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Ultimate BBQ Chicken

5.0(35)

From Fine Cooking Issue #39, recipe and method by Paul Kirk, a BBQ genius! I had never ever had any luck making BBQ chicken until I read this article and followed it to the letter. Now, I am famous for my BBQ chicken. This recipe is ridiculously easy, and requires very little effort on your part, mostly just monitoring the grill. The sauce and rub are just mixing everything together. I guarantee you will love this chicken.

by P48422·published 2002-12-18

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Chicken

Servings

(8–10)

Total time

3h 10m

prep 10 min

Calories / serving

1005 kcal

Ingredients (26)

serves

1/4 cup sugarsugar
2 tablespoons onion saltsalt
1 tablespoon seasoning saltsalt
1 tablespoon garlic saltsalt
2 tablespoons paprikapaprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powderchili-powder
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepperpepper
1 tablespoon dried sagesage
1/2 teaspoon dried basilbasil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbledrosemary
1/4 teaspoon cayennecayenne
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugarsugar
1 tablespoon onion saltsalt
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seedscelery-seed
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powdergarlic-powder
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powderchili-powder
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepperpepper
1 teaspoon ground cumincumin
1/2 teaspoon cayennecayenne
2 cups tomato ketchupketchup
1/4 cup white vinegar, more to tastevinegar
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustardmustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juicelemon-juice
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
7 -8 lbs bone in chicken parts
1 cup apple juice, for bastingapple-juice

01For the spice rub- mix all ingredients in a bowl.
02Store in an airtight container.
03For the sauce- put all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar (keep a screen handy- it spits).
04Reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05Let cool, store in the refrigerator in a tight-lidded jar for months.
06BBQ Chicken- Rinse the chicken and pat it dry.
07Sprinkle on the rub generously.
08Get your BBQ (gas or charcoal) very hot.
09If you have some hickory chips or apple chips, feel free to add them.
10When the grill is ready, put the chicken, skin side up, on the grill: if you have a charcoal grill push all your coals to one side and put the chicken on the other side.
11If you have a gas grill turn off one side and put the chicken on that side.
12You don't want the chicken over direct heat.
13Put the lid on the grill and cook the chicken for about 30 minutes, maintaining an internal temperature of 230- 250 degrees by adjusting the vents (opening the vents lets in oxygen and raises the temperature).
14If your grill doesn't have a thermometer, use an oven thermometer to monitor the heat.
15After 30 minutes, baste the chicken with apple juice.
16Continue to cook and baste until the chicken is done, about 3 hours.
17At first, the chicken will appear that it isn't cooking at all, and you will be tempted to crank up the heat.
18DON'T!
19Trust me- just keep going.
20You will think nothing is happening and wonder if this recipe is wrong, wrong, wrong.
21Just let it go- it will cook.
22Baste every half hour or so with more apple juice.
23Check for doneness at 2 1/2 hours.
24When it is done, baste each piece with the sauce and let it cook a few more minutes to let the sauce adhere to the chicken.
25Serve with more of the sauce, lots of napkins, some beer, and prepare for applause.
26Note: I was once hungry for this chicken in January (brrrr!) and with 2 feet of snow, didn't feel like trudging out to the grill.
27I made it in the oven and it turned out great.
28Just keep the oven temperature on 250 degrees, put the chicken on a cookie rack set over top of a sheet pan covered in aluminum foil.