This Amish BBQ chicken is tender and juicy with the sweet-and-tangy profile characteristic of a traditional Lancaster County chicken barbecue. Slow-grilled and regularly basted, the chicken develops a rich, caramelized exterior while remaining moist inside.
This easy Amish barbecued chicken recipe relies on a straightforward vinegar-based marinade to infuse flavor and keep the meat tender. It’s an old-fashioned favorite that works well for summer cookouts, fundraisers, or a hearty family meal.
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Why You’ll Love This Amish BBQ Chicken
- Simple vinegar-based marinade delivers classic flavor
- Pre-cooking in the marinade helps the chicken stay extra juicy
- Slow grilling and frequent basting create a caramelized, sticky coating
- Great for cookouts, fundraisers, backyard gatherings, or weeknight dinners
How to Prepare Chicken for Grilling
Whole pieces of chicken often have excess fat and loose skin tucked in crevices. Keep a layer of skin on one side to help retain moisture, but trim away any excess fat and very thick flaps of skin. Removing excess fat reduces flare-ups on the grill and helps the chicken cook more evenly.
Marinade
This Amish BBQ chicken doesn’t require a long soak. Instead, the chicken is simmered briefly in the marinade on the stovetop for about 15 minutes. That step seasons the meat and jump-starts the cooking process, helping to lock in moisture.
If you prefer not to cook the chicken in the marinade, you can cool the marinade and refrigerate the chicken in it for several hours before grilling, but you will need a longer time on the grill to reach doneness.
Pre-cooking the chicken in the marinade is a handy technique: it yields flavorful, juicy results and shortens the time needed over the grill while reducing the risk of drying out the meat.
What Kind of Chicken Is Best for Grilling?
Almost any fresh chicken cut can work on the grill if you adjust timing for white meat versus dark meat. For this recipe, bone-in legs and thighs are recommended because they stay juicier and tolerate longer, slower cooking without drying out.
Bone-in breasts can be used if you prefer, but they cook faster and can dry out if overcooked. The instructions here are written for legs and thighs, but you may substitute your preferred cuts—just monitor internal temperature closely and avoid overcooking.
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How to Cook Chicken on a Gas Grill
Charcoal adds an extra smoky dimension, but a gas grill is faster and very convenient while still producing great flavor. The key to juicy grilled chicken is cooking it low and slow after an initial sear.
How to Grill Amish BBQ Chicken:
- Preheat the grill to about 450–500°F for the initial sear.
- Oil the grates to prevent sticking.
- Place chicken skin-side down on the hot grill to crisp the skin.
- After searing, reduce heat to low, close the lid, and cook slowly.
- Flip the chicken occasionally (about every 10 minutes) and baste or spray with the marinade to keep it moist.
- Grill until the internal temperature reaches about 180°F for legs and thighs to reach tender, shreddable texture.
Using a meat thermometer is the most reliable way to check doneness—insert it into the thickest part of the piece without touching bone. While poultry is safe at 165°F, dark meat benefits from finishing closer to 180°F for the best texture. On many grills this takes roughly 45 minutes, but always follow temperature rather than time alone.
Basting With Barbecue Sauce
Brushing grilled chicken with barbecue sauce at the end of cooking creates that glossy, sticky coating everyone loves. Avoid slathering on sauce too early, as it can burn and become bitter.
Wait until after a few flips and apply your barbecue sauce for the final several minutes of grilling. Coat generously just before removing the chicken so the sauce caramelizes without singeing.
What to Serve with Amish Barbecued Chicken?
This style of grilled chicken pairs beautifully with classic barbecue sides. Popular choices include:
- Homemade potato salad
- Baked beans
- Scalloped potatoes
- Coleslaw
- Macaroni salad
- Broccoli and cauliflower salad
Mix and match sides to build a summer picnic or family-style meal everyone will enjoy.
Amish Chicken BBQ (Lancaster, PA)
Raised in Lancaster County, PA, the author remembers community chicken barbecues and fundraisers as a staple of Amish tradition. Neighborhood events often featured large barbecues where families gathered for food and fellowship.
In the area, community cooks used large barbecue pits with multiple racks, allowing many pieces of chicken to be cooked and flipped together. These events created lasting memories: fresh, simply seasoned chicken cooked in quantity for friends and neighbors.
Purchasing bulk cases of legs and thighs was common, and the result was reliably juicy, flavorful chicken—true Lancaster-style comfort food.
More Amish Chicken Recipes
- Rice Krispie Chicken
- PA Dutch Chicken Croquettes
- Amish Chicken Roasht (wedding-style roast with stuffing)
- PA Dutch Chicken Pot Pie
- Chicken and Noodles
- Potato and Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Salad
If you try this Amish BBQ chicken on the grill, please leave a comment and a star rating below — it helps others find the recipe. Thank you!
📖 Recipe Card
Amish BBQ Chicken Recipe
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 c. water
- 1 c. vinegar (white or apple cider)
- 5 Tbsp. butter
- 1 ½ Tbsp. salt
- 1 ½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 5 – 6 lbs. bone-in chicken legs and thighs
- Barbecue sauce
Instructions
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Trim excess fat and loose skin, leaving a layer of skin to help the meat stay moist.
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In a large pot, combine and heat the marinade ingredients until the butter melts.
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Add the chicken, bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes to infuse flavor and begin cooking.
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Remove the pot from heat and let the chicken rest in the hot liquid for another 15 minutes.
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Place the chicken skin-side down on a hot grill (about 450–500°F) to sear the skin.
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Reduce heat to low and barbecue slowly. Flip occasionally and baste or spray with the marinade to keep the meat moist.
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In the final minutes of cooking, brush the chicken with your favorite barbecue sauce so it caramelizes without burning.
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Cook to desired doneness. For legs and thighs, an internal temperature around 180°F yields tender, juicy meat; poultry is safe at 165°F, but dark meat benefits from higher finishing temperatures.
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Transfer the chicken to a heat-proof dish, cover, and let it rest 5–10 minutes before serving.
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Leftovers are excellent chilled or reheated. If storing on the bone, chill first before placing in an airtight container; removing meat from the bone before storing can make reheating easier.
Notes
If using bone-in breasts, place them on cooler spots of the grill and reduce cooking time accordingly.
*Nutrition values are approximate.
Nutrition