BBQ chicken is delicious when prepared correctly
Look at any number of cook books, cooking websites and magazine articles and you will discover there are many delicious and exciting ways to barbecue chicken.
The endless recipes, ideas, tips, and tricks can leave your head spinning. Understand that there is no one right way to cook chicken on the barbecue. In fact, each recipe is distinct and special in its own way.
In the absence of a set method for preparing such a delicious, meaty dish, there is plenty of room for the individual cook to experiment and develop his or her unique recipe for BBQ chicken.
Various methods, different results
First and foremost, barbecued chicken can be prepared on the grill, in a crockpot, in the oven, on a griddle or in a skillet – each will produce a different result.
Grilled barbecued chicken finishes with that crispy, summery, charcoal-like flavour – very smoky and hearty.
A crockpot barbecue will make chicken that is incredibly tender and tasty.
Oven-baked chicken, if done well, can yield a flavoursome meat.
The griddle and the skillet offer something similar to a grill but typically don’t provide that same smoky flavour.
Don’t forget the sauce!
Regardless of the cooking method chosen, all barbecued chicken must have one essential ingredient: barbecue sauce – it’s not complete without it!
Again, with so many different barbecue sauces and flavours, there is plenty of room for experimentation. So not only can you try different cooking methods, but you can also try many different types of sauces.
The longer you marinate your chicken, the richer the flavour will be. If possible, thaw the meat the day before. Several hours before you plan to cook the chicken, cover it completely in barbecue sauce, cover the dish or bowl and allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator. If your chicken is particularly thick, you might also consider pounding it out for a more tender meat.
Using a crockpot
If you’re going to cook your meat in the crockpot, you probably won’t need to marinate. You can throw the chicken into the pot five or six hours before meal time with a load of barbecue sauce and onions and allow the meat to cook slowly. Your chicken will be falling off the bone and dripping with a rich barbecue flavour.
Baking chicken
When baking chicken, it usually takes about one hour for it to cook thoroughly. The stove should be on about 180 degrees. You should, of course, douse the meat in your chosen barbecue sauce. You can also add onions, peppers, potatoes, green beans or carrots to simmer in the sauce while the chicken bakes.
Most recipes tell you to cover the baking pan with tin foil but some experimentation could be necessary – you might need to remove the tin foil at some point during the baking process.
Timing
BBQ grilling takes about 30 to 40 minutes for slow-cooked, delicious chicken. The crockpot simmers the chicken for five to six hours for best results. The oven requires about one hour of baking time. The griddle and skillet take around 20 to 30 minutes.
The rest is up to you, the cook! Choose barbecue sauce that is spicy or mild, sweet or tangy, normal or exotic. Combine meat with butter, seasonings, spices, vegetables or fruits. You might try coating the chicken in breadcrumbs before cooking. You can then cover it in a simmered barbecue sauce.
You could add tomato sauce, pineapple, sugar, oranges or rice for unusual and varying results.
You can barbecue chicken breast, thigh or legs – the various parts of the chicken all yield different tastes and textures, so again, experimentation is a must.
Practice makes perfect
As you can see, barbecuing chicken is quite the adventure. You will probably never have the same taste or result more than once, but you can certainly perfect the art with some practice.
You must be willing to try new things with different types of chicken, barbecue flavours, food combinations and cooking methods.
The end result will be a meat you will revisit time and again for picnics, dinner parties and delicious family meals.
