Amazing barbecue chicken recipe

Ingredients:

When it comes to cooking on the grill during the warm summer months, I don’t think you can do much better than this recipe for barbecue chicken. You will be provided with succulent and meaty chicken pieces that have been doused in a barbecue sauce that is both sweet and spicy. And when people talk about a recipe being so delicious that you want to lick your fingers after eating it, they are absolutely talking about this one, because you are going to get barbecue sauce all over your fingers. On the other hand, in contrast to hamburger patties or hot dogs, which can be grilled with a single flip of the skewer, barbecuing chicken successfully requires that you be familiar with a few specific techniques.

In order to ensure that the chicken retains all of its natural moisture and flavor while cooking, it is best to prepare it with the skin and bones still attached. You also have the option of selecting the chicken pieces of your choice. I want there to be a little bit of variety in the meal, so I’m going to use a combination of chicken thighs and drumsticks. You will need approximately 3 1/2 to 4 pounds total, which is equivalent to approximately 12 to 14 pieces.

Bring the chicken back to room temperature after storing it in the refrigerator so that it is not so cold that it cannot be eaten. And then all I do is spread it out on a baking sheet because that makes seasoning it so much simpler. Use a paper towel to thoroughly dry the chicken, as there will typically be tiny beads of moisture on the surface of the chicken once it reaches room temperature.

You will need to season the chicken in two different ways if you want to make the best barbecue chicken. The chicken will have the most flavor if it is seasoned in this manner, first with a dry rub and then with barbecue sauce.

To prepare the dry rub, take one teaspoon of kosher salt and put it in a bowl. Then, add one teaspoon of garlic powder, one teaspoon of smoked paprika, one teaspoon of chili powder, one teaspoon of onion powder, and half a teaspoon of ground black pepper. Mix all of these ingredients together. After you have combined the ingredients by stirring them together, sprinkle them evenly over the chicken. You can use a spoon to pile the rub generously on top of the chicken pieces, but then you’re going to want to get in there and use your hands to rub it all over, making sure to loosen the skin and get some of those spices under the skin as well as on the bottom side of the chicken pieces. To put it simply, you want the chicken pieces to be completely covered in dried spices. After that, you can simply let the spices sit on top of the chicken and marinate while you prepare my homemade barbecue sauce.

If you don’t want junky ingredients like corn syrup, processed sugar, and dyes, I suggest you make this version, which is the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and spicy flavors. You could use your favorite barbecue sauce that you buy at the store for this recipe, but if you want to avoid them, you should make this version instead.

To prepare the barbecue sauce, take a saucepan and add one 15-ounce can of tomato sauce, one-third of a cup of apple cider vinegar, one-third of a cup of blackstrap molasses, which will naturally sweeten the sauce, one-fourth of a cup of tomato paste, and one tablespoon of either tamari soy sauce, coconut aminos, or Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. If you choose to use Worcestershire sauce, be aware that many of its ingredients contain gluten and that you will need to avoid consuming it. Then, stir in two teaspoons of mustard powder and two teaspoons of smoked paprika. Be sure to use smoked paprika and not sweet paprika for this step. One level teaspoon of garlic powder, one level half-level teaspoon of onion powder, one level level half-level teaspoon of kosher salt, and one level level half-level teaspoon of black pepper ground. If you give that a stir to combine everything, you should notice that it transforms into a rich, dark color as a result of the molasses.

So many recipes for barbecue sauce are bright red in color and contain nothing more than ketchup along with various spices. You do not want that in your barbecue sauce if you want it to be the best. After you have brought this to a boil and it has reached the point where it is just beginning to bubble, give it a stir, and then reduce the heat so that it is just barely simmering. Allow it to simmer for approximately ten minutes while stirring it on occasion. Now, just so you are aware, you don’t want to completely walk away from it because it does have a propensity to splatter. Therefore, keep a close eye on it in case you need to lower the temperature even further or transfer it to a burner with a lower capacity. The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it can easily be altered to suit the tastes of the individual making it.

You can always add a couple of tablespoons of honey to the barbecue sauce if you prefer a sweeter barbecue sauce. You could also add some cayenne pepper or some hot sauce to it if you like things on the spicier side.

You will need two zones of heat, direct heat and indirect heat, in order to make the best barbecue chicken on the grill. The chicken should be cooked low and slow over the indirect heat zone. In order to achieve this, you will need to set the burners on one half of your grill to high and turn off the burners on the other half. If you have a three-burner stove, you should only light two of the burners and turn off the middle section, which is where the indirect heat zone is located. You can lightly oil the grate with avocado oil or another high-heat oil. To do this, first wet some paper towels in the oil, and then use tongs with long handles to coat the grate in the oil. Additionally, this helps to ensure that the chicken pieces will not adhere to the grill as they cook. Put the chicken in the part of the grill that receives indirect heat and make sure there is enough space between each piece so that air can flow freely.

When you have finished placing all of the chicken on the grill, close the lid. You will need to cook the chicken for approximately 30 to 35 minutes, turning it over approximately every 10 minutes. You will see that the chicken does not have a lot of color on it the first couple of times that you flip it over while cooking it. However, in the final five to ten minutes, it ought to start getting a good golden color. Because there is such a wide range in size, type, and temperature of grills, it is possible that you will need to make some adjustments to the heat and/or the amount of time spent cooking in order to achieve the desired color.

It is possible that you will be tempted to place the chicken on the side of the grill that is exposed to direct heat; however, if you do this, you will probably end up with three or four nice grill lines and some large flames as the fat drips down into the grill. However, the remainder of the chicken skin will not be crispy because it will be undercooked.
The best way to get an even golden color like this all over the skin is to tan at a low and slow temperature. Use a thermometer that gives you an instant reading to ensure that your chicken is cooked all the way through; the internal temperature should be between 160 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can slather the chicken with barbecue sauce to your heart’s content. And the second thing you need to do is check to see that the top side has a nice coat on it. There’s no need to stress about turning it over just yet. In point of fact, you are going to want to give the barbecue sauce some time to dry out on the top of the chicken. Continue to cook it with the lid on for another three to four minutes. When you open the lid, the chicken will begin to take on the appearance of the barbecued chicken that you are familiar with and enjoy due to its rich, dark color.

You can now turn the chicken over and brush the other side with barbecue sauce. After that, you should carry out the previous steps once more, this time cooking the chicken for a few minutes at a time with the lid on. Continue carrying out these steps until an instant-read thermometer reveals that the chicken has reached a temperature of 170 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Chicken meat with the bone still in it needs to be cooked at a higher temperature in order to become tender enough to fall off the bone.

You will end up with chicken that looks like it was cooked on a barbecue, and it will be absolutely stunning. Make use of your tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate that will be used for serving. In addition, if you would like, you can always spread on a little bit more sauce, or you can serve the sauce in a separate container alongside the chicken on a buffet table.