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bbq-chicken

BBQ Chicken

Course Chicken, Main Dish
Prep Time 12 hours
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 14 hours
Servings 2 -4 servings
Author Ryan Blankenship

Ingredients

For the Brine:

  • 3 cups apple juice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup sea or kosher salt
  • 10 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

For the Chicken:

  • 8 chicken legs
  • olive oil
  • L You favorite dry rub Some recommendations are Weber Beer Can Chicken Seasoning, Williams-Sonoma Smoke House Rub, Spade Ranch Chicken Seasoning or, my favorite, 3 Beer BBQ Rub out of Georgia.
  • 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce My favorite BBQ sauce is Sweet Baby Ray's
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

Brine the Chicken:

  1. Combine all of the brine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool then refrigerate overnight before using. (Yield: about 5 cups.)
  2. Once brine is cool, place brine along with chicken in an airtight container for 12 -24 hours.

Make the Chicken:

  1. After brining, remove chicken and place in a bowl. Pat dry and then lightly coat with olive oil. Generously coat chicken with your favorite dry rub.
  2. For the barbecuing portion of this recipe, you will want to cook the chicken using indirect heat at 225-250 F for about 2 hours. For charcoal grilling, place a small amount of charcoal on either side of your grill with enough room in the middle so the chicken is not directly over the coals. How many coals you put on each side will depend on your grill.
  3. Lightly coat your grilling surface with olive oil and place the chicken on the grill and cover.
  4. Cooking time varies but check the chicken about every 30 minutes with a meat thermometer until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165-170 F (about 2-3 hours).
  5. Once the chicken has reached the 165-170 F mark then it's time to coat with your BBQ sauce.
  6. Mix in the melted butter and honey to the sauce, coat your chicken, and close the grill for about 5-10 minutes to finish off the glaze.
  7. Enjoy with corn on the cob, watermelon lemonade and good company!

Recipe Notes

Change it Up:
For a propane grill, get the correct temperature by only firing up one side of your grill and placing the chicken on the opposite side.