A tender and savory Barbecued Chicken recipe leaving your guests begging for seconds! Finish this chicken off in the oven to make life easier!
Barbecue season is upon us, and nothing says summer and barbecue like delicious and juicy barbecue chicken. Here is a tender and savory barbecued chicken recipe that will have your guests coming back for seconds!
Eighty-one percent of Americans report that at least one aspect of grilling outside is easier than indoors. However, in some households the person that does the grilling is also the one who does the the rest of the cooking, so here are two options for grilling and baking the best barbecued chicken.
Often, being able to monitor the grill every step of the way, you will be guaranteed a perfect barbecue meal because patience is the key, but staying with the grill is difficult when entertaining a crowd. The trick is to grill and bake.
Start the barbecue process on the grill to sear the meat; then transfer to the oven to finish. You are then free to prepare the complementary side dishes to accompany the main course. No worries about the occasional grill flare up or over charring!
How to Make the Best Barbecued Chicken
For a perfect barbecue chicken, start skin side down to get the nice grill marks.
Next, flip the chicken once and start basting with the sauce. By painting or layering your sauce, you get the nice thick glaze of sauce that attaches to the skin. Do not turn the chicken again.
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Grill temperatures do vary, so if you are not using a grill thermometer, it is best to slightly under cook the chicken and let it finish off on the coolest part of the grill. However, a good quality thermometer is invaluable to check if meat and poultry is properly done.
Use this Gr8 Barbecue Sauce for a tasty result!
Barbecued Chicken
Spice recipe adapted from Chef John All Recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, cut up, approximately 4-5 pounds OR 4-5 pounds of your favorite chicken pieces
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup Gr8 Barbecue Sauce, or as needed
Instructions
- Whisk rice vinegar, 2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce, and garlic together in a large bowl.
- Place chicken, skin-side down, in the bottom of the marinade bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour.
- Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
- Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface.
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and cayenne pepper and set aside.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and discard the marinade.
- Place chicken pieces, skin side up, on a plate and on all sides, season with the seasoning mixture.
- Cook the chicken, skin-side down, on the preheated grill for 3-4 minutes, or until grill marks appear.
- Turn the heat down to medium heat. Turn chicken over, close the lid of the grill, and cook, basting with barbecue sauce every 5 minutes, until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 35-40 minutes.
- Check for doneness after 30-35 minutes with an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat, near the bone should read 160º for breasts and 170º for thighs.
- Serve with extra sauce.
Notes
Gr8 Tip:
If finishing off the chicken in the oven, preheat the oven to 375º F. Follow steps 1-8. Transfer the grill marked chicken to a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake the chicken for 15 - 20 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally with the barbecue sauce and return to the oven for 20 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time. For extra crispy, charred chicken, place under the broiler for a few seconds. Watch it closely...because of the sugar content, it only takes seconds to go from brick-red to solid black. The chicken is done when the inside temperature reaches 160º for breasts, 170º for thighs.
I make the barbecue chicken in the oven a lot. I love to grill with the skin on for the flavor but am always concerned with flare-ups. Oven works great! Let us know how it turns out!
Never been good with chicken on the grill. This inspires me to try again. Thank you!