Chef John's Barbecue Chicken Recipe

This turned out great! Only thing I changed was reduced the cayenne pepper by 1/2, and used all drumsticks. I am not comfortable grilling drumsticks, so I baked mine at 425 degrees, seasoned, for 20 minutes. Brushed a thick layer of bbq sauce, then continued baking 25 minutes. Chicken turned out with crispy skin even under the barbecue sauce. The chicken was very tender--loved it! Served alongside leftover "Summer Tomato Pie".

I was planning on making chicken tonight and this recipe popped into my in box. Sweet. My only mistake is that I added all of the seasonings in the marinade. No big deal, when I removed the chicken from the marinade, I just patted it dry and added more pepper, salt and smoked paprika. I also used a ziplock bag instead of a bowl. Setting the grill to medium high keeps the flare ups to a minimum, but I needed more than 40 minutes to get the internal temp up to 165 degrees. This was one of the best BBQ chicken recipes I have ever used, it will be a keeper and in my normal rotation. Thanks Chef John!

Since grill temps are highly variable, I’ve been having the most luck keeping mine between 350 and 400. Rufus Teague’s Touch o Heat sauce has done wonders for me. Perfect blend of heat and sugars.

My husband is a master BBQ-er and he said that this was the best non-smoked BBQ he had ever had! I left in the marinade overnight. The flavor went all through the meat. Very juicy and delish! The seasoning mix is excellent. I was afraid the cayenne would make it too hot for the kids but it only added flavor. We used a grill mat to prevent burning. This is how we will make grilled chicken from now on! Thank You Chef John!

This is a good method to grill chicken and add that sticky sweet BBQ sauce. In prep I used a creole seasoning hoping to get a play on spicy sweet BBQ. There was 2 tablespoons of creole. Also, I would go longer on the initial skin side down sear. Maybe eight minutes, depending on your own grill temperament and behaviour. I needed another 40 minutes after flipping to get to temp on the chicken. It was cooked to perfection to the bone. But I could've used a bit more crispy skin. And the sticky sweet BBQ I used, completely neutralized the creole seasoning. Not a hint of any pepper or any touch of heat on the tongue. I did use a little smoked paprika also to help bring out the rich BBQ flavors. Overall with my prep and this recipe I would give this a 4.5

As with all of Chef John's recipes this ones a hit too! The marinade gave the BBQ chicken a whole new depth of flavor. Slashing the meat allowed all that goodness to get everywhere. I followed the recipe to the T with one notable exception. After grilling direct skin side down I moved the bird over to the smoker and finished it with apple wood smoke for 2 hours at 275 degrees applying the BBQ sauce for the last 15 minutes. OUTSTANDING.

Finally! I think this was the first time i was able to grill bbq chicken that didn't get charred black or taste like a dried out hockey puck! I used 4 skin-on bone-in breasts and follwed.the recipe to a T except I had to double the marinade to have enough for all 4 pieces. The chicken grilled up perfectly and was and had a nice thick bbq glaze which was absolutely delicious. I served it with double baked potatoes and mini honey corn bread muffins. I will never grill bbq chicken any other way! Thanks for another winner, Chef John :)

Excellent, simple recipe. I used a grilling pack from my local market which consisted of two breasts and four legs. I doubled the marinade yet the original quantity would have been enough. Definitely make sure to cut slashed in for the marinade as opposed to just poking holes. Depending on your grill you may need to grill skin side down for more than four minutes to get the char marks. I then turned the pieces and moved them to the indirect side applying sauce at the suggested intervals. The end product was incredibly moist and flavorful.

Next time, cook the skin side down longer & at slightly LOWER temp. The gas grill was so hot... that the bottom side of the chicken burnt, even with no BBQ sauce on. Can also use apple cider vinegar if out of rice vinegar. DOUBLE the spices using half in the marinade and then the rest sprinkled on the chicken before grilling. I liked thighs the best, using bone-in:) Note: really good using bone-in chicken, but removing the skin before thew marinade and then grilling.

Really good. I used a dozen chicken thighs so everything would cook at the same rate. A little more time skin-side down at the beginning would have made the skin crispier and less fatty.

This is really grilled chicken not Bar-B-Que chicken but very tasty. Forget the old adage, 'till the juices run clear'. Technology has come to far for that wives tale. Many chicken recipes will run clear and the meat will not be done. Trust the internal temp of 165 degrees internal because the chicken is done when it is done. Use the time recommend to gage your side dishes not your grilled recipes. The days of dried chicken and turkey are now over with a good temp device.

Seriously good, even better than expected.

I will never make barbecue chicken a different way again! Due to this recipe, my husband and daughters are under the extreme delusion that I am a grill master now! Thanks Chef John now I have to take over grill duties as well. Definitely a family favorite. Chef John does it again

This is an amazing recipe – cutting the chicken to let the flavor in and cooking it mainly bone-side down are wonderful ideas. I'll make this again, often. Chef John has top rate recipes. I want to try more of them!

I used two large chicken breasts on the bone with ribs. I followed the recipe exactly but I didn't have rice vinegar on hand and used red wine vinegar instead. Turned out very moist and delicious. Served with corn on the cob and cast iron biscuits. Really delicious dinner that whipped up quickly. A keeper.

Bro, I didn’t know cooking could feel this rewarding.

I did not make any changes

it was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good

Simply wonderful with my homemade BBQ Sauce

Love this recipe! I think the addition of rice vinegar to the marinade, helps elevate this (I confess that I haven't made this with rice vinegar, as I have never had some on hand, So I've used red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar), whatever I have had on hand; Still turns out amazing. Everyone that I have served this to has absolutely loved it.