the seal and allow the juices to escape making the chicken dry.

6. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to cool a little before eating. This would be a good time to brush on your favorite sauce.

Safe Internal Temperature: 165 degrees

Tips:

* Grilling legs/thighs at too high a temperature will burn the outside of the chicken without cooking all the way through to the inside.

* Grilling legs/thighs at too low temperature may prevent the outside from getting brown and crispy. The chicken may also be dry.

* Be careful if you brush bbq sauce on while cooking. The chicken may burn easier and flavor the chicken with a burnt charcoal taste.

* To get the full flavor of the bbq sauce wait until the legs/thighs are done cooking and then brush on the sauce.