Orange Barbecue Grilled Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you put BBQ sauce on chicken before or after grilling? ›

Barbecue sauce typically contains sugar that will brown faster than the meat. This can make it difficult to tell when the chicken is done. To ensure you don't pull the chicken off too soon, add the BBQ sauce when you're nearly done cooking the meat.

Grill over indirect or direct heat but keep the lid closed

If you're cooking a larger or thicker piece of chicken breast, grill over indirect heat before or after charring, especially if you want to be sure that it's cooked all the way through.

Butter and other saturated fats (i.e. bacon fat or even chicken fat) will do wonders to "bind" sauces to chicken. Among other reasons, it's partly because saturated fat is solid at room temperature and still fairly viscous at moderately higher temperatures.

Step 1In a large bowl, whisk BBQ sauce, oil, garlic, soy sauce, smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Reserve ¼ cup of the sauce in a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to grill. Add chicken to the large bowl and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Sauces are best applied near the end of cooking to prevent burning. Only baste it with sauce during the final five minutes of cooking. The taste will blow you away without any burned mess on your grill.

Uncovered Grilling

Even removing the lid too often from the grill results in heat escaping and the temperature dropping. This may lead to uneven cooking of the chicken. Keeping the lid closed on the grill to cook the chicken more evenly.

Cover the grill and cook undisturbed for 20 to 30 minutes. Turn over, baste, and cook until done: Turn the chicken pieces over and baste them with your favorite barbecue sauce. Cover the grill again and allow to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.

Olive oil helps to brown the outside of the chicken, bringing it to a beautiful golden color, while still maintaining the meat's internal moistness. This is especially important when grilling, as chicken can quickly become dried out when cooked directly over the grill's heat.

Adding garlic or onion powder are standard flavors for barbecue, but get a little creative and try out different chile powders, peppers, cumin, or dried herbs to add body to the sauce.

How do you make BBQ sauce more flavorful? ›

Add smoky, spicy, or tangy flavors for a semi-homemade bbq sauce that tastes just like it's from scratch. You can spice up bbq sauce and add some texture and flavor to store-bought bbq sauce with chopped kimchi, bacon bits, sautéed onions, or jalapeños, fresh herbs, or fruit like pineapple and peaches.

Jake's Famous Foods explains that sugar burns at between 265 and 275 degrees Fahrenheit. So if you're barbecuing at a temperature higher than this, you should avoid adding the barbecue sauce early on. If you do, even barbecue sauce that isn't high in sugar will eventually burn.

Quick and easy side dishes for BBQ chicken

Baked beans are a classic BBQ side dish that's easy to make and always a hit. You can also make a simple potato salad by mixing boiled potatoes with mayonnaise, mustard, and some chopped herbs. Another quick and easy option is watermelon salad.

Only brush thicker barbecue sauces onto your food in the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking and never serve guests sauce that was used to baste or glaze. The last application of sauce should be at least 5 minutes before you remove food from the grill.

It is recommended to brown the chicken first before adding it to the sauce. Browning the chicken adds flavor and helps it retain moisture during the cooking process. You can pan-sear the chicken in a little oil until it develops a golden brown crust before transferring it to the sauce.

BBQ sauce can be used as a cooking ingredient, especially in slow-cooked dishes like stews, soups, and chili. It adds flavor and depth to the dish while helping to tenderize the meats.