Cooking BBQ Chicken The Right Way

When the word barbecue is uttered, chances are the first image that pops into your head is barbecue chicken since it is a staple in virtually every barbecue you’ve gone to or are going to go to in the future. BBQ chicken is grilled chicken smothered in barbecue sauce. In the U.S. it is normally seasoned with dry rub, grilled, and then smothered in spicy barbecue sauce that is tomato based until it is perfectly cooked.

In Asia, their take on barbecue chicken is a bit different. Some cut chicken into cubes and skewer them, while some like their chicken parts whole. The barbecue sauce is soy sauce-based and is often spicy. In most parts of Europe, barbecue chicken sauce is much like vinaigrette. Once the chicken is cooked, it is served alongside a cream sauce.

True blue Southern barbecue purists describe barbecuing as slow-cooking various meats with the use of wood smoke and indirect heat. Cooking BBQ chicken is not rocket science, but you must follow some strict guidelines for optimum results. First, use an excellent dry rub, keep one side of your grill cooler and the other half hotter, and only apply barbecue sauce after the chicken has been cooked.

While the chicken is barbecuing on your grill’s cooler section covered only with the dry rub, it will eventually turn crispy and release its own juices to baste itself. The BBQ chicken will be ready in about 25 to 30 minutes tops. Remember to move your chicken pieces around halfway through grilling so that each piece will be cooked evenly.

When the skin has turned a nice golden brown, place the chicken on the hotter side of the grill and begin brushing it with the barbecue sauce, turning every so often to make sure that the whole piece is smothered with sauce. Note that you should only brush the chicken with barbecue sauce once it is cooked so as not to burn the sauce, and of course, the BBQ chicken. Since the entire process is somewhat time-consuming, it is better that you stay near the grilling area to avoid any issues.

In addition, try to grill the chicken with its skin side down if you can. When the chicken looks crisp and cooked all through and the internal temp reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit or even hotter, you can then transfer the BBQ chicken to a serving dish, let sit for five minutes minimum, and eat your freshly grilled barbecue chicken to your stomach’s content.