Many recipes for barbecued chicken result in soggy skin and little flavor in the meat beyond the sauce. Over the years I've tried a variety of methods but in the end the best solution is simply to remove the skin before adding the sauce.
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| Julian's BBQ Chicken - Perfect for a Picnic |
The other main problem with most recipes, is that they call for cooking all of the chicken at the same time. We know that small wings and white meat take less time to cook, so in this recipe I add those later in the process which results in all of the chicken being done at the proper temperature at the same time.
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| Ready to Serve |
While I typically use a store-bought barbeque sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's original is my favorite) you can make a sauce if you prefer. Below I give you a favorite from America's Test Kitchen for Bourbon Barbecue Sauce which is easy to make ahead and keep for other uses. I also keep a bottle of Meathead's Poultry Seasoning on hand and use it as a dry brine on most all my poultry dishes. You can use it or the ingredients noted in the recipe to season and dry brine the chicken.
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| Just legs and wing portions today. Wingettes are left with skin on. Legs have been skinned and coated over the meat leaving clean ends to handle the chicken. |
While the recipe works well for a whole cut up frying chicken, you can also just purchase the pieces of chicken your family prefers. Today I'm just using legs and wings, as that's what my family likes when it comes to barbequed chicken, as the pieces are easiest to pick up and eat without a fork. If you are using white meat, consider cutting the breast pieces into halves. Use bone-in chicken as it will be more moist and tender than boneless.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
or Substitute above with Meathead's Poultry Seasoning
Instructions
Combine chili powder, sugar, salt, and pepper together in medium bowl to make the seasoning if using or substitute Meathead's Poultry Seasoning. Coat chicken thoroughly with spices, and place on a platter and wrap with plastic wrap, or place the chicken in a zipper locked back in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400F degrees using the Convention Roast setting if you have it. If not, set the oven to bake or roast at 425F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, top with wire rack, and spray rack with vegetable oil.
Set breast pieces and wings aside on plate if using. Place the remaining pieces of chicken (dark meat) on the rack and roast for 10-12 minutes and the temperature in the thickest part of the leg not touching the bone nears 130F. Add breast pieces and wings to rack and roast chicken for 10-15 minutes longer until the thickest part of the breast meat is approximately 140F or the legs are 170F.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let cool until you can handle it with your bare hands, approximately 30 minutes. Remove the skin from all of the chicken except for the thin side of the wings.
Rotate pan, brush the top half of each chicken piece with sauce, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and turn each piece over. Brush the chicken with remaining sauce ensuring all of the meat is well coated and continue to cook until breasts register 160F degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. If only cooking dark meat, the legs should register 180-190F. Transfer chicken to platter and let rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. I typically let these cool to nearly room temperature before serving.
Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup grated onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup bourbon
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Franks' RedHot Original preferred)
Instructions
Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, carefully add bourbon; return saucepan to heat and cook until bourbon is nearly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, and hot sauce and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely before serving. (Cooled sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
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