Grilled Chicken with Pico de Gallo

Grilled Chicken with Pico de Gallo will quickly become your favorite way to BBQ chicken quarters. This recipe is so yummy to make for friends and family for a cookout. 

This is a super easy chicken to grill and takes no special skills or effort, and the end result is impressive! We all need a recipe or two like that in our back pocket. 

So, now picture it: You and your friends with a big bowl of chips and Pico de Gallo. The sun is hot on your shoulders, you can smell grass just being cut and the “click, click, click” sound of the neighbor’s sprinklers screams summer BBQ! The grill is heating up, the music is playing in the background and all is well this weekend.

Sit back and enjoy some great grilled chicken and enjoy your friends and the sun!

🐔 Ingredients

Chicken Quarters | Any old part of the chicken will do, but something about grilling the chicken quarter at a BBQ just screams FUN! It gives enough surface area to hold a generous scoop of the pico.

BBQ Rub | I used BBQ Bros. Carolina Rub, but use any variety you have at home. I think this had a great balance of heat that complemented the pico.

📝 Instructions 

First and foremost, you need to make the Pico de Gallo from Cookie and Kate! It is hands down the best Pico de Gallo out there. We taste tested a few, but our family loves this one so much that we swore to stop trying other ones out and just stick with this. It is a 5-star, A+++ recipe.

Make sure to make the Pico but be prepared that you’ll want to eat it before it will go on the chicken.  Just make sure that you save about two cups for the chicken! Because it is not our recipe, I don’t list the ingredient amounts, but you’ll need Roma tomatoes, jalapeño, onion, lime juice, cilantro and sea salt. 

The BBQ Bros Carolina Rub on the chicken provides a little bit of heat that will complement the mild sweetness of the Pico de Gallo. Eating the chicken with just the rub alone is always going to be a great experience, but adding the Pico at the end is like putting whipped icing and sprinkles on a cupcake! (And we ALL need a little of that!)

Step One: Prepare the pico the night before, if you can. The flavors really come together after about 12-24 hours in the refrigerator. We have made and served it immediately, but it definitely adds flavor when we wait. 

Step Two: Heat up the grill to 350 degrees on direct heat. Read this article on how to make the perfect grilled chicken leg quarters with all the tips and tricks that will make this a masterpiece! 

Step Three: Toss the chicken with the rub and place it on the grill. 

Tip: Use a Ziploc bag to toss the chicken and the rub.  It provides the best coverage by far!  I used a glass bowl and tongs for this recipe, but a lot of rub was left on the bottom of the bowl.  My wife reminded me to use a Ziploc next time.

Step Four: Turn the chicken over after 10-12 minutes and cook until the temperature reaches 165 degrees. 

Step Five: Once the chicken comes off the grill, pour two cups of Pico and serve. 

The cool, refreshing Pico is an awesome complement to the mildly spicy BBQ rub.  It pairs extremely well!

🍴Substitutions

There is always room to add or change up a recipe to make it your own and add variety to a couple of simple recipes that you love. 

BBQ Rub – Use our all time favorite BBQ Rub from our Beer Can Chicken in place of the BBQ Bros for a sweeter option. 

Fresh Mango Salsa – This one is a sweet and spicy mix that will compliment your spicy chicken! 

Salsa Verde – Using these four options, you can change up the chicken even more times! Salsa Verde is not just green salsa, according to Bon Appetit. Whether you choose the Chimichuri, Avocado Salsa, Sauce Verde or Pesto, you are going to be greeted with new recipes simply by changing the topping. 

💡 Recipe Tips

The biggest meal prep idea for this recipe needs to be the Pico! Since the flavor is so much more robust the second day, you are cutting the taste short by not preparing this ahead of time. 

This chicken is great in the freezer and for lunch meal prep! I made lunches for Jason’s work using this recipe and it worked out great. I did separate the pico from the chicken and he added that after he warmed up the chicken. 

If you are going to freeze this one, use quart or gallon size freezer Ziploc bags. Making sure that they are sealed up tight, the chicken can be frozen for about two months. Simply thaw the night before in the refrigerator. 

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