Grilled Chicken Legs

By Genevieve Ko

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Grilled Chicken Legs
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
35 minutes, plus grill heating time
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(309)
Comments
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The best grilled chicken smells like summer. To achieve that charred aroma, you want to crisp the skin while cooking the meat through and keeping it juicy. Setting oil-slicked meat over direct, moderate heat and covering the grill prevents flare-ups, which can burn the skin before the meat loses its rawness. Because fire lends its own flavor, the chicken really doesn’t need anything more than salt and pepper, but if you want a little sweetness, savoriness and spice, you can brush on the simple soy glaze toward the end of cooking. As it heats, it caramelizes onto the skin and seeps into the meat. A final swipe of sauce over the chicken after it’s off the grill gives it a sticky shine.

Featured in: How to Make the Juiciest, Most Succulent Grilled Chicken

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

    For the Glaze (optional)

    • ½cup soy sauce
    • ⅓cup granulated sugar
    • 2tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes

    For the Chicken

    • 2tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
    • 5pounds chicken legs or drumsticks or a combination, patted dry
    • Salt and black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

548 calories; 39 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 892 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If you’re making the glaze, mix the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and red-pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves. The glaze can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the chicken: Rub the oil all over the chicken, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap any flaps of excess skin around the meat.

  3. Step 3

    To cook chicken on a gas grill, heat the grill to medium. When the grill is hot, turn off one burner, and clean and grease the grate. Place the chicken on the grate over the heated burners skin side down. Cover and cook, flipping once, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. If you’re not glazing the chicken, continue cooking, covered and flipping once, for 5 to 7 minutes longer. If the skin isn’t browning, turn up the heat. If flames flare up over the chicken, move the meat briefly over the unlit burner.

  4. Step 4

    If you’re glazing the chicken, brush the meat with the glaze and turn the pieces over. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, then continue brushing, turning and cooking, covered, until you have a spoonful of glaze left and the skin is burnished, 8 to 10 minutes total. A meat thermometer should register 165 degrees.

  5. Step 5

    To cook chicken on a charcoal grill, heat charcoal, then spread over two-thirds of the grate when they ash over. When you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds, place the chicken on the grate over the coals skin side down. Cover, with the top vents halfway closed, and cook, flipping once, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. If you’re not glazing the chicken, continue cooking, covered and flipping once, for 5 to 7 minutes longer. If you’re glazing the chicken, brush the meat with the glaze and turn the pieces over. If flames flare up over the chicken, move the meat briefly over the side without coals. Continue brushing and turning uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until you have a spoonful of glaze left and the skin is burnished. A meat thermometer should register 165 degrees.

  6. Step 6

    Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and immediately brush with the remaining glaze.

Ratings

4 out of 5
309 user ratings
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Comments

Bob Roberts

If you have the time, brine first. Get a big bowl, throw in the chicken and a good heap of salt and let it sit for 4-24 hours. If you do this, you will get plumper, moister and more evenly cooked chicken every time. When ready to cook, drain and then pat the chicken dry on some paper towels so that it sears on contact with your grill. If you want to up your game further, after patting the chicken dry, season with salt and pepper and layout on a cookie sheet in the fridge for an hour.

Anonymous

Strongly advise anyone reading to cook thighs *above* 165. They are at their best nearer to 190-200 than 165. Cook these same leg thigh quarters skin side up on a low grill until the internal temp is around 170-180. The skin will have dried out quite a bit by now, enabling you to flip them over and fairly quickly, yet gently on medium-low heat, crisp up the skin. When that's done, you're going to be approaching that 190 mark and you can remove and let carryover cooking do the rest.

StuKin

As simple and inexpensive as it gets. I make this using honey instead of sugar. I cook to 175-180℉ over indirect heat; legs have plenty of moisture to prevent drying out. At 69¢/lb.for the meat, I can afford to splurge on wine.

Mark

I buy family-size packages of chicken legs when they are on sale and keep them in the freezer. The ingredients for the glaze are always on hand. Matched with a simple salad and something like couscous, it is a hugely popular meal anytime it is not impossible to be grilling outside.

Dean Portman

Excellent! Thanks. Simple & effective.

Brian

Thunderstorms: roasted in oven after seasoning with five spices powder x 2 hours. 425 degree, convection oven. Oil on pieces and pan bottom, skin up. After 20 minutes rotated pan, basted once and roasted for another 20 minutes. Glazed pieces then returned briefly to broiler. Skin 3” from flame - about 45 seconds just to bubble glaze.

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