I know there are many recipes for grilled chicken leg quarters and I have tried many of them.
Slowly I have tweaked this recipe and all my friends and family who tried this recipe told me that they loved it.
TIP: One of the things that helped me grill tender meat is to use baking soda to make meat tender. You can use this also for this recipe.
Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters
Equipment
- 1 Grill I recommend a charcoal grill
- 1 Pair Of Tongs
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Salt
- 1.5 tbsp Sage
- 1.5 tbsp Thyme
- 1/2 tbsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp Sugar
- 3/4 tbsp Smoked paprika powder
- 2 tbsp Onion powder
- 4 tbsp Olive oil Or oil of your choice.
Instructions
- Wash of chicken leg quarters of under cold running water.
- Pat chicken leg quarters dry with paper towel.
- Rub chicken leg quarters with some olive oil
- Rub chicken leg quarters with spice rub. Also under the skin!
- Place chicken leg quarters in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
- In the mean time pre-heat grill to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius)
- Set up grill for 2 zone grilling
- Place chicken leg quarters skin down on the indirect heat side of the grill
- Grill for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Check internal temperature and make sure it is 175 Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius)
- For a crispy skin move chicken leg quarters to the charcoal side.
- Grill for a short time and flip ones.
- Remove chicken leg quarters from grill and let them rest for 5 minutes
Notes
Chicken Leg Quarter Spice Rub
For the seasoning, I use the following: 2 tbsp. salt 1.5 tbsp sage 1.5 tbsp thyme ½ tbsp black pepper 1/2 tbsp sugar 3/4 tbsp paprika 2 tbsp onion powder Prepare the chicken leg quarters by rinsing them off under cold running water. After that pat them dry with a paper towel.How To Season Chicken Leg Quarters
Now you have 2 options on how to season chicken leg quarters. I have used both and prefer the first one. 1: Mix all spices in the olive oil and rub chicken leg quarters with the mixture. 2: Rub chicken leg quarters with olive oil and after that sprinkle spice rub on it. The reason I prefer the first one is that the spices are more evenly divided over the whole chicken leg quarters and seem to stick better.How To Grill Chicken Leg Quarters
I have ruined many pieces of chicken meat by grilling them directly over the heat source. I have better results with the indirect grilling method. This means that you have the heat on one side of the grill and the meat on the other side. (you can read here how to use and set up indirect grilling) Preheat the grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 Celsius) Now place the chicken leg quarters on the cooler side of the grill and place it with the skin down.How Long To Grill Chicken Leg Quarters
Grill for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 175 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius) This is a question I heard a lot and although although it depends on how thick the leg quarters are. My 45 minutes is a nice average. For crispy skin, you can move the chicken leg quarters to the hot side of the grill above the charcoal, grill them for a minute and flip them ones. Now remove the chicken leg quarters from the grill and let them rest for about 5 minutes before serving. There you have it! Perfect grilled tender, moist and flavorful chicken leg quarters.Nutrition
I just found that some people call them chicken hindquarters.
I have many more grilled chicken recipes that you can use to impress your friends and family.
One other tip I can give you is to have a look at my chicken leg quarter marinade that I use when I have more prep time available.
Eddie van Aken
Eddie van Aken brings years of experience from running a full-service restaurant, where he honed his skills with all types of kitchen equipment. His expertise extends to mastering the art of outdoor cooking, utilizing the right recipes to enhance flavors on grills and smokers. Eddie’s in-depth knowledge allows him to provide comprehensive grill reviews and valuable outdoor cooking tips, helping enthusiasts make the most of their grilling adventures. You can read more on the About page for Eddie van Aken