Summer is here and when the weather cooperates, we try to use our grill as often as possible. It’s a win-win situation. We don’t have to turn the oven on and heat up our house and generally there are less dishes to wash when dinner is over!
I was browsing the archives over at The Kitchen Sink Recipes not too long ago and came across this recipe for barbecued chicken. Kristin raved about the recipe, though I can’t say I was surprised. The recipe comes from Ina Garten and I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed by one of her recipes. I knew I’d be whipping this sauce up and sticking some chicken on the grill the next night.
We have an abundance of chicken drumsticks in our freezer, so I used those instead of whole chickens. I made only 1/4 of the barbecue sauce and it was more than enough to marinate about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of chicken, brush the chicken as it grilled and still have some leftover to serve on the side. Ina cooks the chicken entirely on the grill, but on Kristin’s recommendation, I cooked the chicken in the oven at 350 F for about 20 minutes and then finished it on the grill for another 15-20 minutes and it turned out perfectly! The sauce is fantastic and was a hit with us for sure. The only thing I’d change next time is to cut back on the mustard as I found it a bit too prominent in the sauce. I think I’ll also halve the recipe and stick the extra sauce in the freezer for another day!
By Tracey
Barbecued Chicken
from Ina Garten via FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients:
- 2 chickens (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each), quartered, with backs removed
- 1 recipe Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows
Directions:
Marinate the chickens in 2/3 of the barbecue sauce for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Heat the coals in a charcoal grill. Spread the bottom of the grill with a single layer of hot coals and then add a few more coals 5 minutes before cooking, which will keep the fire going longer. Place the chicken quarters on the grill, skin side down, and cook for about 45 minutes, turning once or twice to cook evenly on both sides. Brush with the marinade as needed. The chicken quarters are done when you insert a knife between a leg and thigh and the juices run clear. Discard any unused marinade.
Serve with extra barbecue sauce on the side.
Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1 cup honey
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
In a large saucepan on low heat, saute the onions and garlic with the vegetable oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.
