These are what I consider to be the absolute best recipes for the Vortex BBQ. This isn’t just a random roundup — this is years of testing, tweaking, and eating a whole lot of chicken here at Life’s A Tomato. After literally hundreds of cooks on my kettle, these recipes are the ones my family and I keep coming back to.
I love firing up a charcoal grill using a Vortex. For anyone who hasn’t used one yet, the Vortex is that simple cone-shaped stainless steel insert that sits in the middle of your charcoal grill. You pile a full chimney of screaming hot coals right in the center, put the grate on, and it transforms your regular Weber kettle into a high-heat convection oven. We’re talking 500-600+ degrees of indirect, circulating heat that cooks from every angle at once.
And I know I’m always in for a great treat! Because what comes off that grill really shouldn’t be possible.
It Starts With Chicken
I’m talking about chicken with perfectly golden-brown, crunchy skin that crackles when you bite into it. I’m talking about meat that is unbelievably tender, moist, and juicy — so juicy you need extra napkins. And the flavors are amazing. It tastes like it came straight out of a deep fryer. In fact, the first time I served it, everyone swore it WAS deep-fried. That’s the magic of the Vortex.
The best part? There’s no or very little oil. No messy pot of oil on the stove, no greasy splatters all over the kitchen, no gallons of oil to figure out how to dispose of afterward. It’s all of the reward of fried chicken with none of the hassle.
Over time I’ve learned my favorites. My go-to will always be bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The dark meat just has more flavor, it always cooks up tender, and it’s very forgiving. I coat them in my seasoned flour mix, arrange them in a circle around the outside of the grill — not directly over the Vortex — close the lid, and come back in about 40-45 minutes. No flipping required.
Below are my all-time favorite ways to do it, from Kentucky Kernel and Alabama White Sauce to Cajun-brined, Nashville Hot, and Korean Fried Chicken. If you love fried chicken, you’re going to love the Vortex.
The List
1
Kentucky Kernel ‘Fried’ Chicken using the Vortex
Perfectly juicy, crunchy skin, crazy good fried chicken flavor without all of the oil.
Alabama White Sauce Fried Chicken using the Vortex
The tangy Alabama white BBQ sauce is different. If you've never had it, I highly recommend it. It's great on any chicken, fried, grilled, roasted, you name it.
I almost always use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs when I make this Cajun-brined fried chicken or any other ‘fried’ chicken using the Vortex. The dark meat has the most flavor and always cooks up tender and juicy.
The fried chicken mix recipe can be used for any chicken, it doesn’t have to be Bloody Mary flavored. The coating adheres perfectly and gives you that perfect crispy crust. For me, my go-to chicken on the Vortex is bone-in, skin-on thighs. They are the juiciest and have the most flavor.
If you’re craving garlic flavor, you’ve come to the right place. My buttery garlic fried chicken made using the Vortex brings the garlic punch and then some. And crunchy skin? Craving that too? Got you covered there, too.
I cook a lot, and I do mean a lot, of chicken using my Vortex. Wings and thighs are my favorite and I’ve cooked them countless delicious ways. But I’d never injected my chicken until now.
This dip-fried chicken is unbelievably moist, tender, and delicious. I’ve said it a thousand times: nothing beats ‘fried’ chicken made using the Vortex. Nothing.
I keep having to pinch myself when I make ‘fried’ chicken on my charcoal grill using the Vortex. Am I dreaming? I’m really eating deep-fried chicken, right? But it’s not.
Hidden Valley Ranch Fried Chicken using the Vortex
This Hidden Valley Ranch fried chicken is crazy tender, unbelievable moist. And the skin? Well, let’s just say I leave it for last because it’s almost like dessert. A true treat.
This Korean fried chicken using the Vortex was right up my alley. As always with the Vortex, the chicken is cooked perfectly. Tender and juicy and delicious.
No, it’s not an illusion. It’s not Photoshopped. And I’m not fibbing. This crunchy, moist, tender, delicious chicken was not deep-fried. It was made on a charcoal grill using the Vortex.
This spicy BBQ fried chicken using the Vortex is my go-to recipe. I can then add whatever I want at the end. This time I added a spicy BBQ sauce and a drizzle of Ranch dressing. There were no leftovers.
Just fire up, coat the chicken, place it on the grill and come back in 45 minutes or so to grab some delicious chicken. You’d swear it was fried in oil it’s so good. Crispy skin and tender, juicy meat. Perfect.
To say I’m a huge fan of ‘fried’ chicken using a Vortex BBQ insert would be the understatement of the decade. I have several Vortexes (Vortices?), using them for everything from wings to potato wedges to this hot stuff chicken. This hot stuff chicken using the Vortex is easily some of the most flavor-packed, crunchy skin, moist chicken I’ve ever had. You just cannot beat the Vortex and chicken (and other things!). You’ll be amazed that this dish was cooked on a grill using charcoal and not done in a deep-fryer.
Nice ‘N Crispy
Whenever I cook this hot stuff chicken using the Vortex I always give it a quick, light brushing of oil just at the end. This helps crisp up the skin. Some folks also recommend using spray duck fat or oil. Or butter. Whichever you use, it’s a good thing to do since it really makes great chicken into superb fried-like chicken. I brushed it on about 5 minutes before my hot stuff chicken was completely done and let it finish cooking. That’s all!
PS: If you have duck fat spray, I highly recommend using it any time you make chicken on the Vortex. It’s a real game changer.
Well, there isn’t one. Fried chicken on the Vortex isn’t smoke and mirrors and magic and what-not. I mean it’s really really easy. You can prepare the chicken any way you want. Any traditional (or non-traditional) fried chicken recipe will work just fine. And it really is just as easy as battering up the chicken and putting it on the crazy-hot grill. Then you go away for 45 minutes, though the time might vary depending on how large your chicken cuts are, wind, temperatures, solar activity, etc. You come back to perfectly cooked chicken that you’ll swear was deep-fried in oil.
There are two things that make these garlic Parmesan potato wedges absolutely fantastic: Kosmos Q garlic Parmesan wing dust and a Vortex BBQ loaded with hot charcoal. The wing dust packs tremendous garlicky cheesy flavor. Yes, I use it on wings. A lot. And also potato wedges. And homemade potato chips. It’s great stuff. The Vortex gets crazy hot, giving these potatoes a lightly crunchy exterior and a creamy soft interior.
Nice ‘n Cruncy
Adding baking powder to the potatoes before putting them on the grill adds a bit of extra crunch to them. You can skip it if you like, these garlic Parmesan potato wedges using the Vortex are tremendous either way. You can also make them a bit spicier if you prefer, like my Kickin’ Cajun potato wedges.
With a 22″ grill you’ll be able to fit a decent amount of potatoes around a Vortex. You’ll have just enough space leftover for a few pieces of chicken, too. It’ll be tight. I’ve found that the limited space is an excellent excuse for getting another grill!
Kosmos Q makes a lot of other great flavored wing dusts that are great on potato wedges too. Try them all! I did!
Seriously? You don’t have any garlic parmesan Kosmos Q wing dust? Well you should. But I get it. Don’t worry, though. You can still make some great potato wedges. Grab whatever your favorite seasoning is out of the pantry. Doesn’t even have to be garlicky. Or parmesan-y. Go Cajun if you want. Or Old Bay, that’s a great one too!
In a pinch you can use just salt and pepper. Ain’t nothing wrong with that at all. I like to go heavy with both. Potatoes love salt and pepper!
Fill your Vortex BBQ with charcoal and light it up while preparing the potatoes.
Slice potatoes in half lengthwise, then half again lengthwise, and finally one more time lengthwise (i.e. you're cutting them into 1/8ths). You don't want them super thin, so for smaller potatoes you might only have to cut them 1/4ths. Transfer to a bowl.
Drizzle the potatoes with the oil and toss to coat.
Sprinkle the potatoes with the seasoning and baking powder and toss to coat. I've found that stirring them with your hands works best.
Once the charcoal is just ashed over place the potato wedges in a circle around the edges of your grill. Don't let the potatoes touch. It's ok if you need to put them in two or three rows. If some pieces are thicker than others try to locate those nearer the fire.
Place the cover on the grill with the top and bottom vents wide open.
Cook for 20-30 minutes, rotating the lid 90 degrees every 5 or so minutes. Start checking the potatoes after 15 minutes. Sometimes one side off the grill needs more heat as the wedges there aren't cooking quite as quickly as others. Just rotate the lid so the vent is near that side and let cook a bit longer.
Remove and serve immediately.
Notes
For the best results and even cooking, try to cut the potato wedges all close to the same size as possible.
There are two choices when it comes to making ‘fried’ chicken using a Vortex. You can make your own batter from scratch or you can use a mix from the store. I’ve done both time and time again and have never ever been disappointed. This time I picked up a box of Fry Krisp Krispy Country chicken mix. It’s the easiest mix in the world, giving you nicely crunchy, juicy, flavorful chicken in less than an hour with no oil used for frying. This Krispy Country Chicken using the Vortex was amazing.
Amazingly Good
When I make Krispy Country Chicken using the Vortex I like to brush my chicken with just a bit of oil just before I pull it off the grill. It gives the chicken a bit more crunch and coats any leftover batter that might be hanging around. It’s completely optional, but I always do it. This really tastes like fried chicken.
Well, there isn’t one. Fried chicken on the Vortex isn’t smoke and mirrors and magic and what-not. I mean it’s really really easy. You can prepare the chicken any way you want. Any traditional (or non-traditional) fried chicken recipe will work just fine. And it really is just as easy as battering up the chicken and putting it on the crazy-hot grill. Then you go away for 45 minutes, though the time might vary depending on how large your chicken cuts are, wind, temperatures, solar activity, etc. You come back to perfectly cooked chicken that you’ll swear was deep-fried in oil.
This. Right. Here. Absolutely divine ‘fried’ chicken, hot off my charcoal grill. Yes, grill. Before I got a Vortex, I had no idea that not only could I make fried chicken on a grill, I could make it with almost no effort at all. No deep fryer, no mess.
This spicy buttermilk fried chicken using the Vortex is beyond tender and juicy. It has a wonderful spicy kick to it, but it’s not overwhelming. And the skin? Oh, crunchy and delicious. Perfection without the oil.
Perfect Not-Fried Fried Chicken
There’s absolutely nothing I would change about this recipe for spicy buttermilk fried chicken using the Vortex. I enjoyed every single bite immensely. I think it’s the perfect fried chicken, and considering that I made it on my Weber grill without deep frying it, I just could not possibly be happier with it.
To make sure the skin crisps up good and that the chicken pieces cook evenly, do not over-crowd them on your grill. Also, I do not flip my chicken as it cooks. I put it on, close the lid, and don’t mess with the chicken for 45 minutes. Just let it do its thing.
Well, there isn’t one. Fried chicken on the Vortex isn’t smoke and mirrors and magic and what-not. I mean it’s really really easy. You can prepare the chicken any way you want. Any traditional (or non-traditional) fried chicken recipe will work just fine. And it really is just as easy as battering up the chicken and putting it on the crazy-hot grill. Then you go away for 45 minutes, though the time might vary depending on how large your chicken cuts are, wind, temperatures, solar activity, etc. You come back to perfectly cooked chicken that you’ll swear was deep-fried in oil.
Combine the buttermilk marinade ingredients (except for the chicken) in a large resealable container.
Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Combine all of the seasoning mix ingredients. Divide into two equally-sized batches.
Fire up your charcoal grill with the Vortex in the center. Make sure the lid and bottom air vents are open.
Whisk together the coating ingredients and place into a large resealable bag.
Whisk together the egg wash ingredients and place into a pie pan or large bowl.
Working in batches, remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off the excess.
Sprinkle with one half of the seasoning mix.
Transfer to the egg wash and coat well.
Shake off the excess and add to the baggie. Seal and shake to coat.
Arrange chicken around the edges of your grill (once the coals are hot and ashed over). Cover and cook for 45 minutes, rotating the lid every 15 minutes.
The last 5 minutes of cooking lightly brush the tops of the chicken with the oil to help crisp the skin even more.
Once chicken is done (165 F as measured in several places), remove and let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
To cook 10-12 pieces of chicken at once you’ll need at least a 22″ charcoal grill
I could make (and eat) fried chicken using my Vortex BBQ all day long. It has never let me down. It has never been anything but easy. This copycat recipe of Church’s fried chicken using the Vortex was no exception. Incredibly crunchy skin. Unbelievably moist and flavorful meat. And as easy as coating it, grilling it, eating it. Done.
You won’t believe this chicken isn’t hot out of a deep-fryer when you take that first bite. You get that same taste and crunch sensation. With a little added smokiness. It’s really like fried chicken elevated. And making fried chicken this way is so crazy easy. Without all that oil. The deep-fryer. Or the cleanup. It’s an all-around winning situation!
Easy. And Fantastic.
There are no tricks or special handshakes that you need to know to get fried chicken right using the Vortex. And although a lot of sites say to rotate the lid every 15 minutes while cooking, I’ve not found that it makes a difference. I don’t over-crowd my grill and I make sure I have a super-hot fire. If you’ve found that rotating the lid is a requirement, let me know but so far, I’ve not had anything but success just keeping the lid right where it is. I also do not flip my chicken while it is cooking. Doing so will result in ‘batter loss’, a bad thing. Just keep it right where it is. This copycat recipe for Church’s fried chicken using the Vortex is easy, and there’s no reason to make it complicated!
Also try my insanely-awesome proper pub fried chicken, another fantastic recipe for deliciously crispy tasty chicken cooked using the Vortex. You can also use off-the-shelf fried chicken coating to make spectacular chicken on the Vortex. Check out my Kentucky Kernel chicken too!
Church’s Fried Chicken Using the Vortex (Copycat Recipe)
This copycat of Church’s fried chicken was no exception. Incredibly crunchy skin. Unbelievably moist and flavorful meat. And as easy as coating it, grilling it, eating it. Done.
I’m a huge fan of cooking chicken wings using the Vortex BBQ. I’m also a huge fan of ‘frying’ chicken using the Vortex BBQ. Bigger pieces of chicken. Usually bone-in thighs or bone-in breasts. Bone-in cuts for maximum flavor. And now, I’m a huge fan of making chicken fingers using the Vortex BBQ. Just as easy as wings or fried chicken, these fingers came out tender and super tasty. They have a very nice coating that is light on crunch but heavy on flavor. And nothing could be easier to make, either!
Fast Cooking, Great Tasting
Chicken fingers on the Vortex BBQ cook a whole lot quicker than do wings or chicken thighs. Don’t throw them on and ignore them. Don’t walk away. They’ll be done in no time. From my experience, less than half the time it takes to ‘fry’ bone-in chicken thighs.
As I mention in the recipe note, I put foil on my grill grates before I added the chicken. I’m not 100% sure if that’s required, but the chicken didn’t stick, so I’ll just keep doing it!
You can substitute boneless chicken breast for the tenderloins. I recommend you slice it into thin, tenderloin-sized pieces first. I do this by first butterflying the breasts. I put my hand on top, and then slowly cut through them horizontally with a knife. The hand on top is used to put pressure on the chicken so it doesn’t slide around as I cut. I don’t cut them all the way through, just up the edge. They then can open up, just like a book. All that’s left then is to slice them into pieces.
Fire up your charcoal grill with the Vortex BBQ insert. Let the coals get good and hot.
Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a pie plate.
Pour the buttermilk into another pie plate. Whisk in the hot sauce if using.
Working in batches, dip the chicken into the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, and then once again in the flour.
Transfer to your grill and cook for 15-20 minutes or until done. Lightly brush the chicken with the oil the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Serve hot.
Notes
I covered my grill grates in foil and brushed on a light coating of oil because I thought the fingers might stick. I haven’t tried to make them yet without foil. You might want to foil yours also, or at least oil them before adding the chicken.
There’s definitely no wrong way to make ‘fried’ chicken on your charcoal grill using the Vortex. I absolutely love it. For a long time I’ve been making my chicken using batter made from scratch. This time I decided to try an off-the-shelf batter mix usually meant for actual deep frying in oil. The result? Absolutely delicious, crunchy, moist fried chicken with about as little fuss and mess as possible. And no oil. This really is easy crispy fried chicken using the Vortex!
Any Store-Bought Mix Will Do
Any good fried chicken batter mix will work. It’s called easy crispy fried chicken using the Vortex for a reason. Just dip and put onto the grill. I prefer to use split bone-in chicken breasts or thighs. I recommend bone-in chicken because it will have more flavor and won’t dry out as easily as boneless.
Going Boneless?
You can use boneless chicken but you might have to adjust the cook time. When I do need boneless ‘fried’ chicken I still cook it bone-on then remove the meat from the bone when done. If you prefer to make your own batter from scratch, try my super easy Vortex fried chicken recipe. For something a bit more fru-fru, make my spicy BBQ fried chicken. You’ll quickly see why fried chicken on the Vortex is fantastic!
Well, there isn’t one. Fried chicken on the Vortex isn’t smoke and mirrors and magic and what-not. I mean it’s really really easy. You can prepare the chicken any way you want. Any traditional (or non-traditional) fried chicken recipe will work just fine. And it really is just as easy as battering up the chicken and putting it on the crazy-hot grill. Then you go away for 45 minutes, though the time might vary depending on how large your chicken cuts are, wind, temperatures, solar activity, etc. You come back to perfectly cooked chicken that you’ll swear was deep-fried in oil.
Fire up your charcoal grill with the Vortex insert. Get the coals good and hot.
In a large bowl combine 5 tablespoons of the batter mix with 1/4 cup of cold water.
Place the remaining batter mix in a shallow pie pan.
Working piece-by-piece, dredge the chicken in the wet batter mix.
Shake off any excess then roll the chicken in the dry batter mix.
Transfer chicken to the grill, placing along the edges.
Cover and cook for 45 minutes, rotating the lid 90 degrees every 15 minutes.
Check for doneness (165 F as measured in the thickest pieces of chicken), remove and serve.
Notes
I’ve found that rotating the lid isn’t very necessary, specially on smaller grills. You can experiment by not rotating and checking the chicken after 30 minutes. If the pieces are cooking evenly you can skip rotating the lid.
You can adjust the heat of the chicken by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper. For me, this chicken is a great opportunity to get it as hot as I can get it. I dunno why, but my brain tells me ‘Nashville Hot’ means darned hot. Crazy hot.
Cooking Time Variations
I used split bone-in chicken breasts when I made this Nashville hot chicken using the Vortex. It’s our preferred cut of chicken, but you can use any cut you like. Just keep in mind that if you mix pieces that are greatly different in size some may be done before others. Smaller pieces can be checked for doneness after the 45 minutes cooking time.
What’s The Trick?
Well, there isn’t one. Fried chicken on the Vortex isn’t smoke and mirrors and magic and what-not. I mean it’s really really easy. You can prepare the chicken any way you want. Any traditional (or non-traditional) fried chicken recipe will work just fine. And it really is just as easy as battering up the chicken and putting it on the crazy-hot grill. Then you go away for 45 minutes, though the time might vary depending on how large your chicken cuts are, wind, temperatures, solar activity, etc. You come back to perfectly cooked chicken that you’ll swear was deep-fried in oil.
This is the first time I tried making fried chicken using the Vortex insert on my Weber charcoal grill. I use my Vortex a lot for making chicken wings, which are always fantastic, but I wasn’t sure how mimicking that great fried flavor would come out.
So Easy Yet So Amazing
My worries were completely unfounded since the chicken came out absolutely fantastic. I swore I was eating chicken right out of a deep-fryer. Great Southern-inspired coating, tender meat and yes, very, very crunchy skin.
Great Results No Matter What You Use
Since this was my first time I didn’t want to over-crowd my Performer with chicken. But now that I’ve got the process down, I could’ve easily added a few more pieces. And you don’t have to just use split bone-in chicken breasts like I did. Wings, legs, thighs… you name it, all will come out great fried using the Vortex. Just don’t let the pieces overlap, because wherever they touch, they won’t get crispy.
A Thousand Times Later
Since I wrote this post I have made fried chicken on my Vortex at least a thousand times. Maybe more. I’ve made it using the recipe below. I’ve made all sorts of other homemade versions. And I’ve used box after box of the store-bought stuff, the ones that say ‘fry chicken’ on them. Those work great on the Vortex. There’s absolutely no way to mess this up. The Vortex is a charcoal grill cooking machine, for a lot of things, but this is the one thing it really, really excels at!
Fire up your Kettle grill with the Vortex loaded with charcoal. Don’t start cooking until the coals are all lit and starting to ash over.
Rinse the chicken and pat dry.
Mix the remaining ingredients in a large baggie.
Lightly brush the chicken with vegetable oil.
Working in batches, place chicken pieces in the bag. Seal and shake. Shake off excess.
Transfer chicken to the grill along the edges, skin-side up.
Cover and cook for 40 minutes, turning the lid 90 degrees every 15 minutes.
Lightly brush the chicken with more vegetable oil. Use caution as the grill will be hot. Note: If you are using pieces other than split chicken breasts, you’ll want to rotate the pieces at this time.
Cover and cook another 5 minutes or until the chicken hits 160 F.
Remove and let rest and come to 165 F before serving.
Notes
I really enjoy this dish using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs too!
