3 tips for cooking chicken on the grill (or in the oven)…
1) Use the skin! You don’t have to eat it, but you should always
keep the skin intact. Chicken is less expensive when bought this
way, but the biggest factor is one of moisture retention. So, as long
as you are not cooking your chicken smothered in a sauce, keep
that skin on!
2) When applying a rub, lift the skin and apply underneath!
Chicken skin is easily lifted from the meat. To apply your rub,
simply lift the skin up, rub and then let the skin fall back in place.
This way, your rub will penetrate much deeper into the meat.
3) When grilling or cooking, put the skin side UP! This will allow the
fat that is being rendered from the skin to flow down and into the
meat.
OK, on with the recipe!
GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS
This process will take between 2-3 hours, depending on the grill
temps you set.
First, you want to marinate the thighs in an Italian Vinaigrette
salad dressing…for this one I have used both Newman’s Olive Oil
and Vinegar dressing and Wish Bone Italian dressing. The Wish
Bone is less expensive and the flavor is similar. Use a ziploc
freezer bag and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Light up your grill. For this recipe, we will grill using INDIRECT
heat. That simply means that no part of the meat will be directly
over any flame. On a gas grill, light just one burner. On a charcoal
grill, bank your coals against one side (I know, I know…a
charcoal grill is round!! You get my drift!). When placing your
meat, simply put on the OPPOSITE side of wherever the fire is.
While the grill is heating up, rub the thighs with the following:
Chic Rub
4 tsp. chicken seasoning
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Remember, lift that skin up and put that rub underneath it!
Once your grill reaches 250º put the chicken on. At 250ºF it will
take about 2-2 1/2 hours for the thighs to cook. Check the temp
of the meat and look for about 170ºF. Be sure the thermometer
is NOT touching the big thigh bone!
Once the chicken reaches 170ºF, remove the skin and place the
thighs in a foil pan and pour your favorite BBQ sauce over it. Cover
loosely with foil and put the pan back onto grill…leave the heat on
in the grill. Let the thighs sit for 1/2 - 1 hour or until you are ready
to eat.
Enjoy!!
B-man 