How to Grill Bone-In Chicken

There's always a big debate in grilling crowds as to whether bone-in chicken can be put on the grill raw, or if it needs to be parboiled first. I'm decidedly on the side of putting the chicken on the grill raw. When bone-in chicken cooks from start to finish on the grill it tastes so much better than the parboiled stuff. It can be a little bit tricky to learn how to grill bone-in chicken, but it's worth the effort. All you need is good instructions and a little bit of patience.

You'll need:
bone-in chicken (breasts, thighs, quarters, halves, or drumsticks)
cup or bowl of water
brush
a grill
barbecue tongs
BBQ sauce (optional)

How to Grill Bone-In Chicken: Step 1:

Light the grill and set the heat to low. Close the lid and give at at least 10 minutes to heat up. Make sure the flame is low and there's nothing on the grill that will flame up.

How to Grill Bone-In Chicken: Step 2:

Place raw chicken on the grill bone side down.

Tip: Keep the chicken to the sides of the grill and away from any direct flames. This is very important because if you don't, the outside of the chicken will burn while the inside is still raw. I'll say it again so you remember: low heat and keep the chicken away from the flame.

How to Grill Bone-In Chicken: Step 3:

Close the grill lid and wait five minutes. After five minutes, go back and flip all the chicken pieces over. When you get all the pieces flipped, liberally brush them with water and close the grill lid.

Tip: It's really important to brush the top side with water every time you flip the chicken pieces. This is how the chicken comes out juicy.

How to Grill Bone-In Chicken: Step 4:

Continue flipping and wetting the chicken every five minutes for 45 minutes to an hour, or until done. The amount of time it takes to cook will depend on the thickness of the chicken, the temperature of the grill, and even the outside temperature.

Tip: You'll know the chicken's getting done when the skin begins to bubble and get golden brown. Once the skin looks crispy, cut into the thickest piece of chicken at the thickest part. Make sure you cut all the way to the bone. If there is absolutely no trace of red (or pink) the chicken is done.

How to Grill Bone-In Chicken: Step 5:

If you want to coat the chicken with barbecue sauce, do it near the end of the cooking time by brushing barbecue sauce on the chicken instead of water. Time it so that you use the barbecue sauce over the course of two or three flips.

Tip: Barbecue sauce chars easily. It's better to apply two or three thin coats than one thick coat.

Making bone-in chicken on the grill this way is the best you'll ever have. There's really no need for spices or sauces if you don't want them- slow cooking on the grill gives bone-in chicken a flavor that parboiling can't touch. Enjoy!