Chicken Grilling Times

Here's how long to grill chicken so it's not overcooked or undercooked.

Grilled Five Spice Chicken
Photo: Allrecipes Magazine

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:

Also browse our complete collection of Grilled Chicken Recipes.

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