Essential BBQ Chicken

This is a summer essential: sticky, crispy barbecued chicken that comes together in less than 20 minutes. An ideal lazy-man’s recipe, here’s a technique that puts to rest once and for all the ornery side of grilling cutup chicken: one piece is raw at the center while another piece is turning to cinders. Instead, oven-roast the chicken ahead, so when it hits the grill all it needs is warming and anointing with a good BBQ sauce. While any will do, we recommend you give our Sweet-Tart BBQ Sauce a try. It is well worth the additional effort. Serve this chicken with Tijuana Cole Slaw and a pile of napkins.

Cook to Cook: You can marinate and roast the chicken a day ahead and store it loosely covered in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before grilling.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 6 large garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 3-1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

• 2-1/2 cups Sweet-Tart BBQ Sauce 

Instructions

1. Combine the wine, vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a zip-top plastic bag large enough to hold all the chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade, turning the pieces to coat them. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drain the marinade into a small bowl. Pat the chicken dry and spread out the pieces in a shallow roasting pan. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the center of the breast reads 165°F on an instant-reading thermometer. As the chicken cooks, baste it during the first half of the cooking time with a cup of the marinade, then baste with pan juices. Remove the chicken from the oven and either set it aside while you ready the grill, or refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Have the chicken close to room temperature when you’re ready to grill. 

3. Prepare a charcoal grill for one-zone cooking, or preheat a gas grill to medium. Allow the charcoal fire to burn down to a white ash, moderate heat or lower, and oil the grate. 

4. Place the chicken pieces on the grill and baste liberally with the BBQ sauce. Cover and cook, turning and basting occasionally with the sauce. The chicken should be sticky and crisp, with an internal temperature of 170°F. Depending on how cold the chicken is when it hits the grill, this can take 15 to 20 minutes. When fully heated through, pile the chicken on a platter and serve. Pass the remaining BBQ sauce for extra gilding.