In this article, I ‘ll show you how to make Classic Grilled Chicken with Barbecue Sauce.
Perfect “barbecued chicken boasts juicy meat coated with a zesty, tomato-based sauce. This recipe, which employs a variation of indirect grilling, calls for heaping the coals in the center of the fire bed, rather than spreading them out. This will keep flare-ups to a minimum, allowing the chicken to attain a deep golden brown skin.
Ingredients
Makes 8 Servings
- 2 chickens, 3 ½ -41b (1.75-2 kg) each, each cut into 8 serving pieces
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Canola oil for coating the grill grate
- ½ cups (12 fl oz/370 ml) Classic Barbecue Sauce or Mustard & Rosemary Barbecue Sauce.
How to make Grilled Chicken with Barbecue Sauce
Prepare the chicken
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a platter, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature while you prepare the grill.
Prepare the grill and cook the chicken
- About 20 minutes before you start cooking, prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect grilling over high heat. IF YOU ARE USING A CHARCOAL GRILL, pour the ignited coals from the chimney starter into a mound in the center of the grill; do not spread them out. (You will not need a water-filled drip pan for this recipe, as the chicken does not cook for long enough to require the moisture provided by the steam.) FOR EITHER TYPE OF GRILL, rub the grill grate with paper towels coated with canola oil. Arrange the chicken over the unheated area of the grill and cover. The chicken fat will drip around, not onto the fire, keeping flare-ups to a minimum. Grill for 20 minutes. Use long tongs to turn over the chicken pieces, then grill until the juices run almost clear with a slight trace of pink when pierced with a knife tip, 20-25 minutes.
Brush the chicken with the sauce
- Set aside ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) of sauce for basting. Rub the hot area of the grill grate with paper towels coated with canola oil. Brush the chicken pieces with ¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) of the sauce. Move the chicken directly over the hot area of the grill, cover, and cook until the sauce is glazed, about 3 minutes. Turn over the chicken pieces and brush the other sides of the chicken pieces with ¼ cup of the sauce, cover, and grill until the undersides are glazed, about 3 minutes more.
Serve the chicken
- The Grilled Chicken with Barbecue Sauce has cooked and is ready to be served. Transfer the chicken to a clean, warmed platter and serve right away, passing the remaining 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) of the sauce. (Remember to clean the grill while it is still hot.)
CHEF’S TIP: When you put chicken pieces on a hot grill, do not move them right away or the skin will tear. Wait to be sure the skin has crisped a bit and is not sticking to the grate before you turn the pieces for the first time.
