BBQ chicken has got to be one of the most enjoyed meats in the history of food and BBQ in particular. Chicken is usually cheap, quite filling, a great source of protein and easy to cook whether on a BBQ grill, smoker or even a regular oven. While there are lots of BBQ chicken recipes for you to enjoy with your friends and family at your next BBQ, some definitely stand out as being universally liked and applauded.
Usually a good chicken recipe will include ingredients such as ketchup, mustard, garlic, cumin and many others. One popular recipe even calls for a can of beer. Several Asian variations make use of soy sauce, honey, Hoisin sauce and ginger. Many recipes call for sugar, cinnamon and Worcestershire sauce.
As you can see the flexibility and variation is quite broad and what it usually boils down to is personal preference. But, some recipes stand out. One such recipe is was featured on Paula Deen's show 'Paula's Home Cooking.' It's called 'The Deen's Brothers BBQ Chicken' which can be cooked in the oven or on the grill and includes the following ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Preparation is fairly simple. You need to first preheat the oven to 375F or prepare the grill by brushing it will olive oil. Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl (except for the chicken) and save 1/3 cup of the bbq sauce for later. Now add the chicken to the remaining sauce in the bowl and make sure it's nicely coated. Place the coated chicken on the grill (covered) or on a roasting panand cook for 40 to 45 minutes or until cooked through, using the reserved 1/3 cup sauce to baste the chicken after about 20 minutes.
What I like about this BBQ chicken recipe is that it is a complete no-brainer. The only tricky part for me was figuring out what 'liquid smoke' is. But a quick Wikipedia search explains what it is and how it's made. Basically, it gives the BBQ sauce its smoky flavor without having to smoke the chicken (which could be a long and complicated procedure). You can do choose not to use this if you don't like the smell or flavor.
One change that I personally make to this recipe is that I just use chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken. I think chicken thighs are especially juicy and cook faster than other parts of the chicken, so you can get to eating instead of waiting for the whole chicken to cook.
Try it out for yourselves and I'm sure this will become your quick and easy go-to BBQ chicken recipe.
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