The beautiful weather this weekend had me craving barbeque chicken. Rather than expound upon the craving or the weather for several hundred words before wrapping up with a recipe, I am going to put the directions front and center this week. Stick this article on your fridge and refer to it throughout the summer for some handy chicken recipes to cook outdoors.
First things first: If you have the time, always brine.
Basic Poultry Brine
INGREDIENTS
- 1-gallon water
- 1 c kosher salt
- ½-⅔ c sugar (granulated, brown, honey, agave, etc)
- Add-ins (the sky is the limit, but here are some ideas: whole black peppercorns, citrus halves, garlic, bay leaves, dried herbs, juniper berries, pickling spice mix, etc.)
Directions
- Mix together the water, salt, and sugar and stir until all of the solids are dissolved.
- Add in your “add-ins”
- Submerge your poultry in the brine and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
- Place chicken on a large cutting board breast-side down and pat it dry with paper towels. Use kitchen shears to cut closely along both sides of the backbone.
- Remove the backbone and discard it or save to make stock
- Flip the chicken over so that it’s breast-side up. Firmly press down on the center of the breast until you hear a small crack.
The Best Barbecue Chicken Recipe - from Serious Eats
INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole large chicken, about 6-8 pounds, spatchcocked
- 1 T kosher salt
- 1 T brown sugar
- 1 t black pepper
- 1 t chile powder
- 1 t ground coriander seeds
- 2 ea garlic cloves, minced
- 2 c Kansas City-style barbecue sauce
- 2 chunks hardwood, soaked in water for 30 minutes (or cook on a pellet smoker)
DIRECTIONS
- Combine salt, brown sugar, black pepper, chile powder, ground coriander seeds, and garlic in a small bowl with your fingertips until evenly mixed, spread over all surfaces of the chicken.
- Prepare your barbeque. For charcoal grill, light one chimney full of charcoal. When all coals are covered with gray ash, spread the coals evenly over half of the coal grate, top with soaked hardwood, then set the cooking grate in place, cover, preheat for 5 minutes. For a gas grill, turn on half of the burners to create a hot side and a cool side, place soaked hardwood over the lit burners. For a pellet smoker, set the cook temperature to 325°.
- Place chicken skin side up over the cooler side of the grill with the legs pointed toward the hotter side. Close grill and cook until the center of the thickest part of the chicken registers at 120° (35+ minutes). Brush chicken with barbecue sauce, cover, continue cooking for five minutes. Continue to brush chicken with barbecue sauce and cover every five minutes until the thickest part of the breast registers 135°. Using tongs and a flexible meat spatula, carefully flip the bird and place it skin-side down over the hottest part of the grill. Brush the back of the chicken with more sauce and continue to cook, covered, until brown, crisp, and charred in spots. Remove from grill when the thickest part of the breast registers 155°. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes to carry over and cook to 165. Carve and serve.
Smoke-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Paprika - by Sam Sifton
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 T sweet paprika
- 2 T hot paprika
- 1 T lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 T softened butter
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges & mint leaves for garnish
DIRECTIONS
- Prepare your grill/smoker. For a charcoal or gas grill, you will want a cool side and a hot side. For a pellet smoker, aim for 325°.
- Combine together the paprikas, honey, lemon juice, garlic, and butter and stir to make a paste. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then coat thoroughly by hand with the spice paste.
- Place chicken on the cooler side of the grill and cover. Roast chicken for 15 minutes, turn, cook for another 15 minutes or until cooked through.
- Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with lemon wedges sprinkled with mint.
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