Marinating chicken in buttermilk before cooking it on the grill makes it moist and tender, and also gives it a subtly tangy flavor. In this recipe, chicken pieces are marinated overnight in a mixture of buttermilk, garlic, fresh rosemary leaves, salt, and ground pepper for a tasty and mouthwatering dish perfect for barbecue parties and weekend get-togethers. Buttermilk is often used as a batter for fried chicken but it works just as well for grilled chicken. One of the common problems encountered when grilling chicken is that it can turn out dry and tough. Buttermilk lessens the chance of drying chicken out and increases its moisture content.

Make sure the grill is clean before cooking the chicken. Use a grill brush to remove any particles that have been left behind from the previous use. Grill the chicken over medium heat and trim the skin to avoid flare-ups. In this recipe, the chicken is grilled over direct heat for ten minutes to brown and crisp the skin and then another fifteen minutes over indirect heat to cook the meat through without burning the exterior. To avoid charring, do not baste the chicken with the marinade while grilling although you can brush the chicken with the marinade toward the end of the cooking process to add flavor.

Use tongs when handling the chicken on the grill. The different parts of the chicken may cook in different times. Legs, thighs and drumsticks take the longest to cook at about twenty-five minutes. Chicken breasts cook the fastest at about ten to twelve minutes, while chicken wings may cook at about fourteen to eighteen minutes. The chicken is done if the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat reaches 175 degrees F using a meat thermometer. When the meat is pierced, the juices should run clear.
12
10-15 min
30 min
Difficulty Level
Average
Ingredients

4 cups buttermilk
15 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons + coarse salt
2 tablespoons + freshly ground pepper
3 (3 lb.) whole chickens, cut into 8 pieces, with the breasts halved
Olive oil

1

In a bowl, stir together the buttermilk, garlic, rosemary, 2 tablespoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper.
2

Lay the chicken pieces out on two or three baking sheets. Pour half the buttermilk mixture over the chicken; turn the chicken pieces over and pour the remaining buttermilk mixture over them. Refrigerate overnight, turning the chicken pieces now and then.
3

A half hour before cooking, remove the chicken pieces from the refrigerator. Preheat the grill and coat the grate with olive oil.
4

Remove the chicken pieces from the baking sheets, patting them dry with paper towels.
5

Grill the chicken breasts and drumsticks over direct heat for 10 minutes, being sure the skin side faces the heat. Turn and cook over indirect heat, covered, until a thermometer in the thigh reads 175 degrees F., about 15 minutes or so.
6

Grill the chicken wings over direct heat, turning frequently for about 15 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly.

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