I’m new to cooking chicken on the grill (LP) and I’m struggling to make it not look like this, burnt on the outside and slightly undercooked on the inside even though the chicken is at cooked temperature.
Even when it was cooking at a good pace it flared up with burning grease.
So.. any tips for cooking chicken on propane and avoiding the grease flare up?
by outrageous_outlander
29 Comments
Move it around more when it flares up. Lower heat and longer time
Preheat the grill, then turn off one side while keeping the other side going. Put the chicken on the off side , this is indirect heat, then close the lid. Rotate the chicken per usual. This will take longer than just blasting it with heat, but keeping it not over the flames will prevent the fat from dripping down and flaring up. Another option is directly over a low flame, then when you see a flare up, move the chicken or kill the flame. Keep at it and keep trying. I can get about 10 drumsticks for $4 at my local Aldi so you could grab that and practice for minimal money so if you mess up, you’re not out much cash, and if you succeed, then leftovers for the next few days
If it’s at cooked temperature then it’s not undercooked, whatever the appearance looks like. Whether you might light it more cooked is another story.
But yea like the other commenter said, this is about heat control. Lower the heat, take longer, move it around, additionally set up a colder zone to move things to when flare ups happen. The same logic applies to grilling as cooking on a pan, it’s all heat control
Get a spray bottle of water and spray when the flame flares up!
Stop using sweet rubs and sauces over high heat. The sugar is caramelizing and burning the outside. Put the sauce on last. Get an instant read thermometer, and turn down the heat. Or do indirect heat.
Cook indirect. Light 1 or 2 of the burners get the grill to 400 degrees, put the chicken away from the lit burners for 30-45 min flipping when you get enough color on one side, baste with sauce last 5 minutes. The circulating heat should cook the chicken and crisp up the skin and if you wanted you could sear over the lit burners but don’t walk away, it will get scorched if you leave it on one side for more than a few seconds.
If you do want to grill direct, lower the heat so it doesn’t burn right away. Something like medium or medium low flame.
Also, any rub or sauce with sugar in it will burn immediately, keep that in mind.
Cook it indirect/ if it has 2 burners shut one off. But the best way…charcoal
Maybe I’m the odd one here but that looks delicious to me. I love a little char on my drumsticks. Once they get a little dark like that I move them to indirect heat or to the top rack to keep cooking without burning until they temp out. Keep in mind if you use a high sugar marinade like bbq sauce it will char up faster as the sugar burns
Gotta just turn the heat down to 3/4 and cook them for like 30-40 minutes, quicker if you’re saucing and rotating them. When the tendons really start to pull back, you’re done. Get an instant thermometer on Amazon, you’ll use it a lot – why guess temps.
Two cooking zones, you can always add more char but can’t take it away.
If you’re using sauce – always put it on last.
If your chicken is burning, try moving it to indirect heat to finish cooking inside without continuing to burn the outside.
Par boiling was my routine. Just boil it first in water on the stove till it turns white. It’s usually juicier after cooking on the grill.
A larger grill helps with setting up 2 zones for cooking. Get one side hot via burners or charcoal, and cook the food on the cooler side without a burner or charcoal directly underneath the food.
If I am doing a sauce or glaze, I always do it right at the end when the meat is already basically done (as verified by a thermometer). That way you can avoid burning the sugars in the sauce while also still getting the meat hot enough to cook properly. A wet sauce can really slow the cooking down.
Lowering the heat will make a huge difference, and now I always keep one burner on super low or off altogether so I can move the chicken away from flare-ups when they happen. Also, flipping more frequently helps too.
I cheat. I put mine in a bowl in the microwave for a few minutes and get it hot next to the bone before I put it on the grill. Plus I wait until the last flip before I put the bbq sauce on. Like another comment said, The sugar in that sauce will burn if you put it on first.
Just grilled drumsticks tonight. This here is my fave recipe that gets my family complimenting me every time.
https://bigdeliciouslife.com/bbq-grilled-chicken-legs-drumsticks-and-thighs/#recipe
Dry rub FTW
Uncook it for like 5 min 👍
Flip every 5 minutes four times on 400 for a total of twenty minutes. Heat your sauce in a saucepan on the side. Slather before serving.
Lower temp for cooking, don’t use any sauces, etc until you are almost finished. Chicken does not do well under high temp direct grilling
I mean id eat it for sure
Either do indirect heat or rotate them more
It’s not hard
Seen some good tips but you didn’t mention how you cooked it or if you used and sugar that could be burning. In any event, turn a burner off. Cook on that side and then put it on the flame later so the outside and inside finish together.
Thank you all for the helpful comments! I was expecting a bunch of smart ass replies with this being Reddit
Slow is pro when it comes to chicken. Low heat and keep an eye on it.
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I’d still eat them. But when I was growing up my dad did the bbq ing. It’s wasn’t done until he was done drinking, lol. I don’t like pork steaks unless they look just like your chicken legs. They have to have some burnt.
If that’s the only gear you have, turn on 1 set of burners on high & place the chicken on the cooler side, let it cook until it starts sleeping myoglobin, depending on what piece of chicken your making white meat is 160° and dark meat 170° set over the burners for 30sec-1 min each side and pull off. It’ll be totally cooked and have some char to it without being burnt. Cooking on gas has its advantages just make sure you’re not cooking w/ the propane tank valve wide open and burners not on high. Hope this helps & good luck
This video shows how to cook wings on a Qwikchar tray , with burning them.
https://youtu.be/zjxxPU4RQ_c?si=m_s2a7k7yCmnep7C