From the Grill & Smoker Archives

Easy Grilled Turkey Breast

You don’t have to have a bunch of fancy equipment (an injector is a must!) or ingredients to make a really, really great dish for Thanksgiving. My easy grilled turkey breast takes less than two hours to make. It comes out delicious, moist, and tender, with the best crunchy skin ever. And other than a little time basting, it’s about as fuss-free as you can get. And pretty much pretty hard to goof up, too!

This recipe for an easy grilled turkey breast starts with a frozen breast that has already been brined. Most frozen turkey comes this way. The brining process means you don’t have to brine it yourself. It also means things are going to be easy.

You can get by without an injector if you don’t have one, though I highly recommend the investment. If you don’t have one, simply (and carefully) separate the skin from the turkey on the front part of the breast. Just go slow, gently sliding your fingers in between the skin and meat and it will come apart. Then, dip your fingers into the butter mixture (after letting it cool slightly!) and rub it on the meat beneath the skin where you separated the two. That’s it. Get plenty up in there (about half of the mix) and you’ll have great results!

You’ll need (and want) a quality injector when you prepare your turkey breast for grilling. This is not the time to skimp and get a flimsy injector. You want strong needles with the right-sized holes for making sure your injection liquid gets in to every nook and cranny of the turkey breast. I use one similar to the injector below and love it!

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5 from 1 vote

Easy Grilled Turkey Breast

You'll need (and want) a quality injector when you prepare your turkey breast for grilling. This is not the time to skimp and get a flimsy injector.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword breast, grilled, turkey

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Servings

Calories 265kcal

Equipment

Meat Injector Syringe

Ingredients

1 turkey breast frozen bone-in turkey breast, 5-6 pounds, thawed completely. Do not use a fresh breast
8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 whole stick
2 tablespoons your favorite BBQ seasoning more or less, to taste. I used Sweet Red from Albukirky Seasonings. See the note below.

Instructions

Rinse the breast and pat dry. Trim off any excess fat.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the seasoning
Fill an injector with half of the butter mixture (working in batches if necessary) and inject throughout the turkey. Get the needle deep into the meat of the thighs and breast.
Blot the turkey breast dry.
Place the turkey breast on a rimmed baking sheet and let sit out at room temperature for 1 hour.
Place the breast over the aluminum pan. Close the lid and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, basting with the remaining butter mixture every 20 minutes.
After 1 1/2 hours, and once the breast has started to turn golden brown, keep cooking and basting until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. Make sure to measure the temperature in several locations, and do not let the thermometer touch the bone when testing.
Remove turkey and let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. and serving.

Notes

Use a BBQ seasoning that will dissolve easily in the butter. You don’t want big chunks of ‘stuff’ that might clog the injection needle. If you have to, strain the butter mixture before injecting.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Grilled Blistered Tomato and Ricotta Bruschetta

I find myself watching re-runs of Steven Raichlen’s grilling shows on PBS over and over. It seems that no matter how many times I’ve seen an episode I run across something that I have to add to my to-cook list. His wood-grilled blistered tomato and ricotta bruschetta hit me as something I needed to make and soon. So I did. This recipe proves that it really doesn’t take many ingredients or much time to make a delicious side dish. Some good bread, ricotta and cherry tomatoes and you’re just about done. I almost always have a grill going, and there’s always enough room left for a few tomatoes. This is fantastic summer-time dish, but you can make it year-round too!

There’s a wonderful contrast between the crunchy bread, the pop of the tomatoes, and the creaminess of the cheese in this grilled blistered tomato and ricotta bruschetta. Roasting the tomatoes adds such a wonderful flavor. I could’ve added fresh herbs like the original recipe called for, but decided to leave them out. I’m glad that I did.

I recommend that you use a grill basket when making the tomatoes for this dish. It makes cooking easier and you don’t have to worry about anything falling through the grates. And cleanup is easier too!

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4 from 2 votes

Grilled Blistered Tomato and Ricotta Bruschetta

Roasting the tomatoes adds such a wonderful flavor.

Course Side or Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword bruschetta, tomato

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 283kcal

Ingredients

1 pound cherry tomatoes get a mix of colors
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
6 slices bread use rustic-style bread, sliced thin
12 ounces ricotta cheese
parsley or fresh herbs, such as thyme or chives, for garnishing

Instructions

Fire up your grill for medium-high direct heat grilling.
Spray a grilling basket with non-stick spray. You can also use a cast iron skillet or disposable pan.
Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Transfer the tomatoes to the basket and place over direct heat.
Grill until the tomatoes start to char and the skins pop. Shake or toss the tomatoes and grill the same on the other sides.
Remove from grill and let cool slightly.
Place the bread slices on the grill and toast slightly on both sides.
Divide the cheese between the slices of bread, spreading it out evenly. Don't be shy with it. You might have extra cheese. You might not.
Add the tomatoes to the cheese. You can slice them in half first if you want, specially the larger ones.
Garnish liberally with parsley or fresh herbs and serve.

Notes

This bread is also excellent when drizzled with some slightly-reduced balsamic vinegar!

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chophouse Smash Burgers

These chophouse smash burgers hit the spot and then some. I’m a big smash burger fan, and although I usually make them more traditional with lettuce, tomato and onion, the sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese and steak sauce on these burgers was fantastic. Good and messy, these burgers are destined to show up on our menu often.

Making Chophouse smash burgers isn’t difficult. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time. Just a hot griddle and a burger press. Any griddle will do, whether it’s on a grill (I use and love my Weber grills!), cooktop, stove or even a standalone outdoor flattop. Just get those patties nice and thin and top them with a little cheese and sautéed mushrooms and onions . And steak sauce.

Also try my Cowboy Big Mac Smash burgers and my Swamp sauce Smash burgers.

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5 from 1 vote

Chophouse Smash Burgers

Good and messy, these burgers are destined to show up on your menu often.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword smash burger, steakhouse

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Servings

Calories 479kcal

Ingredients

½ tablespoon canola oil or vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion sliced thin
1 pound cremini mushrooms sliced (can also use white mushrooms)
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 pound ground sirloin
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 burger buns
¼ cup A-1 steak sauce divided

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add the onion slices and cook until just turning soft, about 5 minutes or so.
Add the mushrooms. Stir and cook until the mushrooms and onions are caramelized and get some brown color. This can take up to 10 minutes. If too much liquid accumulates in the pan it will boil the vegetables not brown them, so drain some off if needed.
Season with salt and pepper. Stir and remove from heat.
Fire up your grill for direct medium-high heat cooking. You can also use an outdoor or indoor griddle or a large skillet on a stove.
Form the beef into 4-equally sized balls or patties. Season well with salt and pepper.
Place the patties on grill. Smash down with a spatula or grill press.
Grill the burgers for 2-3 minutes per side.
Top the patties with cheese and grill until they've reached your desired doneness and the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill.
Toast the buns as desired.
Make the burgers by placing the patties on the bun bottoms.
Add the mushroom and onion mix followed by a good drizzle of the steak sauce.
Add the bun top and serve.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Slaw

I’ve made a whole bunch of Buffalo-flavored poultry burgers. Most were kinda on the complicated side. They had all sorts of ingredients packed into the patties in an attempt to keep them from drying out. These Buffalo turkey burgers with blue cheese slaw are much easier. There aren’t 40 ingredients. Yet, they come out delicious, moist, and tender. And of course, packed with traditional Buffalo wing flavors.

Don’t over look the slaw on these Buffalo turkey burgers with blue cheese slaw. It’s fantastic. Packed with blue cheese flavors. Save the slaw recipe for any time you want a different kind of slaw. It’d be great on grilled brats too. And sure, if you’re in to carrots and that whole Buffalo theme thing, add a few diced carrots into the slaw too. They’ll add some crunchiness and color too.

I like to use a burger press when I make burgers. It, in combination with some patty papers, enables me to crank out a whole bunch of equally-sized burger patties in no time at all with little cleanup.

Turkey can be a bit sticky. When I make the patties I use patty paper below and on top of the patties before I press them.

Also try my apple maple turkey burger.

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5 from 1 vote

Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Slaw

These burgers are packed with traditional Buffalo wing flavors.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword burgers, turkey

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 537kcal

Author Inspired by a recipe from My Man’s Belly

Ingredients

For the Blue Cheese Slaw

4 ounces blue cheese crumbled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 pinch kosher salt
1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
6 ribs celery including a few leaves, peeled and chopped

For the Burgers

1 pound ground turkey or chicken
1 cup plain bread crumbs
¼ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 hamburger buns
your favorite Buffalo wing sauce to taste

Instructions

For the Blue Cheese Slaw

Place all ingredients except for the celery and celery leaves into a bowl. Whisk until combined.
Add the celery. Stir. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Burgers

Place turkey, bread crumbs, milk, and salt into a medium bowl. Using your hands combine the mixture. Do not over-mix.
Divide the mixture into 4 equally-sized patties. They'll be just over 5 ounces each.
Fire up your grill for medium-high heat.
Toast the buns if desired.
Transfer patties to the grill and grill for 5 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 160 F.
Assemble burgers by first brushing the insides of the bun tops and bottoms with the Buffalo sauce. Now is not the time to be shy with it.
Top the bun bottom with a turkey patty. Spoon the blue cheese slaw on top.
Add the bun top and serve… with lots of napkins!

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Meatloaf Smash Burgers

Smash burgers are by far my favorite things to grill. They always come out juicy and packed with flavor. And they get that great crusty edge, reminding me of the diner burgers of my childhood. These meatloaf smash burgers put all of the flavors of a delicious meatloaf in a convenient hand-held package that hits the spot. Add traditional glaze and simple toppings (just onion and lettuce!) and you’ve got a real winner of a burger!

I can’t say enough how great these meatloaf smash burgers were. And they checked one of my required boxes for burgers: messy. The messier, the better. If it isn’t messy it doesn’t have enough ‘stuff’ on it. These burgers have stuff and then some. And the glaze? Oh so good!

The patties on these burgers are larger than I usually use for smash burgers. They were close to 6 ounces a pieces. That’s not a bad thing. You can adjust the recipe if you’d prefer smaller, 4 ounce patties, instead and end up with 6 servings instead of 4.

Making these burgers isn’t difficult. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time. Just a hot griddle and a grill press. Any griddle will do, whether it’s on a grill, cooktop, stove or even a standalone outdoor flattop. Just get those patties nice and thin and use quality fresh toppings. And a great sauce.

Also try my Swamp Sauce smash burgers and my Chophouse smash burgers.

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5 from 1 vote

Meatloaf Smash Burgers

Flavor-packed juicy smash burgers!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword smash burger

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 2193kcal

Equipment

2 grill press You might need 2 to fully cover the burgers while they cook

Ingredients

For the Glaze

½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

For the Burgers

1 ½ pounds meatloaf mix
1 large egg
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh thyme minced. Or use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 hamburger buns toasted if desired
4 slices onion
½ cup iceberg lettuce shredded

Instructions

For the Glaze

Whisk the ketchup, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl.

For the Burgers

Fire up your grill for direct medium-high heat cooking. You can also use an outdoor or indoor griddle or a large skillet on a stove.
Place the meatloaf into large bowl. Using your hands, break it into large pieces.
Add the egg, Worcestershire sauce. thyme and pepper. Combine the ingredients into the meatloaf mix.
Divide the meat into 4 equally-sized portions and shape into balls. Don't pack the meat, just loosely form into balls.
Place the meat balls onto the grill. Smash down with a spatula or grill press to form thin patties. Season well with salt.
Grill the burgers for 2-3 minutes per side. Keep the burger press on top of the burgers as they cook.
Slather one side of the patties with the glaze. Flip and grill anther minute.
Slather top side of the patties with more glaze. Flip and grill another minute or until they reach your desired doneness.
Transfer cooked patties to bun bottoms. If you have more glaze, divide it between the patties.
Top with onion and iceberg and bun tops and serve.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Swamp Sauce Smash Burgers

Oh man did these Swamp Sauce smash burgers ever hit the spot. Juicy patties. Crisp fresh toppings. All with a wonderful creamy sauce that is a combination of just about every good burger sauce you can think of. It’s got a little heat. It’s got a little sweet. A little tang. This will solve your problem if you find yourself opening the fridge, looking at the condiment bottles, and trying to decide what to use. These burgers are proof that even the simplest sauce can make a ‘plain’ burger something special. Sure, there are a few ingredients, but nothing fancy and nothing complicated.

Making Swamp Sauce smash burgers isn’t difficult. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time. Just a hot griddle and a burger press. Any griddle will do, whether it’s on a grill, cooktop, stove or even a standalone outdoor flattop. Just get those patties nice and thin and use quality fresh toppings. And a great sauce.

Also try my Thousand Island BBQ smash burgers and my meatloaf smash burgers (yum!).

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5 from 1 vote

Swamp Sauce Smash Burgers

Get those patties nice and thin and use quality fresh toppings.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword smash burger

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 22

Servings

Calories 572kcal

Ingredients

For the sauce

4 tablespoons chili sauce
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Frank’s RedHot Sauce
2 tablepoons your favorite BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

For the burgers

1 pound ground beef formed into four 4-ounce patties
kosher salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
4 burger buns
4 slices cheddar cheese or American cheese
4 slices onion
1 pieces iceberg lettuce torn or chopped
4 slices tomato
6 slices dill pickle

Instructions

For the sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the burgers

Fire up your grill for direct medium-high heat cooking. You can also use an outdoor or indoor griddle or a large skillet on a stove.
Season the burger patties with salt and pepper on both sides. Don’t be shy with the seasoning.
Place the patties on grill. Smash down with a spatula or grill press.
Grill the burgers for 2-3 minutes per side.
Top the patties with cheese and grill until they’ve reached your desired doneness and the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill.
Toast the buns as desired.
Make the burgers by first spreading some of the sauce on the bun bottoms.
Add a burger patty.
Add onion, lettuce, tomato and pickle slices.
Slather the top bun with more of the sauce and serve.

Notes

Patties 4-5 ounces in weight work best.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Thousand Island BBQ Smash Burgers

Oh man did these Thousand Island BBQ smash burgers ever hit the spot. Juicy patties. Crisp fresh toppings. All with a wonderful creamy sauce that makes you think of you-know-who’s Special Sauce but with a definite twist. Chili sauce adds a bit of heat and a tad bit of sweetness. Worcestershire makes you think steak sauce. And of course, there’s the BBQ sauce. I used a nice smoky hickory BBQ sauce because I wanted to make sure I got that wonderful BBQ flavor in my burgers. And I did. These burgers are proof that even the simplest sauce can make a ‘plain’ burger something special.

Making Thousand Island BBQ smash burgers isn’t difficult. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time. Just a hot griddle and a burger press. Any griddle will do, whether it’s on a grill, cooktop, stove or even a standalone outdoor flattop. Just get those patties nice and thin and use quality fresh toppings. And a great sauce.

Also try my Cowboy Big Mac Smash burgers and my Swamp sauce Smash burgers. And you’ll love my go-to burger sauce.

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5 from 1 vote

Thousand Island BBQ Smash Burgers

Get those patties nice and thin and use quality fresh toppings.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword smash burgers

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Servings

Calories 633kcal

Ingredients

For the sauce

¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chili sauce such as Heinz
4 teaspoons your favorite BBQ sauce use a hickory smoke-flavored sauce
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

For the burgers

1 pound ground beef formed into four 4-ounce patties
kosher salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
4 hamburger buns
4 slices cheddar cheese or American cheese
4 pieces iceberg lettuce torn or chopped
4 slices tomato
4 slices onion
6 slices dill pickle

Instructions

For the sauce

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the burgers

Fire up your grill for direct medium-high heat cooking. You can also use an outdoor or indoor griddle or a large skillet on a stove.
Season the burger patties with salt and pepper on both sides. Don’t be shy with the seasoning.
Place the patties on grill. Smash down with a spatula or grill press.
Grill the burgers for 2-3 minutes per side.
Top the patties with cheese and grill until they’ve reached your desired doneness and the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill.
Toast the buns as desired.
Make the burgers by first spreading some of the sauce on the bun bottoms.
Add a burger patty.
Add onion, lettuce, tomato and pickle slices.
Slather the top bun with more of the sauce and serve.

Notes

Patties 4-5 ounces in weight work best.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Over The Top Smoked Chili

There are as many variations of Over The Top smoked chili as there are variations of ‘regular’ chili. Often referred to as OTT chili, the basic idea is that you smoke a ground beef mixture over a pot of chili mixings, such as tomatoes, beans (oh no! I used beans!), etc. As the beef cooks some of the fat drips into the chili pot, adding flavor. And of course the smoked beef picks up on some smoke flavor, too.

This is how I make it. I won’t ever make it any other way. I don’t need to. This is amazingly good chili.

One of my biggest concerns with the idea of Over the Top smoked chili was that the beef drips into the chili as it smokes. I knew I wanted some of that fat (fat is flavor!) in the chili but I didn’t want a lot of it floating on top of my chili. Some recipes call for using low-fat (90/10 or even 95/5) beef. Well, that’s expensive. So my solution? Use cheaper ground beef and par-smoke it first. Let much of the fat drip down into a pan, not into the chili. Then add the chili and let the remaining fat drip into it. Problem solved.

I went very light on the smoke when I made this. I used just a small chunk or two of fruit wood. Ground beef loves to soak up smoke and I didn’t want that flavor to bury the taste of what is a fantastic chili base.

I used my 5-quart camp Dutch oven, but any other Dutch oven or large pot will do.

Also try my prime rib chili.

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5 from 1 vote

Over The Top Smoked Chili

This is amazingly good chili.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword chili, smoked

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4 15

Servings

Calories 381kcal

Author Inspired by a recipe from Erica’s Recipes

Equipment

Smoker
Dutch oven 5-quart

Ingredients

For the beef mixture (The Top)

2 ½ pounds ground beef You do not have to use lean, 80/20 and even 75/25 is fine
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
2 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

For the tomato mixture (The Bottom)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large sweet onions diced
3 large green bell peppers diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon chili powder plus a little more if you prefer
2 teaspoon cumin
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
28 ounces petite diced tomatoes
15.5 ounces red kidney beans rinsed and drained

Instructions

For the beef mixture (The Top)

Fire up your smoker for cooking 250-300 F. Use a lighter wood such as fruit wood for smoke.
Note: You can get the beef mixture prepared and onto the smoker while preparing the tomato mixture. Since the beef smokes a bit first, you don't have to have the tomato base ready at the beginning.
Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Using your hands, combine the ingredients and form into a loaf.
Transfer the loaf to the top rack of your smoker.
Optional: Place a disposable pan underneath to catch any drippings. I do this only to make cleanup easier. If the drippings will directly onto hot coals or a hot surface, you may want to catch them in a pan so they don't burn.
Smoke the loaf for 1 hour – 1 1/2 hours to cook out some of the fat. It's up to you how much fat you want to remove, just remember that you want some of that fatty flavor in the final chili so don't completely cook the loaf.
Remove the disposable pan (if using) and replace it with the pot of the tomato mixture.
Continue smoking another 3 minutes – 1 hour or until the beef loaf has reached 155 F.
Remove the loaf and chop into small bite-sized crumbles. Transfer to the tomato mixture and stir.
Smoke another 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the chili is your desired consistency.
Serve!

For the tomato mixture (The Bottom)

Heat the oiil in a large (6-quart) Dutch oven over medium high heat.
Add the onion and bell pepper and saute 5 minutes or until the onion is just starting to soften.
Add the garlic, stir and saute another 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredient. Set aside until ready to transfer to the smoker.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Grilled Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

These grilled bacon and cheese stuffed mushrooms are the perfect grilled appetizer. Tender mushrooms that still have a little ‘bite’ to them. The cheese mixture is fantastic. Three different cheeses and a little seasoning combine with bacon and bell pepper for bite after bite of deliciousness. I say ‘bite’, but if you use small mushrooms you can pop these little treats into your mouth like popcorn. I did.

These disposable Dutch oven pans are perfect for making these grilled bacon and cheese stuffed mushrooms. They’re the perfect size for this recipe. They’re sturdy so you don’t have to worry about them collapsing. I use them for a lot of my grilled dishes.

You can pre-make these mushrooms by doing steps 1-8 then refrigerating the mushrooms for later. Then, when you’re ready to finish them, remove them from the fridge and let come to room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring to a hot grill to cook and heat thoroughly.

You can also make these on a Char-Broil Big Easy.

I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.

Also try my grilled bacon-wrapped jalapeno-stuffed olives.

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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

These are the perfect easy appetizers.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword mushroom, stuffed

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Servings

Calories 159kcal

Author Inspired by a recipe from Julia’s Album

Ingredients

8 ounces mushrooms 12-16 small whole mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter melted
kosher salt to taste
4 ounces cream cheese softened
½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded or grated
¼ cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
2 slices bacon (plus more for garnish if desired) cooked, chopped very fine
¼ small green bell pepper (plus more for garnish if desired) chopped very fine
cayenne pepper to taste
paprika to taste
parsley chopped, for garnish, if desired

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Spray a small disposable pan with non-stick spray.
Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems.
Dip the mushrooms cap-side down into the butter and place onto the baking dish cap-side up.
Pour the remaining butter into the baking dish.
Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt. Bake 10 minutes. The mushrooms should just be soft and most of the water in them should be cooked out.
Remove from the oven. Shake any remaining liquid out of the mushrooms into the pan and place them cap-side down.
Using a small spoon, gently fill each mushroom with the cheese mixture. Mound it up high. Return to the pan.
Sprinkle tops of the mushrooms with paprika.
Fire up your grill for cooking at 400 F.
Transfer the pan to the grill and cook 15-20 minutes or until the stuffing is hot.
Garnish with more bacon, bell pepper and parsley if desired and serve.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Grilled Butterflied Chicken Legs

Grilled butterflied chicken legs aren’t new to the grilling scene but they have really grown in popularity since the price of wings has skyrocketed over the last few years. Even though wing prices are starting to come back down, I’ve found these legs to be a great (dare I say better?) main dish no matter what. They cook quickly and very evenly. They eat like thighs but are usually much cheaper. I sauced mine with an OG BBQ sauce. The sauce and skin got a nice little char on them, making this some of the best chicken I’ve had. Over charcoal or gas, this is a winner.

Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of making grilled butterflied chicken legs. Butterflying the legs is super-easy, specially after you finish the first one. Just cut down the bone first, then along side the bone, pulling the meat flat around it. I thought they looked a little odd at first, kind of ‘bat-like’ but the (minimal) amount of time it takes to do is worth it in the end. Butterflying also gives you a ‘peak inside’ as it were, allowing you to trim out any tough pieces before cooking. That’s a win.

I don’t mess around when it comes time to sauce my legs. I like a good bit of sauce and that means I need a good brush. And one with a long handle. The grill gets hot and saucing (in particular, heavy saucing) takes a bit of time. No reason to sacrifice some arm hair saucing dinner, I’ve always said.

My quick fix BBQ beans are a great side for these legs.

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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Butterflied Chicken Legs

Over charcoal or gas, these legs are a winner.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken legs

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Servings

Calories 551kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

Set up your grill for cooking at 400 F. I prefer to use a charcoal grill set up for indirect and direct cooking, but you can use any grill you want. You can also cook the chicken over direct heat entirely but the cook time will be shorter and you'll have to watch out that you don't burn them.
Place the legs onto a cutting board. Working one at a time, hold the legs so that the least-meaty part of the drumstick (known as the shallow side) is on top. Using a sharp knife (I prefer to use a paring knife), make a cut down from the top of each leg down to the bottom, cutting all the way to the bone right down the center.
Push the meat down and away from the bone while cutting along the sides of the bone from top to bottom. I use my thumb to slide between the meat and bone, pushing the meat down and away from the bone. Make sure you don't cut all the way through the meat. You'll end up with a relatively flat piece of meat on each side of the bone, with the mostly detached bone in the middle. I take this opportunity to trim out and tough bits, like tendons, that might be present on the legs so they are more tender.
Season both sides of the butterflied legs. Don't be shy. For extra flavor, refrigerate the wings for 1 hour before grilling.
Place legs onto the grill bone-side down. Grill for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 F.
Flip the legs and cook until they reach 165 F, another 5-10 minutes. The legs are now bone-side up.
Sauce the butterflied legs liberally with BBQ sauce, flip and with move to direct heat. Cook for 5 minutes.
Sauce the tops of the legs and flip. Cook another 5 minutes over direct heat to get the meat-side of the legs a little char.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Easy Grilled Turkey Breast

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

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Grilled Blistered Tomato and Ricotta Bruschetta

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

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Chophouse Smash Burgers

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

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Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Slaw

Ingredients

For the Blue Cheese Slaw

For the Burgers

Instructions

For the Blue Cheese Slaw

For the Burgers

Nutrition

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Meatloaf Smash Burgers

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Glaze

For the Burgers

Instructions

For the Glaze

For the Burgers

Nutrition

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Swamp Sauce Smash Burgers

Ingredients

For the sauce

For the burgers

Instructions

For the sauce

For the burgers

Notes

Nutrition

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Thousand Island BBQ Smash Burgers

Ingredients

For the sauce

For the burgers

Instructions

For the sauce

For the burgers

Notes

Nutrition

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Over The Top Smoked Chili

Equipment

Ingredients

For the beef mixture (The Top)

For the tomato mixture (The Bottom)

Instructions

For the beef mixture (The Top)

For the tomato mixture (The Bottom)

Nutrition

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Grilled Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

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Grilled Butterflied Chicken Legs

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

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