A tangy, tomatoey sauce is the star of BBQ chicken
A tangy, tomatoey, molasses-laced sauce is the indisputable star of traditional American barbecued chicken.
The brick-hued sauce should be mopped on as the chicken cooks, resulting in a beautifully browned (not charred) exterior surrounding moist, evenly cooked meat. Our Classic Barbecue Sauce gave simple chicken parts all the intense, multidimensional flavour we craved, but the real secret to this recipe was the method: A two-level grill fire allowed us to cook the chicken most of the way through on the cooler side of the grill, rendering the fat without causing flare-ups, and then we moved the chicken to the hotter side to get a lacquered layer of sauce.
Applying the sauce in coats and turning the chicken as it cooked encouraged the sauce to thicken and caramelize, perfectly glazing the chicken. Don’t try to grill more than 10 pieces of chicken at a time; you won’t be able to line them up. You can use a mix of chicken breasts, thighs, and drumsticks, making sure they add up to about 10 pieces. heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature around 350 F.)
Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken, skin side down, on cooler side of grill. Cover and cook until chicken begins to brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
Slide chicken into single line between hotter and cooler sides of grill. Cook uncovered, flipping chicken and brushing every 5 minutes with some of sauce, until sticky, about 20 minutes.
Slide chicken to hotter side of grill and cook, uncovered, flipping and brushing with remaining sauce, until well glazed, breasts register 160 degrees, and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, about 5 minutes. (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces. Remove pieces from grill as they reach correct temperature.) Transfer chicken to serving dish, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve. ___ Nutrition information per serving: 349 calories; 74 calories from fat; 8 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 133 mg cholesterol; 1020 mg sodium; 27 g carbohydrate; 0 g fibre; 23 g sugar; 41 g protein. ___ For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Classic Barbecued Chicken in “Just Add Sauce.”