It is officially grilling season, and one of the
first things I tried upon uncovering the grill was barbecued
chicken. The last time I made barbecued chicken, I had just graduated from high
school and was spending a weekend with my girlfriend, Chris. Back then, we only
knew how to make three things: barbecued chicken (that we did very badly),
green bean casserole, and lemon squares. So any time we were able to get
together, this is what we made.
Because the chicken was always overcooked, dry, and the barbecue sauce burned,
when I reached adulthood, I never barbecued chicken again. Then I found
Virginia Willis’s recipe, and now I’m going to be making it all of the time.
Virginia’s recipe results in chicken that is moist and flavorful, with a wonderful
taste that you only get from grilling. I have a feeling that this summer, I am
going to be grilling up a lot of chicken.
Here is her recipe. If you’re not familiar with Virginia, she is an award-winning southern cook with a number of books full of recipes for delicious food. You need to check her out, while you’re nibbling on your delicious and perfectly grilled barbecued chicken.
Here is her recipe. If you’re not familiar with Virginia, she is an award-winning southern cook with a number of books full of recipes for delicious food. You need to check her out, while you’re nibbling on your delicious and perfectly grilled barbecued chicken.
Virginia Willis’s
Barbecued Chicken
1 gallon cold water
3/4 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup light brown
sugar, firmly packed
1 whole chicken, cut into
6-8 pieces
Freshly ground black
pepper
Vegetable oil, for the
grill
Your Favorite Barbecue
Sauce, warmed
Combine the water, salt, and brown sugar in a large plastic container and stir to dissolve. Add the chicken; cover
and refrigerate to marinate for 4 to 6 hours.
Prepare a charcoal fire using about 6 pounds of charcoal and
burn until the coals are completely covered with a thin coating of light gray
ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread the coals evenly over the grill bottom, position
the grill rack above the coals, and heat until medium-hot (when you can hold
your hand 5 inches above the grill surface for no longer than 3 or 4 seconds).
Or, for a gas grill, turn on all burners to High, close the lid, and heat until
very hot, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the marinade and rinse under
cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels, season with pepper, and set
aside.
Season the chicken with pepper. Apply some oil to the grill grate.
Place the chicken on the grill, leaving plenty of space between each piece.
Grill until seared, about 1 to 2 minutes per side for legs and thighs, and 3 or
so minutes for breasts. Move the chicken to medium-low heat or reduce the heat
to medium; continue to grill, turning occasionally, until the juices run clear
when pierced, 12 to 18 minutes.
During the last 5 to 7 minutes of cooking, brush the chicken
with BBQ Sauce.
Remove the pieces from the grill as they cook and transfer to a
warm platter. Give them a final brush of sauce for flavor and serve immediately
with additional sauce on the side.
If you don’t have a favorite barbecue sauce, you might try mine, Sugarfire Smoke House Coffee Barbecue Sauce. Delish!
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You shock me sometimes! You cook so many different things so beautifully. I would just assume something as basic as grilled chicken would be a grand fete!!! But I do understand...I ruined PLENTY of stuff in my younger days in the kitchen that I never tried to cook again until I was older and more confident. I still can’t do yeast breads to save my soul, though. Just scared to try again after the flat, tasteless debacles of years past.😱 I’m glad you conquered your fears so that you can enjoy this recipe whenever you please!
ReplyDeleteI guess that does seem a bit strange. I will tackle the most difficult dishes, but when it comes to anything done on the grill, I am clueless. Grilling has never been my thing. I have a nice grill now, so it will be, so stay tuned for more.
ReplyDeleteYour chicken looks fantastic! Awesome post Pattie - very nice tips on grilling. Looks like you've learned a lot since post-high school. :D
ReplyDeleteWe do BBQ chicken all the time but I've never heard of marinating it in a brown sugar bath, this is a must try, thanks Pattie!!
ReplyDeleteJenna
Oh my goodness, that chicken looks amazing! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and have a great week!
ReplyDeleteMiz Helen
that looks so sticky and sweet and delicious! Thanks for sharing at the what's for Dinner party - Have a great week!
ReplyDelete