Mesquite Grilled Chicken

Name: Mesquite Grilled Chicken
Prep time: 24 h 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 24 h 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 pounds bone-in chicken parts; 1/2 cup beer; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons lime juice or apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 2 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper

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Grilling season is almost upon us, so here's your reminder to dust off those BBQ tools, get the propane filled, or stock up on charcoal because you won't want to miss this recipe for Mesquite Grilled Chicken. You can whip up this marinade in a few minutes and be well on your way to smokey, savory chicken without a meat smoker!

Grilled chicken on a plate with potato salad, lettuce, and silverware.

I'm a huge fan of smoked meats, but the smoking bug did not bite me. I tried to work it out for myself, and as with all things in life, some hobbies land just right, and some not so much. If you're in the same camp, I'm here to tell you that you don't have to suffer any longer without delicious smoked chicken right off the grill with a little help from our friend, liquid smoke!

Liquid smoke is a fantastic alternative to impart smokey flavors in meats, vegetables, and sauces without dealing with the whole smoking process. Along with other classic smokehouse flavors, like beer, Worcestershire sauce, dijon, and garlic, my mesquite chicken marinade offers an easy alternative to mesquite-smoked chicken.

Read on for all the loving details to make Mesquite Grilled Chicken.

Jump to:

Ingredients
Tools for the job
How to make Mesquite Grilled Chicken
Substitutions and Variations
Leftover Mesquite Grilled Chicken
Hot Tip!
FAQ
Food safety
More chicken recipes
Grilling season recipes
Mesquite Grilled Chicken
💬 Comments

Ingredients

Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make Mesquite Grilled Chicken.

Chicken - You can use bone-in thighs, wings, breasts, or legs. Boneless works as well, but I would avoid a 24-hour marinating time and opt for 8-10 hours. (i.e., marinate the chicken in the morning to enjoy for dinner that night.)

Mesquite liquid smoke - According to the brand Wrights Liquid Smoke, it's created by funneling smoke from a wood fire through a condenser and collecting the smokey droplets that form from the smoke and steam.

Liquid smoke is typically available in three flavors: hickory, mesquite, and applewood. The mesquite flavor is a bit harder to find, so you may have to buy it online.

Beer - This recipe uses beer for flavor and tenderization. I prefer to use a basic lager. Be sure to choose a flavor that is not hoppy like IPA, as it leaves a bitter taste behind.

Olive oil - The oil will add moisture and flavor, but more importantly, when the other liquids evaporate during the cooking process, the oil will keep the marinade from getting bitter or burning.

Lime juice - The acidic component of a marinade will not only tenderize but help the chicken retain its moisture lending to a juicier end product.

See recipe card for quantities.

Tools for the job

Measuring cups and spoons
Sharp knife and cutting board
Marinating dish or ziptop bag
Whisk

Mesquite grilled chicken on a plate with potato salad.

How to make Mesquite Grilled Chicken

To make the mesquite chicken marinade, add all the ingredients except for the chicken to a zip-top bag or glass dish and whisk to combine. If you're using a zip-top bag you can hold the top with one hand and squish the ingredients together in the bag with your other hand.
Trim any hanging skin from the chicken pieces and discard. Add the chicken to the marinade. Refrigerate the chicken for 8-24 hours, overnight is best.
When you're ready to grill the chicken, drain the marinade and discard it. Pat the chicken dry.
Heat the grill to 375°F and oil the grates.
Add the chicken to the hot grill, skin-side up, for about 7 minutes. I like to start with the skin side up so the fat in the skin will baste the chicken as it heats up, and the skin will start to dry out. Then flip it to get the grate lines on the skin and cook it for 7 more minutes. Flip it back so you end up with skin side up and continue to cook, temping occasionally to reach the desired temperature.
Grill the chicken until the breast and wing have reached 160°F and the thigh and drumstick reach 180°F.
Let the chicken rest off the grill for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Grilling with direct and indirect heat

Larger pieces of chicken and bone-in chicken take longer to cook and can become too dark before fully reaching the correct internal temperature. To ensure your chicken has fully cooked without burning, you can use the indirect heat method on your grill. Think of your grill as an outdoor oven. You want to maintain the same temp while the lid is down.

Heat the grill to 375 degrees with all the burners on. Use the entire space to grill your chicken pieces.
After both sides have been seared or browned, turn off the burners of one section of the grill and move the cooked pieces to that side. Turn the other burners up a little to maintain the same internal grill temp with the lid closed.
Continue to cook the chicken until it has reached the proper internal temperature.
To achieve this same effect on a coal-burning grill, build the charcoal on one side of the grill leaving an area free from burning charcoal.

Mix

A zip-top bag with the mesquite marinade and raw chicken thighs.

Marinate

Grill

Enjoy

Substitutions and Variations

Boneless chicken - You can also make this recipe with boneless chicken. Depending on the piece, it will only need to cook for 10-15 minutes.
Liquid smoke - You can also try hickory or applewood liquid smoke for a different smokey flavor.

Leftover Mesquite Grilled Chicken

Cook all of the marinated chicken; it will not be good uncooked after 2 days.
Refrigerate leftover chicken in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Freeze uncooked marinated chicken for up to 3 months.
Freeze cooked chicken, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.

A grilled chicken thigh on a plate with salad.

Hot Tip!

Don't be afraid of getting it a little "singey" on the grill. The charring on the edges of the chicken is sweet and flavorful. It's not necessarily burnt, so be sure to temp your chicken when you cook it. Bone-in chicken should be cooked to 175-185°F to reach the bone and melt the collagen. But if it's charring too fast, set it off heat until it gets to the correct temp.

FAQ

Is mesquite flavor good for chicken?

Mesquite wood imparts a stronger flavor than some other woods like hickory or applewood, but don't be afraid to go beyond beef or pork. Mesquite gives the chicken a rich smokehouse chicken flavor.

How long do I marinate chicken?

Bone-in pieces benefit from a longer marinade time, like 12-24 hours. Boneless chicken is best at 6-10 hours. Longer than that, and the acid in the marinade will start to "cook" the chicken, creating tough spots after it's cooked over heat. Do not marinate chicken longer than 2 days as it will break down the muscle fibers into mush.

Do you need acid to marinate chicken?

Chicken marinade requires three parts: acid, fat, and a sweetener, along with salt/seasoning. The acid helps to tenderize the muscle fibers but also helps the chicken retain moisture for a juicy end product.