BBQ Chicken

 This is a great recipe from one of the best cooking magazines of 2013. The Better Homes and Gardens Cooking Secrets has great recipes and all the tips that good cooks use. We are not fond of BBQ at our house, but the three of us ate every last bite of this chicken. 

 There is an ample amount of sauce, which they suggest serving with the chicken, but really there is enough sauce on the chicken without it. I used the remainder with some leftover pork roast and we ate all of that also. Two meals from one. 

 Do remove the skin from your chicken (paper towels work well for this). Also cook the sauce till it boils gently, it should thicken to about 4 to 4 ½ cups of sauce. Stir as the edges will start to thicken before the center. Browning the chicken before baking will give you a golden brown color and keep the chicken moist.

 I must say, it is hard to get a good photo and this does not do justice to the taste, but don’t let that stop you, this is BBQ chicken that the sauce stays on and you can do it year round in your oven.

 Oven Barbecued Chicken

3 to 4 pounds of meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and /or drumsticks) bone in

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ cup butter

1 cup finely chopped onion (1 large)

2 tablespoons kosher salt (if using table salt use less)

6 cloves minced garlic (1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon paprika (I use less)

1 tablespoon chili powder

 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 ½ cups water or chicken broth (if you have the broth do use it)

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup tomato paste

¼ cup molasses

 Preheat oven to 375°. Line a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil; set aside. Skin chicken. In a extra large skillet, or do in two batches, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until brown on all sides. Add more oil if needed for second batch. Drain chicken well.

 Arrange chicken pieces, bone sides up, in baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Meanwhile in large saucepan, melt butter. Add onion, salt and garlic; cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add paprika, chili powder, crushed red pepper and black pepper; cook stirring for 1 minute more. Add the water (or broth), balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; bring to boiling. Whisk in tomato paste and molasses until smooth. Boil gently, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 4 to 4 ½ cups.

 Turn chicken pieces bone sides down. Transfer 1 cup of sauce to a small bowl, using the sauce in bowl, brush over chicken on all sides. Bake for 10 minutes, brush again if you have sauce left in the bowl, and bake another 10 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. 170° for breasts, 180° for thighs and drumsticks. Reheat remaining sauce and pass with chicken if desired. The extra sauce will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week

Makes 6 servings

Note that you are working with 1 cup of the sauce and not with all of the sauce. This keeps it safe to use for another recipe.