All American Barbecue Chicken Recipes

THE ULTIMATE BARBECUED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme. Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you've only got 15 minutes, that's fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving along side the chicken at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basing the legs.
• Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
• Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes. Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce and then return to the oven for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time. Serve with extra sauce.

ALL-AMERICAN BARBECUE CHICKEN

Steps:

• If desired, skin chicken. Divide chicken between two resealable plastic bags set in shallow dishes. For marinade, in a small bowl combine 1/2 cup lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Pour marinade over chicken. Seal bags; turn to coat chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, turning bags occasionally.
• Meanwhile, for barbecue sauce, in a large saucepan combine the water, onion, butter, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir in ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and, if desired, cayenne pepper. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes or until desired consistency. Transfer to a storage container; cover and chill overnight. Tailgate day:
• Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Tote chicken and barbecue sauce in an insulated cooler with ice packs.
• At the tailgating site, prepare grill (with a cover). For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place chicken on grill rack over drip pan. Cover and grill for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink (180°F). (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as above.)
• Meanwhile, transfer barbecue sauce to a medium disposable foil pan. After chicken has been grilling about 20 minutes, add barbecue sauce to grill to reheat. Brush chicken frequently with barbecue sauce during the last 10 minutes of grilling. Serve chicken with the remaining barbecue sauce. Provide moist towelettes when serving.

SOUTHERN BBQ CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mash brown sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a mortar and pestle to form a paste. Spoon paste into a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, coat with the paste, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours to overnight.
• Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir ketchup, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce into onions; bring to a simmer and cook until flavors blend, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade.
• Cook chicken on the preheated grill until lightly browned on all sides, about 1 minute per side.
• Turn off one of the grill burners or move the coals and move chicken so there is no heat source directly below it.
• Baste drumsticks with the sauce and cook another 10 minutes; turn again and baste chicken with sauce. Continue to grill drumsticks until juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

CHEF JOHN'S BARBECUE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut 1/2-inch deep slashes in the skin-side of each chicken half; 2 cuts in each breast, 2 in the thigh, and 1 on the leg; remove wing tips.
• Whisk rice vinegar, barbeque sauce, and garlic together in large bowl. Place chicken in bowl and turn to coat chicken in the marinade. Arrange chicken halves, cut-side down, in the bottom of the marinade bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from bowl, pat chicken dry with paper towels, and discard marinade. Place chicken halves, skin-side up, on a plate and season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
• Cook chicken, skin-side down, on the preheated grill for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn chicken over, close the lid of the grill, and cook, basting with remaining barbeque sauce ever 6 minutes, until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

ALL-AMERICAN BBQ RUBBED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat gas or charcoal grill. Using hands, gently loosen skin on chicken, forming pocket between meat and skin. In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Spread half of rub under skin on chicken. Spread remaining rub on top, bottom and sides of chicken.
• Carefully brush oil on grill rack. Place chicken, skin sides up, on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 25 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to bone (165°F).

BARBECUED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Build a fire in your grill, leaving one side free of coals. When coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds), you are ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn one of the burners down to low or off, lower cover and heat for 15 minutes.)
• Meanwhile, combine barbecue sauce with 1 cup water and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Sprinkle the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper, then put them on the grill directly over the coals and cook for about 15 minutes, turning once every 5 minutes or so, and brushing with the thinned barbecue sauce. When the chicken skin starts to crisp and darken, move the pieces to the cooler side of the grill and let them cook for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until a peek inside shows that the meat no longer has any red at the center.
• Move the chicken back onto the hot side of the grill and baste with sauce again, turning the meat a few times. Remove to a warmed platter and serve.

ALL-AMERICAN BARBECUE SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, black pepper, allspice, coriander, and cumin in a mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly.

BARBEQUE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the water, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt, mustard powder, and chili powder. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
• Place the chicken thighs into an oblong baking dish, and pour the sauce over them. Cover tightly.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and bake for one hour. Remove cover, stir and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.