Guide to Barbecuing Chicken
It’s hard to beat chicken hot from the BBQ – lean, tasty and full of flavour, it’s a family favourite for good reason, and guaranteed to be popular at summer get-togethers. With so many chicken joints and cuts to choose from, it can be hard to know where to begin, so here are a few ideas to get you started.
SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN
‘Spatchcocking’ is pretty much the same technique as butterflying; the chicken’s backbone is removed and the bird is opened out and flattened. Despite looking a little squashed, this is still a whole bird with meat on-the-bone, which ensures a juicy and delicious result when cooked. Here at Greendale we stock unmarinated spatchcock chickens as well as marinated Barbecue, Teriyaki, Jamaican Jerk and Lemon, Ginger & Chilli varieties.
HOW TO COOK: The flatter shape of a spatchcock chicken means it has a shorter cooking time than a standard whole chicken. To barbecue, place on the grill above properly prepared hot charcoal and cook for about 45 minutes, checking that the meat is cooked through and any juices run clear before serving.
RECIPE SUGGESTIONS:
Spatchcock Chicken with BBQ butternut Squash
Spatchcock Chicken & Lemon Garlic Butter
CHICKEN WINGS
Barbecued Chicken Wings are great when you fancy a really intensely-flavoured chicken ‘hit’ - there’s no polite way to eat them, just pick them up and get stuck in!
HOW TO COOK: By partially pre-cooking the wings first, you can keep them tender and succulent (and avoid BBQ flare-ups caused by dripping fat). When the charcoal is ready for cooking, bank the coals on one side of the grill and place the wings on the other, cooler side; cover and cook for 10 minutes per side (for a gas BBQ, light only one burner). Finish the wings on the medium-hot part of the grill (for gas, light more burners) until the meat is cooked through and any juices run clear.
RECIPE SUGGESTIONS:
HATARI Maple Habanero Chilli Chicken Wings
Sweet and Smoky Chicken Wings
CHICKEN BREASTS
The Greendale butchers remove the skin and bone from our chicken breasts, so they’re all ready to cook. Tasty and versatile, they’ll happily take on all manner of marinades – they’re especially good diced and used to make BBQ kebabs, too (if you don’t fancy making your own, try our ready-prepared Greendale Garlic Chicken or Chinese Chicken Kebabs!).
HOW TO COOK: Lightly oil the grilling rack before placing it on the barbecue, and season the chicken breasts well with salt and pepper. When your charcoal is ready for cooking, put the chicken on the grill and cook for 6-10 minutes without turning, then turn the meat and continue to grill until cooked through, usually 6-10 minutes more.
RECIPE SUGGESTION:
Caribbean-Style Chicken Kebabs Recipe
CHICKEN THIGHS
Prized by those in the know for their tender, flavoursome meat, here at Greendale our chicken thighs are available with or without the skin and bones, but for barbecuing it’s a good idea to choose the skin-on option, as the skin will help to keep the meat moist as it cooks.
HOW TO COOK: Lightly oil the grilling rack before placing it on the barbecue, and season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper. To cook, place the thighs skin-side down on the grill above thoroughly hot charcoal, then turn after 5 minutes. Cook the thighs for about 30 minutes, turning them regularly, until you are sure there is no pink meat and any juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer. If you are using bone-in thighs, they will need a few minutes’ more cooking time.
RECIPE SUGGESTION:
No Smoke without Fire: Chicken Shawarma
BBQ Chicken Paella Recipe
CHICKEN LEGS
Chicken legs are a fairly large bone-in cut, and include all the tender meat from the thigh and drumstick. Our Free-Range Chicken Legs are supplied with the skin on and bone-in, to help them stay succulent during cooking.
HOW TO COOK:
Lightly oil the grilling rack before placing it on the barbecue, and season the chicken legs well with salt and pepper. When the charcoal is ready for cooking, bank most of it to one side beneath the grill so that you have a hotter part and a cooler part to cook over. Place the chicken legs on the hotter part of the grill and cook for about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until the skin is golden all over. Next, move them to the medium-cool area of the grill and continue to cook for another 20-25 minutes, turning every 8-10 minutes, until there is no pink meat and any juices run clear.
CHICKEN PRE-MADE KEBABS
With a delicious garlic and butter or Chinese glaze, these Chicken Kebabs are hard to resist! Prepared with care by the Greendale Butchers, they’re supplied ready-threaded on a wooden skewer, so you can put them straight on the barbecue.
HOW TO COOK:
To barbecue, place the skewers over properly hot charcoal and cook, turning regularly to ensure even cooking on each side. The meat is cooked when you are absolutely sure there is no pink flesh, and the juice runs clear when you pierce the meat gently with a skewer. The Kebabs can also be cooked under a preheated grill or in a griddle pan.
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