Chicken World’s Best BBQ Chicken

photo by Tim_John


- Ready In:
- 2hrs 50mins
- Ingredients:
- 20
- Serves:
-
4-5
ingredients
-
Brine
- 6 chicken legs with thigh (still connected, bone in, skin on, about 10 ounces each)
- 2 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a large knife
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
-
BBQ Sauce
- 1 slice bacon
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1⁄2 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 cup pineapple-apricot preserves
- 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
- 1⁄4 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- fresh ground black pepper
directions
- In a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, brown sugar, garlic, and thyme.
- Pour the brine into a 2-gallon sized ziploc plastic bag.
- Add chicken; close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours.
- Wrap the slice of bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with cooking twine together.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat heat about 2 tablespoons of oil.
- Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without changing colors.
- Add ketchup, preserves, brown sugar, molasses, wine vinegar, dry mustard, cumin, paprika and fresh ground black pepper.
- Give the sauce a stir and turn the heat down to low.
- Cook slowly for 20 minutes to saturate the flavors together.
-
Directions for Grilling:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Preheat oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat.
- Dip a few paper towels in oil and rub the grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface for grilling chicken.
- Take the chicken out of the brine bag, pat it down on some paper towels.
- Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes.
- Transfer the grilled chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven.
- Cook the chicken for 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the oven and brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce.
- Return chicken to the oven for 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time.
- Serve with extra reserved sauce.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Tim_John
Fort Myers, Ohio