Charcoal Roasted Chicken

Charcoal Roasted Chicken Recipe

By: Andrea Alden

There’s just something so comforting about a roast chicken for dinner. This recipe for Charcoal Roasted Chicken will ensure that you can have this satisfying meal any day of the week. It can be on your table in little more than an hour, and with the Napoleon Bluetooth Digital BBQ Thermometer, you can just set and forget while you do other things. Subtly smoky, delightfully delicious, the succulent chicken has crispy skin and moist meat so you won’t need gravy, but can make one with the flavorful juices from the trays just to please the palette further. 

Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
60 min
Yield
4 to 6
Difficulty
Easy

Charcoal Roasted Chicken Recipe

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Ingredients

Method

Photos

Ingredients

2

whole roasting chickens

2 to 3 feet

butcher’s twine

¼ cup

BBQ Chicken seasoning

4 cups

water / chicken broth / IPA Beer

Charcoal 

Your favorite smoking chips or chunks like apple or hickory

Method
  1. Prepare your charcoal grill for cooking by lighting a load of charcoal in a charcoal starter. While the charcoal is heating, remove the cooking grids in your charcoal BBQ and remove the stainless steel heat diffuser. Place one or two trays into the bottom of the BBQ and fill them with water, chicken broth, or even a light beer like IPA. Open the bottom vent ¼ of the way open – one notch. Once the charcoal has ignited, pour half of the load on each side of the tray(s). Replace the cooking grids and preheat the grill to around 350°F.

    If you are using a Napoleon Cast Iron Charcoal Tray on your gas grill, remove all of the cooking grids from your grill. Remove the sear plates over two of the burners and install the Charcoal Tray directly onto them. Fill the Charcoal Tray with charcoal like Napoleon’s Blackstone Charcoal. Place drip pans onto the sear plates that are remaining, fill with water, chicken broth, or even a light beer like IPA. Replace the cooking grids, and light the burners under the charcoal to medium-high, leaving them lit until the charcoal has ignited. Allow the charcoal to ash over and preheat the grill to around350°F. 
  2. While the charcoal grill is preheating, truss the chickens by tucking the wings behind the bird’s back. Place the bird on its back with the legs pointing towards you. Pull a length of butcher’s twine under the bird, placing it between the wings and legs, then pull the twine up under the armpits of the bird. Cross the twine in front of the breasts, pulling the neck skin tight under the twine. Run the twine back down the sides of the chicken and cross the twine under the pointy part where the breasts meet above the cavity opening. Loop the string under the legs and pull and tie tight. 
  3. Season the chicken thoroughly with your favorite BBQ Chicken Seasoning and insert the probe of your Napoleon Bluetooth BBQ Thermometer. Set the thermometer for a doneness temperature of about 165°F. 
  4. Place the chickens onto the grill over the trays. Add a handful of wood chips or a chunk to the lit charcoal and close the lid. 
  5. Cook the chicken using indirect heat, for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until the thermometer reaches the correct final temperature of 165°F. 
  6. When the chickens are ready, remove them to a waiting board to rest for at least 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cooking grids using heat resistant BBQ gloves so that you can use the delicious liquid in the drip trays for gravy. 
  7. Serve with your favorite veggie sides.  

Charcoal Roasted Chicken provides plenty of leftovers for lunches. Just imagine smoky toasted chicken sandwiches, grilled chicken salad, or just leftover chicken with veggies. Tell us your favorite roasted chicken stories, whether it’s a recipe, something grandma did, or what you love to do with the leftovers. Share these stories with us on our social pages using the hashtags #BBQRoastChicken and #NapoleonGrills, while you wait for your chicken dinner to be ready.

Happy Grilling!

Truss the chickens

Truss the chickens

Season the chickens with your favorite barbecue seasoning

Season the chickens with your favorite barbecue seasoning

Insert and set the thermometer

Insert and set the thermometer

Set up the grill for indirect heat, add drip pans

Set up the grill for indirect heat, add drip pans

Add a little smoke for extra flavor

Add a little smoke for extra flavor

They're very nearly done

They're very nearly done

I think they're ready nowv

I think they're ready now

Rest before serving

Rest before serving

Slice into several parts for serving

Slice into several parts for serving

Don't forget your favorite side dishes too

Don't forget your favorite side dishes too

AndreaAlden
Andrea Alden

I used to be the Sultana of Sizzle, but you can call me Andrea. I have always been passionate about food. Even though I was majoring in Art and Graphic Design, I would frequently be found cooking for my friends and family.

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Truss the chickens

Truss the chickens

Season the chickens with your favorite barbecue seasoning

Season the chickens with your favorite barbecue seasoning

Insert and set the thermometer

Insert and set the thermometer

Set up the grill for indirect heat, add drip pans

Set up the grill for indirect heat, add drip pans

Add a little smoke for extra flavor

Add a little smoke for extra flavor

They're very nearly done

They're very nearly done

I think they're ready nowv

I think they're ready now

Rest before serving

Rest before serving

Slice into several parts for serving

Slice into several parts for serving

Don't forget your favorite side dishes too

Don't forget your favorite side dishes too