15 Smart Ways to Expand the Usefulness of a Meadow Creek Chicken Cooker

Meadow Creek’s Chicken Cookers, those grills with rotating sandwich grates, take barbecue fund-raising and backyard grilling to a whole new level. Double-sided rotating grates make it easy to turn the entire rack of meat with one hand. The stainless steel grates never rust and are easy to maintain, for many long years of use.

In addition to their ability to grill amazing bone-in chicken parts, these grills are perfect for many other foods too. So really, the name “chicken cookers” can be a bit deceiving. How many people have ignored these whizbang grills because of their name?

In this article, I will show you how great the chicken cookers are for grilling in general and a sweet list of upgrades you might want to consider for expanding the usefulness of your new Meadow Creek chicken cooker.

1. Flat Grate. A flat grate is a single-panel grate that replaces the rotating sandwich grate.

Why would you want a flat grate?

The “sandwich” grate that comes with every chicken cooker has a set distance between the two panels, and some foods are either too thin or too thick to put in the sandwich grate.

Besides, when you’re cooking items, such as steaks or burgers, you will probably want the fire closer to the food, so you will raise the charcoal pan and set it on the charcoal pan brackets (custom upgrade on some of the units). And with the pan raised, you can no longer flip the standard sandwich grate.

This is where the flat grate comes in. On the BBQ26S and BBQ42 you can get by without a flat grate when you hook the top part of the sandwich grate onto the open lid. But even then, the flat grate is a little handier and you’re able to close the lid when you’re cooking to control your fire in case of flare-ups and capture some smoke.

2. Griddle. Oh, boy. Now barbecue is seriously an all-day option. Add one of these 1/4″ steel griddles to your chicken cooker, and you’re ready to fry eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and hash browns. Or have fun with burgers, fries, and anything else you can imagine frying.

3. Insulated. Insulation (BBQ42 only) makes a lot of sense if you can afford the up-front cost. Insulation adds a sealed double wall to the firebox. (The lid won’t be insulated.) With insulation, you should be able to cook three rounds of chicken with one load of charcoal, instead of one round. This means serious charcoal savings if you use it to cook multiple batches in one setting.

Meadow Creek uses a quality high heat paint, but these pits endure a lot of intense heat. Insulation basically eliminates the problem of paint peeling from heat on the firebox, so it will take less repainting and maintenance.

4. Hitch-N-Grill Bracket. This bracket is a cool gadget for mounting a BBQ26S to the hitch of your truck or SUV. Please note that it doesn’t work well on a mini-van loaded for vacation or any vehicle with a low hitch.

5. Lids on Trailer Pits. We believe in lids, even on the trailer models. Without lids, it takes a lot of flipping when your fire gets frisky. The lids make fire control a breeze and virtually eliminate the stress when trying to get perfect results.

In some places, you may be required to cook with the meat covered. Lids solve that problem too.

The lids upgrade on the trailer pits includes a double partition between the pits to make room for the lids.

6. Stainless Steel Lid. The stainless steel lid turns the chicken cooker into a nice work table (when it’s not hot, of course) if you have it on a trailer with other equipment. This upgrade also adds the perfect accent to a stand-alone insulated BBQ42.

7. Solid Tires. Convert the pneumatic tires on your BBQ42 to a set of solid tires to eliminate the possibility of a flat. (BX50 shown here.)

8. Charcoal Pullout. The pullout is a drawer in the bottom of the pit. You can pull it out to add more charcoal or clean out the ashes. If you’ll be grilling all day long, this option will be very useful. With a charcoal pullout and a flat grate, the BBQ42 could even smoke pork butts!

9. Taller Lid. Think you might want more more clearance above your flat grate sometimes? Consider a taller lid. A taller lid increases clearance by 4″ in the BBQ26S and 5″ in the BBQ42.

10. Vinyl Cover. Our covers are Amish-made in Lancaster County from tough vinyl material. If you will be storing your grill outside or even under a covered porch, a vinyl cover will help to keep it clean and dry. Otherwise, it will rust sooner and take more maintenance.

11. Thermometer. You can add a thermometer to a chicken cooker lid to monitor the temperature in the grill. An option you should consider if you prefer cooking by a thermometer instead of by the amount of fuel. This upgrade is only useful if your chicken cooker has a lid.

12. Slideout Grates. The slideout grates upgrade puts the grate on a track that slides over the side of the trailer. To load/unload the grates on a trailer with several pits, normally it takes two people to carry one grate at a time along the length of the trailer from/to it’s position on the trailer. You can’t do this if your trailer has a roof because of the supporting frame. Even without a roof, this upgrade is helpful for those times when you’re parked really close to a building or cooking alone. (Old style expanded metal grate shown.)

13. Additional Pits. Need more cooking space? We can add as many pits to your trailer as you want.

14. Fire Extinguisher Mount. A mount with a strap for securing a fire extinguisher to a chicken cooker trailer.

15. Replacement Wheel and Mount. It’s always a good idea to have a spare wheel on hand. You can even add a mount to your chicken cooker trailer.

Check out the chicken cookers in our online store for prices and ordering information. And don’t forget, we can design a custom BBQ trailer for you with your choice of cookers, storage area, a sink, and a fold-down roof.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always happy to help you design a Meadow Creek trailer that fits your style!

Sizzling regards,

Lavern Gingerich