BBQ Chicken Quarters
intro
Juicy, smoky bone-in chicken quarters slathered in tangy caramelized BBQ sauce, with crispy seasoned skin and tender meat, perfect for summer outdoor cookouts.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep chicken quarters
Pat 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken quarters (1800g total, ~450g each) completely dry with paper towels, then rub all over with 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil to help seasoning adhere. Trim any excess loose skin or hanging fat to prevent sudden grill flare-ups during cooking.
Apply dry rub
Mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 2 tablespoons light brown sugar in a small bowl to make the dry rub. Sprinkle the rub evenly over every surface of the oiled chicken, pressing gently to help it stick, then let the chicken rest at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the grill.
Set up two-zone grill
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (190°C / 375°F), arranging coals or turning on burners to create a two-zone cooking area: one side with direct high heat, the other side with no active heat source. Scrub grill grates clean with a wire brush, then oil lightly to prevent chicken from sticking during cooking.
Cook chicken indirectly
Arrange the seasoned chicken quarters skin-side up on the cool, no-heat side of the grill. Close the grill lid and cook for 25 minutes, maintaining a steady internal grill temperature of 190°C (375°F), flipping the chicken once at the 12-minute mark to promote even cooking on both sides.
Sauce and sear chicken
Stir 1 tablespoon (15ml) apple cider vinegar into 240ml (1 cup) tomato-based BBQ sauce to thin it slightly for easy basting. Move the partially cooked chicken to the direct high-heat side of the grill, brush generously with sauce on all surfaces, and cook for 8-10 minutes total, flipping every 2 minutes and reapplying sauce, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) and the sauce is sticky, bubbly, and caramelized.
Rest and serve
Transfer the finished BBQ chicken quarters to a clean serving platter, tent loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute through the meat. Serve with any remaining warmed BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.
Tips
2.Avoid cooking sauced chicken entirely over direct high heat, as the sugar in the dry rub and BBQ sauce will burn and turn bitter long before the meat reaches the safe 74°C (165°F) internal temperature.
3.Never skip the 10-minute rest period after grilling; this allows the chicken's muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb juices, ensuring every bite is moist instead of having flavorful juices run out onto your plate when cut.
OMG this was SO good! I made these for our Sunday family dinner last night and even my super picky 7 year old asked for seconds. The skin got perfectly crispy and the BBQ sauce caramelized so nicely, no burnt spots at all. 10/10 will be adding this to our weekly rotation!
Total game changer for weeknight cooks! I was worried chicken quarters would be too fussy for an easy recipe, but 55 minutes total cook time? No way, it came out juicier than the ones I spend 2 hours babysitting on the smoker. Took these to a neighborhood potluck and people were begging for the recipe.
Made a big batch of these for my weekly meal prep! They hold up so well in the fridge all week, I just reheat a quarter in the air fryer for 3 minutes and it tastes just as fresh as day one. Way cheaper than grabbing BBQ takeout for lunch every day.
Uh, total newbie here. I tried this last night and my chicken quarters were still a little pink near the bone after 55 minutes at the temp listed? Did I do something wrong? Flavor was great otherwise, just stressed about undercooked chicken.
My whole family went crazy for this! I added a little dry rub under the skin before slathering on the sauce, just some paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of cayenne for a tiny kick, and it took it over the top. Served it with coleslaw and cornbread for the perfect summer meal.
Honestly can’t believe how cheap and easy this was. Chicken quarters are like $0.99 a pound at my grocery store right now, so I fed 4 people for under $5 total. Way better than any fast food chicken I’ve had lately, and no weird additives. Will be making this on repeat all summer.
Pro tip: Line your baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil before you put the chicken on, because the BBQ sauce drippings get super sticky and will take forever to scrub off. Saved me so much cleanup time when I made these last night! The chicken itself was chef’s kiss, of course.
This was great, but I felt like the base recipe was a little plain for my taste! I swapped the regular BBQ sauce for a spicy habanero version and tossed on some smoked salt before baking, and it was exactly the kick I was craving. Even my partner who hates spicy food thought it was delicious (he just dipped his in ranch, lmao).