Grilled chicken legs are the ultimate cookout favorite, with a perfect balance of juicy, tender meat and a delightful smoky char on crispy skin. Unlock the secrets to grilling these flavorful, crowd-pleasing delights, ensuring that your next BBQ is finger licking good.
Remove the chicken legs from the package and pat them dry with a paper towl.
Whisk the ingredients together for the marinade and place the leg quarters in a large Ziplock bag.
Pour the marinade over the top, seal the bag, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
Prep the Grill
When ready to cook, prep your grill for a 2-zone fire by adding charcoal in a charcoal chimney.
Ignite from underneath the chimney with an all-natural fire starter and lighter.
When the charcoal is 70% ashed over, about 10-15 minutes, carefully pour the charcoal on one side of the grill.
Add the grill grate and clean and oil it.
Cover the grill with the lid and open the air vents to allow the grill to preheat to 350-400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the marinade.
Grill the Chicken
When the grill has preheated, using long tongs, add the chicken, skin side up, to the cooler side of the grill.
Cover the grill with the lid and allow the chicken legs to cook for about 20-25 minutes, Rotating as needed to ensure even cooking from the chicken leg to thigh.
Then, transfer the chicken to the hot side of the grill, skin side down to sear, keeping a watchful eye and long tongs to easily maneuver the chicken and avoid flare-ups.
Flip the chicken skin side up when the skin is crispy to get a char on the bone side.
The chicken is cooked when it reaches 165 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer, but we like to take our dark meat to 175-180.
Rest and Serve
Transfer the chicken from the grill to a clean serving platter or cutting board and tent with foil to rest for 5 minutes.
Serve the grilled chicken legs hot with your favorite sauces and side dishes.
Notes
*This recipe works with a variety of flavor profiles for spice blends. Stick with classic bbq flavors with GirlsCanGrill CK Chicken blend, or try Girl Carnivore Over Easy blend for a light herbaceous pop. Lemon pepper or Berbere spice blends are also great options. For charcoal grills, we use Cowboy all-natural Hardwood briquets and Western Wood Chips: hickory, apple, maple, or pecan. For a gas grill:Preheat the gas grill by turning all the burners on, cleaning and oiling the grill grate, and closing the lid. When the grill has reached 400 degrees F, turn off 2 of the 3 burners. Add the chicken legs to the cooler side of the grill over and cook as instructed in the recipe card.Curious how to smoke on a gas grill? Add a smoked box filled with Maple, Apple or Pecan wood chips. Remember, don’t soak your wood chips. For a pellet grill:Preheat your Traeger grill or pellet smoker to its sear setting. Allow the grill to preheat for 20 minutes. Add a smoker box filled with wood chips to the grill grate for added flavor. When the grill has preheated, add the chicken leg quarters to the grill and cook, rotating as needed as instructed above. However, with no cooler side to maneuver the meat to, watch the chicken carefully to avoid burning.