Chicken is one of the all-time most popular choices for grilling. This handy chart shows you how long to grill different cuts of chicken, including grilled whole chickens, grilled chicken breasts, grilled chicken thighs, and grilled chicken wings and drumsticks.
Chicken Grilling Time and Temperature Chart
Chicken and other poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Keep in mind, clear juices are not always a good indicator of doneness. Depending on the age of the bird, juices might not run clear until it’s overcooked. Also, as you see from the chart, boneless cuts of chicken cook faster than bone-in pieces of chicken.
Cut | Method | Heat | Time | Internal minimum temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|
Whole Broiler or Fryer | — | — | — | — |
3 to 4 pounds | Indirect | Medium | 60 to 75 minutes | 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) |
Whole Roasting Hen | — | — | — | — |
5 to 7 pounds | Indirect | Medium | 18 to 25 min./pound | 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) |
Capon | — | — | — | — |
4 to 8 pounds | Indirect | Medium | 15 to 20 min./pound | 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) |
Cornish Hens | — | — | — | — |
18 to 24 ounces | Indirect | Medium | 45 to 55 min./side | 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) |
Bone-In Breast | — | — | — | — |
6 to 8 ounces | Direct | Medium/High | 10 to 15 min./side | 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) |
Boneless Breast | — | — | — | — |
4 ounces | Direct | High | 6 to 8 min./side | 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) |
Legs or Thighs | — | — | — | — |
4 to 8 ounces | Direct | Medium/High | 10 to 15 min./side | 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) |
Drumsticks | — | — | — | — |
4 ounces | Direct | Medium/High | 8 to 12 min./side | 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) |
Wings | — | — | — | — |
2 to 3 ounces | Direct | Medium/High | 8 to 12 min./side | 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) |
A Note on Chicken Kebabs: Whether you’re threading skewers with chicken breast or thigh meat, cook your chicken kebabs until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).
Grilled Chicken Recipes
For all the grilled chicken inspiration you could ever need, check out:
- Whole Grilled Chicken Recipes
- Grilled Chicken Breast Recipes
- Grilled Chicken Thigh Recipes
Also browse our complete collection of Grilled Chicken Recipes.