Please read About Broiling and Grilling Chicken. Don’t forget that chicken can be marinated, brined, or rubbed with spices before cooking, or glazed toward the end of cooking. See Additions to Broiled or Grilled Chicken for details. If grilling boneless, skinless chicken breasts, marinate or brine them, as they tend to dry out on the grill due to their lack of fat.

Have ready:

If grilling a whole chicken, spatchcock or split it. For ease of handling, insert one or two skewers through the thigh and into the breast so that the leg quarters are firmly attached to the breast. Prepare a hot, two-zone grill fire, or preheat a gas grill on high for 10 minutes. If the chicken was brined or marinated, pat it dry. If the chicken is unseasoned, sprinkle with:

If using a gas grill, reduce the heat of one of the burners to low. Place the chicken skin side up on the cooler side of the grill, cover, and cook until it is within 20°F of being done; this can take as little as 10 minutes for thinner boneless pieces, 30 or 40 minutes for bone-in pieces, or 45 minutes to 1 hour for spatchcocked or split birds. For the last 5 minutes of cooking, open the grill and flip the chicken skin side down over direct heat. If using a gas grill, turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the skin is browned and crisp, then turn and brown the other side. If grilling pieces, remove the breasts when they reach 155°F and thighs or drumsticks at 175° to 180°F. For spatchcocked or split birds, remove them when the thigh reaches 170° to 175°F. Once browned, the chicken parts may be brushed with a glaze or sauce, or sprinkle after each turn with:

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.