Chef John's Barbecue Chicken
Description
Chef John's grilled barbecue chicken is perfect every time. Say goodbye to a burned BBQ coating and hello to a thick, sticky glaze that permeates the meat.
Ingredients
•
1 whole chicken, cut into halves
•
1/4 cup rice vinegar
•
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
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2 cloves garlic, crushed
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1 tablespoon salt
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1 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1 teaspoon paprika
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1 teaspoon onion powder
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1/2 cup barbecue sauce, or as needed
Directions
1
Cut 1/2-inch deep slashes in the skin-side of each chicken half: two cuts in each breast, two in each thigh, and one in each leg. Remove wing tips.
2
Whisk vinegar, 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, and garlic together in a large bowl. Place chicken in the bowl and turn to coat. Arrange chicken halves in the bottom of the bowl with the cut sides down; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
4
Remove chicken from the bowl and pat dry with paper towels; discard any remaining marinade. Place chicken halves, skin-side up, on a plate and season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
5
Cook chicken, skin-side down, on the preheated grill until grill marks appear, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn chicken over, close the grill lid, and cook, basting with remaining barbecue sauce every 6 minutes, until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).