Grilled Barbecue Chicken Recipe

Grilled Barbecue Chicken Recipe

This grilled barbecue chicken is juicy, tender, and packed with flavor! With a perfect balance of seasoning, indirect grilling, and a flavorful sauce, this is the ideal recipe for a BBQ night. Here’s how to make it on a gas grill.

Ingredients:

• For the Chicken:
• 6 pieces of chicken leg quarters (preferably skinless, washed, and cleaned)
• 1,500 ml water (for brining)
• Ground sea salt (for brining and seasoning)
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Onion powder (optional)
• For the Barbecue Sauce:
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 ¼ cups Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce (or your choice of store-bought barbecue sauce)
• ½ tsp Sriracha hot chili sauce (optional, for a little heat)
• ¼ tsp yellow mustard sauce

Instructions:

1. Brine the Chicken:

• In a large bowl, combine 1,500 ml of water with a generous amount of salt. Stir until dissolved.
• Gently place the chicken leg quarters in the brine solution, ensuring they are fully submerged.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. For best results, brine overnight.

1. Season the Chicken:

• About 30 minutes before grilling, remove the chicken from the brine and drain the water.
• Pat the chicken dry using paper towels and place the pieces on a baking sheet.
• Season both sides of the chicken generously with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and optional onion powder.

1. Preheat the Grill:

• Spray the grill grates with olive oil cooking spray to prevent sticking.
• Preheat the gas grill to high heat (around 500°F), which should take about 10-15 minutes.

1. Grill the Chicken:

• Place the chicken on the grill over direct heat (right-hand side burners on).
• Cover and sear the chicken for 4 minutes on one side.
• Uncover, flip the chicken, and sear the other side for another 4 minutes.
• After 4 minutes, uncover and turn the chicken again, moving it to the indirect heat zone by turning off the middle and right-hand side burners.
• Cook the chicken over indirect heat (around 350°F) for 15 minutes with the lid closed.

1. Prepare the Barbecue Sauce:

• In a small pot, melt 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat.
• Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and stir to prevent burning.
• Add 1 ¼ cups of Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce (or your favorite sauce), ½ tsp of Sriracha hot chili sauce, and ¼ tsp of yellow mustard.
• Stir the sauce together and let it simmer on low heat for a few minutes until warm. Remove from heat.

1. Baste and Finish Cooking:

• After the first 15 minutes of indirect cooking, uncover and flip the chicken pieces. You can rotate them if necessary to ensure even cooking.
• Cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
• After the second 15 minutes, baste the chicken with the prepared barbecue sauce, cover, and cook for another 12 minutes.
• After 12 minutes, uncover the chicken and turn on the burners for direct heat. Cook the chicken for 2 more minutes on direct heat to get a nice char and caramelize the sauce.

1. Serve:

• Once cooked, the chicken should be perfectly grilled, juicy, and tender with a delicious smoky barbecue flavor. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Tips:

• Ensure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 165°F to guarantee it is fully cooked.
• You can adjust the level of heat in the sauce by adding more or less Sriracha, depending on your taste preferences.
• Serve with sides like grilled vegetables, coleslaw, or potato salad for a complete meal!

Enjoy your perfectly grilled barbecue chicken with a delicious homemade sauce! Don’t forget to share your results and let me know how it turns out.