If you’re looking for a budget-friendly, flavor-packed way to feed a crowd, look no further than smoked chicken quarters. These underrated cuts are juicy, delicious, and perfect for backyard barbecue sessions. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to prep, brine, season, and smoke chicken quarters to perfection using a Weber kettle grill.
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Tools You’ll Need
Before we fire up the grill, let’s gather the essentials:
These tools will make trimming and prepping your chicken quarters a breeze.
Tools needed for chicken prep.
Prepping the Chicken Quarters
Start by cutting a bottom corner of the bag to let the blood drain, then slice across the top to access the meat.
There are two key trimming steps:
Remove the tail – It sticks out and can dry out during cooking.
Trim the fat glob – That big chunk of fat on the bottom is why some people hate leg quarters.Use your poultry shears or boning knife to clean up any feathers or unsightly bits, especially around the drumstick where the feet were removed.
Once trimmed, use the Jaccard meat tenderizer to puncture each quarter 2–3 times, especially around the joint. This helps the brine penetrate deeply.
Start by cutting a bottom corner of the bag to let the blood drain, then slice across the top to access the meat.
Remove the tail.
Trim the fat glob. This big chunk of fat on the bottom is why some people hate leg quarters.
This is how the trimmed leg quarter should look after trimming.
Once trimmed and cleaned, use the Jaccard tenderizer to puncture each quarter 2–3 times, especially around the joint. This helps the brine penetrate deeply.
Making the Brine
Brining is the secret to juicy, flavorful chicken. Always brine your chicken. It tenderizes the meat and helps it stay moist even if you overshoot the temperature a bit.
Here’s a simple saltwater brine (6.4%):
Let the chicken brine for 4-8 hours.
Setting Up the Grill
We’re using a 22-inch Weber Kettle with indirect heat. That means the fire is off to the side, not directly under the meat.
Fuel of choice: natural hardwood briquettes and hickory wood. Natural hardwood briquettes are pressed lump charcoal with a vegetable binder, so they have no chemical taste like regular charcoal. Hickory is good old-fashioned wood and is an essential part of the flavor. Oak is good too. Chicken needs a strong-flavored wood because it doesn’t cook very long. You can use splits or chunks.
Steps:
Clean the grill grate and open the bottom vent completely open.
Add the bottom grate and place a hickory wood split to hold back the charcoal. This provides a visual aid to show the indirect side and provides the smoke flavor at the same time. You can also use a Slow ‘N Sear with hickory chunks.
Fill a chimney starter with natural hardwood briquettes.
Pour two-thirds of the unlit coals onto one side of the wood-split, or charcoal side, of the Slow ‘N Sear.
Light the remaining third in the chimney with newspaper.
Once white-hot, pour them over the unlit coals. This creates a slow-burning candle wick effect.
Let the wood catch fire, then preheat the grill with the lid on and top vent wide open.
Seasoning the Chicken
Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse. Now it’s time to season. Use a salt-free rub; this is crucial since the brine has already salted the meat.
Uncle Bird’s Hand Peck seasoning is a great choice, or make your own with:
Pull the skin back gently to season underneath without tearing it. Add your rub and a sprinkle of raw cane sugar, then pull the skin back and season the outside. If you don't do this, your chicken flavor will be gone as soon as the skin comes off.
Pull the skin back gently to season underneath without tearing it. Add your rub and a sprinkle of raw cane sugar, then pull the skin back and season the outside. If you don't do this your chicken flavor will be gone as soon as the skin comes off.
This is how it look after both sides have been seasoned and it's ready for the grill.
Smoking the Chicken
With the grill hot and the smoke running blue, it’s time to cook.
Use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness. Once the thigh hits 172°F, remove the chicken. Carryover cooking will bring it to the perfect 175°F.
Layer the chicken quarters if needed, rotating them clockwise to and away from the fire.
Rotate the chicken.
Getting closer to eating time.
Flip the quarters so the bottom gets color.
Use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness. Once the thigh hits 172°F, remove the chicken. Carryover cooking will bring it to the perfect 175°F.
Resting the Chicken
Resting is key. You can use the oven, but the best method if you don’t have a warmer is a preheated cooler:
The Verdict: Juicy as Charged!
What you’ll get is a leg quarter that’s smoky, juicy, and packed with flavor. Perfect for feeding a crowd without breaking the bank.
If you found this guide helpful, keep reading Uncle Bird’s Barbecue for more delicious tips. Happy grilling!
Done. Ready to eat! Dig in.