Make Oven BBQ Chicken

Knowing how to make BBQ chicken in the oven is a good skill to have, especially for those times when it's raining cats and dogs, you've run out of lighter fluid, or you just don't feel like the hassle of lighting up the barbecue. Here's an easy method for making BBQ chicken in the oven, accompanied by a delicious homemade barbecue sauce recipe.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Homemade BBQ Sauce

  • 1/2 cup of butter
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped or grated garlic
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 cup tomato paste

Ingredients for Chicken

  • 3 1/2 pounds of whole chicken
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Peanut oil
  • Water
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, to serve

Steps

Prepare the Homemade BBQ Sauce

  1. Combine the ingredients. Melt the butter in a large, nonreactive saucepan over a low heat. Once it's melted, toss in the chopped onion and garlic and gently cook until tender. Sprinkle in the paprika, the crushed red pepper, the chili powder and the pepper. Cook for a minute to let the flavors develop.
    • Add in the remaining ingredients - water, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
    • You may need to whisk the sauce a little to achieve a smooth consistency.
  2. Leave to simmer. Once all of the ingredients have been combined, allow the sauce to simmer, uncovered, for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once the sauce has thickened slightly, do a taste test and add more seasoning, if necessary.
  3. Set some sauce aside. Take out 1 1/2 cups of the sauce to use for preparing the chicken. Leave the rest to cool, then store it in the refrigerator until the chicken is ready to serve.

Prepare the BBQ Chicken

  1. Cut up the whole chicken. Leave the drumsticks and thighs attached. Season the chicken with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    • Make sure to wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water before using.
    • Use a very sharp knife to make cutting the chicken easier.
  2. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}.
  3. Sear the chicken. In a 12-inch skillet, heat {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of peanut oil over a medium heat. Cook the chicken in batches, so each piece has plenty of room in the skillet. Place each piece into the skillet skin side down, then turn it halfway through cooking. It should only take about five minutes for the skin to become golden brown.
    • Searing the chicken before baking renders off some fat, which gives the chicken more flavor. It also helps the skin to crisp up in the oven.
    • There may be a little smoke when searing your chicken, but don't worry, this is normal.
  4. Transfer chicken to baking dish. Separate the breast pieces from the leg pieces and place each in a separate baking dish, preferably glass. Make sure the skin side is facing upwards. Pour two tablespoons of water over each baking dish.
  5. Add sauce. Split one cup of the reserved BBQ sauce between the two baking dishes, ensuring each piece of chicken is covered in a layer of sauce. Place a sheet of parchment paper over each dish, as this will help the chicken to stay nice and moist. Then wrap each dish in aluminum foil.
    • You can use a basting brush to work the sauce into the skin of the chicken before baking, if you like.
  6. Bake. Place the baking dishes in a preheated oven. The leg pieces will take about an hour and ten minutes to cook, whereas the chicken breasts will only need 30 to 40 minutes.
  7. Increase oven temperature and uncover chicken. Take the chicken out of the oven and raise the temperature to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Remove both the aluminum and the parchment paper and spoon the remaining 1/2 cup of reserved BBQ sauce over the chicken. Return the chicken to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.
  8. Serve. When the chicken is ready, it should be nicely glazed in the BBQ sauce and extremely tender. Reheat the BBQ sauce that you set aside in the refrigerator earlier and pour into a bowl or sauce boat. Transfer the baked BBQ chicken onto a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Tips

  • BBQ chicken works great with sides like baked beans, backed potato and roasted corn.
  • Rather than using a whole chicken, you can make baked BBQ chicken using just chicken breast, leg quarters or wings. It's up to you!
  • If you're feeling lazy, or you need BBQ chicken in a hurry, you can substitute the homemade BBQ sauce for your favorite store bought version. Use the same method as above.

Warnings

  • Handling chicken requires care to avoid spreading salmonella. Always wash your hands, utensils, counter tops, and cutting boards with hot, soapy water.

Things You'll Need

  • Two chopping boards (one for chicken, one for veg)
  • Sharp knife
  • 12-inch skillet
  • Wooden spoon
  • Two 2-3 quart baking dishes
  • Large saucepan
  • Basting brush
  • Parchment paper
  • Aluminum foil

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Sources and Citations

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