Grilling Chickens for a party..tips and Tricks

Hi mama duck!

Were you expected to 'buy' the chickens for the original party for FIL? That's a LOT of chickens...lol...and LOTS of grill space to BBQ it. I might be inclined to change the menu for that large of a crowd and limited grill space...

I would go with pulled pork...easy to do ahead...feeds many...and in long run much cheaper than chicken. A home made cole slaw...and baked beans?? All can be done ahead...and I would place MIL in charge of some of it.

But that's just me!

Best luck!
Michele/cat

I count 1 chicken per 2 people. AKA 20 chickens. ((In our area, pig would be cheaper... since chickens are $5-$9 each that's $100-$200 in poultry))

2 options:

1) Butterfly them. Cut out the spine with kitchen shears, season them up, lay out flat on tinfoil and loosely wrap each in the tinfoil (to allow the smoke t get in) or tinfoil pouch and get them going on the grill early in the day OR the day before. You'll probably need 3-4 rounds depending on how big your grill is.

AFTER the chickens are done use some big foil boxes to grill up any veggies/ sides. Set those aside and cover when done.

RIGHT before the party on a warm grill toss some wood chips for smoke and then pull them out of the pouches and "stack" or "domino" the bodies across. For some added lovely smoke/ to heat them all up again (but not cook them)/ keep them warm.

Have a cutting board beside the grill and quarter the chickens as people line up for them.

Most people will have 1-2 quarters over the course of the party. You'll PROBABLY end up with 5-10 chickens left over if you don't have reeeeally big eaters.

2) Cut them all up into pieces and grill individually (a pretty big pain turning 80 legs, 80 breasts, 80 thighs, etc.) ahead of the party. Have big serving dishes for each 'part'

Freeze a few quarters for meals later on. Shred some of the thighs (for tamales/ enchiladas/ etc). Cut the breasts into strips (for salads, quesadillas, bbq chicken pizza, etc.). Freeze the legs for kid snacks on the go. Separate out the wings and save for Buffalo Chicken wings (franks is the best buffalo sauce, imho).

Easier is to buy them already cooked. The rotessiere chickens at the grocery store. Each chicken serves 3-4, so you are going to need 10 chickens at least, there is no way to cook them all on the grill. It maybe more expensive, but if you insist on doing it on the grill, I would buy the pieces in bulk, and then par cook them in water on the stove, so they only have to be on the grill for 10-15 minutes.

Go to Publix or Kroger and purchase the freshly roasted chickens. They are the same price as the whole uncooked chickens. Not to mention it will be a lot less stress on you guys. Hope this help!

The "cheaper" I understand. Its cheaper to do chicken than a pig. I have a grill that is 2' by 4' and I can do a 250 lb pig. Doing that size pig, we were able to serve 150 to 175 people.

For chicken, I'd buy whole fryers, and I'd buy 13. Is your group women or high school football team? If they are women watching their weight, you'll need lots less. If its the football team, you'll need more. Have the butcher cut them in half lengthwise. When you get them home cut the halves in half (real easy). Marinate them in your favorite marinate for about 4 hours and put them on a low to medium heat grill. Get an instant read thermometer and when the chicken reaches 170 degrees, they are done. (the USDA says 167 degrees is cooked for poultry)

Without knowing how much your invitees are going to eat, this is the best I can do. If you will give me more specifics and how much work you are willing to do and how hungry your invitees are going to be, I'll give you more info. Example, boneless skinless chicken breasts are twice to three times the expense of bone-in, skin on chicken breasts. I'm willing to cut the bone away from the meat and take the skin off, but some are not. It all depends on how affluent you are.

If money is no problem, have it catered. I can feed 40 people chicken like I described above for $40 to $80. I've checked out catering and the cost will be $320 to $400 ($8 to $10 per person). But its so much easier, all you do is swipe a credit card.

Good luck to you and yours.

It is easier to do chicken pieces that way you know they are fully cooked. And a really easy marinade Italian Dressing and then I sprinkle with Fajita Seasoning.
The only way I have done whole chickens is BEER CAN CHICKEN. It is easy but it takes more cooking time. Open a beer and pour out almost half of it (or drink it! ) Then use a bottle opener to press down the whole top. I put 3-4 cloves garlic and 2 cut up green onions, a splash of worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper. Then I rinse the chicken inside and out and rub it down with fajita seasoning. (If you don't have your own, combine a tablespoon of the following: paprika, salt, pepper, oregano and a teaspoon of chili powder and cumin) Place the chicken on top of the beer can. I usually put it on a cookie sheet. Place on grill and cook for about an hour to an hour and a half. We use indirect heat. The skin gets all pretty and brown. The beer starts simmering and cooks the chicken from the inside. It is tender and very moist. AMAZING. The tricky part is removing the can once the chicken is done. Use gloves! The chicken falls apart. I just pull out the bigger bones and put it in a big tray.
The most I have done is 3. It would be pretty interesting to do that and regular grilled chicken. Get legs and thighs and really keep costs down. You can get the 10 lbs packages for $7 to $9. Get 2-3 of those and 3-4 Whole chickens. With beans a veggie tray and maybe a cold pasta salad. Maybe get the MIL to do those.
Whatever you decide, HAVE FUN!!
Good luck and GOD BLESS!!
D.

I would definitely cut them into quarters and cook them low and slow on the grill. My FIL helps cooks for a church fundraiser every fall and they cook the chicken until just done even slightly under done and then they place it in a cooler and close the lid while the next batch cooks. The chicken actually continues to cook from all the heat in the cooler. It's always juicy, never dried out. I'd plan on at least a 1/4 chicken per adult and then add 2 or 3 extra chickens to make sure I'd have enough.
Have a great party!

I know this wasn't your question really..but I agree with the already cooked rotisserie chickens. I get mine at Sams Club and they are GINORMOUS and like $5.00 each. Way bigger than at the grocery store, already cooked and cheap and yummy.I always go the easy way out so I can enjoy an event...

Sounds like a fun party..good luck with all of your fixin's!

Who's paying for all of this? Also, why do you have to cook chickens on the grill? I like the Rotissere Idea. If not, what about fried chicken? Less expensive. Otherwise, do the pulled pork sandwiches. You could do pulled chicken sandwiches too. Buy 10-15 lbs of chicken breast and throw them in the crock pot with barbeque sauce and shred it once cooked. Save yourself the stress and get help or change the menu :)

I would boil them first until almost done - then toss them on the grill to finish cooking. They will be still have the great grilled taste but won't take quite as long on the grill:)

Good luck with the party, I can only imagine the prep and planning will be stressful, but once everyone starts to gather I hope you have an amazing time.

T.

I totally understand your stress for feeding 40. Was that a part of the original plan? I think it's awfully presumptuous of your MIL to expect you to foot the bill for 40. I'd do some sort of pasta or lasagna to feed that many people on the fly: with a nice salad and bread? Then do cake and ice cream sundaes for desert. If you need to purchase adult beverages I would suggest a beer ball and the litre bottles of wine. Make everything disposable to make clean up easier. If you do go the chicken route, I agree with the previous poster, go to Sam's or Costco and do their chickens. bigger and cheaper. and i'd plan for 12-14 chickens.Good luck sister!

Good question! What works best for us is buying in bulk. If you are going a less expensive route, buy leg quarters. Figure about pound a person because of the bones. We love to marinate ours. So with the amount you'll be cooking, I would suggest trimming, cleaning and marinating them a day or two beforehand. Use a medium sized storage bin that will fit in the fridge so you don't waste a lot of zippie bags. Remember to turn them so the marinade gets every part!
As for the grill, use two if you can. Bone-in chicken takes a long time to cook, so if you want to cut grilling time you can parboil them just before tossing them on the grill. It's easier to grill them in big pieces, so I would leave the leg quarters as they are. Let them rest for a few minutes under foil when they come off the grill before cutting them into thighs and drumsticks.
Don't sweat it! Your party will be a hit!

Want less aggravation? CATER IT! Catering for that many people is really not going to cost you a whole lot more than if you buy the chickens, cook them, use all that time and wood or charcoal or whatever. Seriously, call up some restaurants that offer catering and the type of food you want and see what kind of price you can get.