Chicken is one of those meats that go down well with everyone, and with a fantastic grilled chicken legs recipe under your belt, the meal you cook for the upcoming family gathering will no doubt be a scrumptious success.
Perhaps you have already nailed your ideal chicken breast recipe, but are looking for some inspiration for a foolproof grilled chicken legs recipe. If that is the case, then you have arrived at the right place!
In this article, we will be discussing the most awesome grilled chicken legs recipe and will also answer some of those burning chicken leg cooking questions that have many puzzled in the kitchen. Have you ever wondered “How long does it take to grill chicken legs?” then not to worry, as we will be finding out the answer to this question and more before this article is up.
So stay tuned, as this article will cover everything you need to know!
Related: How to smoke a chicken
Table of Contents
How Long Does It Take To Grill Chicken Legs?
Chicken is one of those special meats, that requires cooking to precise temperatures. If you leave your chicken cooking for too long, it becomes super dry and almost chalk-like and that’s really unpleasant. On the contrary, if you do not leave your chicken cooking for long enough it will not reach the temperatures it needs to and it could be pretty dangerous for consumption.
So how can we know how long it takes to grill chicken legs? Take a look at the following grilling guide that will mention just how long you should cook your meat and the temperature it needs to reach in order for it to be safe for the whole family to tuck in to at the end of an evening.
The ultimate guide for cooking chicken legs!
The safest way to cook chicken legs is by using a meat thermometer probe. You should cook your chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Top tip: Make sure you pierce the flesh correctly when testing the temperature as the bones will read slightly differently to the flesh.
Top tip: Try not to pierce the skin too many times to read the temperature, as every time you do, the chicken loses some of the natural juices that keep chicken legs succulent.
If you keep your grill between 375 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and place your chicken legs on the direct heat section of the grill, it should cook within 30 to 35 minutes.
Top tip: Flip your chicken legs on the grill every 5 minutes to ensure that they do not burn and to encourage them to cook evenly on all sides.
The time your chicken legs need to cook will largely depend on how thick the chicken legs are, which type of grill you use and how well your grill retains heat, so keep an eye on the temperature and doneness with a meat probe for the very best results.
Related: How to make a chicken rub
Our Best Grilled Chicken Legs Recipe
Have you been scouring the internet for the best grilled chicken legs recipe? Then the search stops here as we are about to reveal to you one of the most awesome grilled chicken legs recipes that you can try!
This recipe includes instructions, not only for grilling chicken but will also let you in on the marvelous marinade ingredients. This recipe feeds four so try it out for the family this weekend!
Ingredients
- 8 chicken legs
Ingredients for the marinade
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- ½ tsp of kosher salt
- ¼ tsp of freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp of smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp of cumin
- 1 tsp of ground garlic
- 1 tsp of onion powder
- ¼ tsp of ground ginger
- ¾ cup of cloudy apple juice
- 1 tsp of Sicilian lemon zest
Directions on How to Grill Chicken Legs
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together into a zip lock bag and place the chicken legs inside the bag and then shake to combine. If necessary, massage the bag over the legs to coat them.
- Allow the chicken legs to sit in the marinade for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight to allow the flavors to sink into the flesh.
- Preheat the grill to between 375 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the grill has heated, remove the chicken from the zip lock bag and place it on to the grill to cook with direct heat. Turn the chicken legs over every 5 minutes to ensure that they cook evenly. Cook the chicken legs for 30 to 35 minutes in total or until the internal temperature of the chicken legs reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit when tested with a meat probe.
- Remove the meat from the heat once it has cooked and then place the chicken legs onto a serving plate. Allow the chicken to rest for up to 10 minutes before tucking in!
Related: How to smoke a whole chicken
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