Chook Me!

How long should I pre-cook BBQ chicken for the grill?

I have to grill 30lbs of chicken. Whole leg and thigh quarters and whole breasts. It'll take forever on the grill. I want to precook it in the oven the night before but I don't want it fully cooked. How long in the oven and at what temp to keep it from drying out and then how long on the grill?

Public Comments

1. My favorite way to quickly grill moist chicken is to par-boil for 15-20 minutes (depending on whether they are legs or breasts . . .) This can be done the night before, but they will cook quicker if you set them out 15 minutes before cooking, so they warm up slightly. I've done this many nights when I didn't want to be grilling for 45 minutes! I always smother with BBQ sauce the last 5-10 minutes on the grill, and they are AWESOME!
2. For that amount of chicken, I think it will be safest to precook it completely. If the center is still underdone when the chicken is going from fridge to grill, it will take a long time for the grill heat to make it into the center then stay hot long enough to get it cooked through. You'll have uncertainty about whether the center of the chicken is really cooked. That's hard to manage for a crowd. Cook it completely, then use the grill to heat the chicken and give it that yummy char and smokey flavor on the outside. Nobody gets food poisoning. Many people poach/boil chicken before grilling it rather than baking it. Consider trying that technique.
3. Wow, what a task you have! Honestly, I'd do it just the other way, but lets start from step one. Season your chicken at least a day in advance with either a dry rub or a marinade. Let it set for 12 hours, then grill it. The seasonings that are on the outside and the flavors that have soaked in will be "seared in" by grilling them, keeping all of that natural juiciness inside. Once they are FULLY cooled, then refrigerate them in a single layer.................or put them in a large pan with layers of deli/parchment/wax paper in between them. I say "fully cooled" for an important, safety purpose. Meats that are not cooled completely and put into a cold environment will offset the cooling unit and continue to cook if stacked on top of each other, thereby growing bacteria inside of itself. About two hours before your party, I would pull out the chicken and set it into single layer sheet pans and let it come to almost room temperature. Seperate your Thighs, Drumsticks and Breasts pnto different pans. Set your oven to 400 degrees and cook your chicken for about 15-20 minutes or you reach an internal temperature of 165 for food safety guidelines and enjoy!!!!!!! The seperation of chicken parts are for varying cooking times, the breasts are white meat and will cook faster than the thighs (plus the bone-in takes longer, same with the drumsticks) so you might have to check each pan as you bake them. So, I hope this information helps you to enjoy the chicken for your party! God Bless you for cooking 30# of chicken, most people would not take on this task.