The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken

Name: The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken
Prep time: 3 h 20 min
Cook time: 3 h 20 min
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 slice bacon; 6 servings Freshly ground black pepper; 59 milliliters brown sugar; 6 chicken legs and thighs, still connected, bone in, skin on, about 10 ounces each; 1 Tbsp dry mustard; 1 bunch fresh thyme; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a large knife; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 473 milliliters ketchup; 2 Tbsps kosher salt; 59 milliliters molasses; 6 servings Extra-virgin olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika if available; 2 Tbsps red or white wine vinegar; 2 liters water

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken a try. One portion of this dish contains about 23g of protein, 36g of fat, and a total of 626 calories. This recipe covers 17% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. This recipe serves 6. Head to the store and pick up bacon, kosher salt, garlic cloves, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the brown sugar you could follow this main course with the Brown-sugar Pound Cupcakes With Brown-butter Glaze as a dessert. It is a good option if you're following a gluten free and dairy free diet.

Instructions

Watch how to make this recipe.

For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

Brine

Sugar

Thyme

Water

Salt

Equipment you will use

Mixing Bowl

Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag.

Ingredients you will need

Brine

Equipment you will use

Ziploc Bags

Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you've only got 15 minutes, that's fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.

Ingredients you will need

Seasoning

Whole Chicken

Salt

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle.

Ingredients you will need

Bacon

Sauce

Thyme

Wrap

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Twine

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Ingredients you will need

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste.

Ingredients you will need

Bacon Drippings

Sauce

Thyme

Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

Onion

Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving along side the chicken at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basing the legs.

Ingredients you will need

Barbecue Sauce

Whole Chicken

Sauce

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Chicken Pieces

Whole Chicken

Brine

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Paper Towels

Grill Pan

Grill

Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce and then return to the oven for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time.

Ingredients you will need

Barbecue Sauce

Whole Chicken