Gas Grill Smoked Chicken Hindquarters

There is something extra delicious about a chicken hindquarter or leg quarters as they are sometimes called.  This is where the butcher leaves the chicken thigh and drumstick attached.  They are perfect for the outdoor grill.  Because of their combined girth, they stand up to a hot grill better than they would as individual pieces and are less likely to dry out.  This recipe is more about technique than a recipe per se, giving the cook a lot of latitude in what preparations to use. But follow my technique and the hindquarters will come out perfectly every time.

It isn't entirely necessary to marinate the hindquarters, but there isn't a lot of downside in so doing.  My two favorite marinades are Goya Mojo Criollo Marinade and Newman's Own Lemon Basil Vinaigrette. 

No one is sure where Mojo Criollo sauce came from; some believe the Conquistadors brought it to the Americas in the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries. Goya, the largest Hispanic food producer in the Americas, makes this marinade which is good for chicken, pork, beef and fish, and is a tangy blend of orange and lemon juices, accented with garlic and spices.  The spices are undisclosed but my palate picks up cumin as the most predominate.

Newman's Own Lemon Basil Vinaigrette is a better marinade than it is a salad dressing, in my opinion. The lemon basil flavor combination is perfect for summer grilling, especially as a basting sauce for grilled vegetables like asparagus, sweet onion, bell peppers, mushrooms and radicchio.

You can find all kinds of recipes on the Internet for cooking chicken hindquarters in the oven or airfryer.  I think you do this particular cut of chicken a disservice by treating it like any ol' baked chicken recipe.  It is best enjoyed off the grill, with or without a hint of smoke.

A charcoal grill works just fine and makes it easier to smoke the hindquarters.  But I use a gas grill and so must impart smoke by using a smoker box.  An easier method is just to put wood chips wrapped in an aluminum foil pouch with some holes poked in the top.  In either case, the smoker box or the foil pouch goes directly over the gas flames, while the chicken hindquarters cook on the opposite side of the grill over indirect heat with the burners off.

Two-thirds of the way through the cooking process, you can slather a barbecue sauce if you like and allow it to bake into the chicken.  The best barbecue sauce on the market in my opinion is Stubb's, but use whatever you prefer.

Ingredients
4 chicken hindquarters
1 24-oz bottle Goya Mojo Criollo or 16-oz bottle Newman's Own Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
1/2 cup Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q Sauce
1-2 handfuls hickory wood chips
grilling non-stick spray (like, Pam Grilling or Weber Grill Spray)

The Recipe
Pour the marinade of your choice in a zip lock bag along with the four hindquarters eight hours prior to cooking time. Squeeze out the excess air and allow the chicken to sit undisturbed in the fridge. Turn them over halfway.

When you're ready to start cooking, remove the hindquarters from the marinade and shake off any excess liquid.  Discard the marinade. Leave the hindquarters out of the fridge for fifteen minutes.

Prepare the smoker box or aluminum foil pouch with the wood chips.

Making sure your grates are clean, pre-heat the grill with the lid closed and all gas burners full-on to 500°F for fifteen minutes. It’s necessary you have a clean grill for this.  If you have greasy remnants at the bottom of the grill, it will combust at this temperature.  If that happens, turn off the gas, lift the lid and allow the flames to die out.  Then, proceed.

Turn off the burners on the right side and in the center of the grill.  Spray the grates with non-stick spray and then place the hindquarters on the grill, skin side up.  Place the smoker box or foil pouch of wood chip directly over the burners on the left side of the grill.

Close the lid and maintain a constant temperature of 350°F.  Cook 30 minutes.

Flip the hindquarters over, skin side down, close the lid and cook another 30 minutes.

Baste the chicken with the Stubb's Bar-B-Q Sauce, close the lid and cook 15 minutes.

Flip the chicken back to skin side up.  Baste with Stubb's, close the lid and raise the temperature to 400°F.  Cook another 15 minutes.

Remove the hindquarters from the grill and allow them to rest under aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes before enjoying.