SkewersYakitori Over Binchotan
Small skewers, a narrow bed of coals and no lid. Yakitori is charcoal cooking reduced to its essentials, which is exactly why the fuel matters so much.
Thighs and legsPeri Peri Chicken Thighs Over Charcoal
Chicken thigh is the cut charcoal was made for: enough fat to survive a live fire, and skin that goes properly crisp over coals in a way an oven never manages.
Whole birdJerk Chicken Over Charcoal and Pimento Wood
Real jerk is a smoking technique, not a sauce. The marinade matters, but what makes it jerk is slow smoke over pimento wood.
Thighs and legsChicken Gyros on a Charcoal Spit
Stacked marinated thighs turning slowly over charcoal, shaved off in layers as the outside crisps. A foukou or a rotisserie ring turns this from a restaurant dish into a garden one.
Thighs and legsTandoori Chicken Without a Tandoor
Two marinades, not one. The first is salt, lemon and chilli cutting into scored meat; the second is yoghurt and spice clinging to the surface. That order is the whole technique.
Thighs and legsFilipino Chicken Inasal
Chicken marinated in calamansi, vinegar, lemongrass and ginger, then basted constantly with annatto oil that turns it a deep orange. Sharp, savoury and completely distinct from western barbecue.
Thighs and legsCrispy Charcoal Chicken Wings
The secret to crisp charcoal wings is not a hotter fire, it is baking powder and a patient two zone cook. Skin like glass, no deep fryer.
SkewersShish Taouk, Lebanese Chicken Skewers
Yoghurt-and-garlic marinated chicken skewers from across the Levant, tangy and tender, served with toum, the fierce garlic sauce that defines them.
Thigh is the best value cut in outdoor cooking. It has enough fat to survive a live fire, skin that crisps properly over coals in a way an oven never manages, and it costs a fraction of breast.
Cook dark meat to 80°C (175°F) or higher, not 75°C (165°F). Thighs are full of connective tissue that only breaks down above about 75°C (170°F), so they get more tender and more moist as they go past the safe temperature, which is the opposite of what happens to breast.
Render skin side up over indirect heat first, then finish skin down over the coals for the last few minutes. Stay with it: chicken skin over a live fire goes from golden to black in under a minute.
At a glance
| Recipe | Method | Grill temp | Cook time | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakitori Over Binchotan | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 15 min | 75°C (165°F) |
| Peri Peri Chicken Thighs Over Charcoal | Two-zone cooking | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | 25 min | 80°C (175°F) |
| Jerk Chicken Over Charcoal and Pimento Wood | Two-zone cooking | 135 to 175°C (275 to 350°F) | 1 hr 15 min | 80°C (175°F) |
| Chicken Gyros on a Charcoal Spit | Rotisserie | 135 to 175°C (275 to 350°F) | 1 hr 30 min | 80°C (175°F) |
| Tandoori Chicken Without a Tandoor | Two-zone cooking | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 35 min | 80°C (175°F) |
| Filipino Chicken Inasal | Two-zone cooking | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | 30 min | 80°C (175°F) |
| Crispy Charcoal Chicken Wings | Two-zone cooking | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | 40 min | 85°C (185°F) |
| Shish Taouk, Lebanese Chicken Skewers | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 12 min | 75°C (165°F) |
Techniques used
Direct heat. Food straight over the coals. Fast, fierce, and finished before the inside overcooks. Rotisserie. Constant rotation, constant self-basting, no hot side to fight. Two-zone cooking. Coals banked to one side: a searing zone and a gentle zone in one grill. The single most useful technique in charcoal cooking.
Cookers these suit
Drum smokers. Foukou rotisseries. Kamado grills. Kettle grills. Portable grills. Tandoor ovens.