Classic Barbecued Chicken

Classic Barbecued Chicken
from Cook's Country

Serves 4 to 6

You can use a mix of chicken breasts, thighs, and drumsticks, making sure they add up to about 10 pieces. Any more than that and you won't be able to line them up on the grill. Although our jazzed-up barbecue sauce is best, this recipe also works with plain store-bought sauce; our favorite brand is Bull's-Eye.

Quick BBQ Sauce
3	cups barbecue sauce (bottled)
1/2	cup molasses
1/2	cup ketchup
1/4	cup cider vinegar
3	tablespoons brown mustard
2	teaspoons onion powder
1	teaspoon garlic powder
Chicken
1	teaspoon salt
1	teaspoon pepper
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
3	pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (breasts, whole legs, thighs, and/or drumsticks), trimmed and breasts halved

1. For the sauce: Whisk all ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is thick and reduced to 3 cups, about 20 minutes. (Sauce can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 1 week.)

2. For the chicken: Mix salt, pepper, and cayenne in small bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and rub spice mixture all over chicken pieces.

3. Open bottom vent on grill. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 100 coals) and burn until charcoal is covered with fine gray ash. Place 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan on one side of grill and pour coals in even layer over other side of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, open lid vents completely, and let grill heat for 5 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean.

4. Oil grate and place chicken skin side down on cooler side of grill. Cover, with half-opened lid vents over chicken, and cook until chicken begins to brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Move chicken into single line close to coals. Begin flipping chicken and brushing with 2 cups sauce every 5 minutes until sticky, about 20 minutes. Slide chicken pieces over coals and continue to brush chicken until sauce on chicken becomes crusted and internal temperature of breast meat registers 165 degrees and legs, thighs, and drumsticks register 175 degrees, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Remove foil and serve, passing remaining sauce at table.

*I used a gas grill. I turned the back burner on high and the middle and front burners on low and placed the chicken toward the front of the grill for the first 30-35 minutes. Then I turned the burners up to medium while turning and basting the chicken. Finally, I moved the chicken to the back to finish cooking.

I made Jill's Grill Bread also (before the chicken 'cause that sauce is thick 'n sticky!!). YUM!