Chicken BBQ

There is nothing better than succulent barbecued chicken, but just what are the best BBQ chicken recipes. It should be pretty simple, coat the chicken in BBQ sauce and cook it on the grill, but all too often it ends in charred dry chicken that really does not taste very good at all. I have put together some tips on making very tasty BBQ chicken that will not disappoint.

The main key to great chicken recipes is to initially cook it over a low heat, this will ensure the meat is cooked thoroughly and not result in charred skin. Once it is practically cooked, approx 20-30 minutes, move it to a higher heat and baste with BBQ sauce to finish it off. If you are using a charcoal barbecue you will need to pile your charcoal one end of the grill and cook the chicken at the other end for the first step. If you have a gas BBQ grill you can control the heat via the burners.

So that is the best way to cook the meat, but what about the taste? I always use a dry rub to season my meat prior to cooking. This can be done up to a day before you need it and just kept in the fridge. The main ingredients that I use for the rub are salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder, sugar, chilli powder and cumin. But it is really a personal choice what you put into it, some like hot and spicy others don't. Do not be afraid to experiment and try different combinations. Just mix all the ingredients together and sprinkle over the chicken. I usually put it all in a food bag and toss the chicken in the bag to make sure it is fully coated.You can then leave the food bag in the fridge until needed.

Then all you need is BBQ sauce. I am always seeing people cover their meat in the sauce before they put it on the grill - this should be avoided at all costs. It will dry out your meat and can lead to burning. Any sauce you want to use to baste meat on a barbecue should be added towards the end of cooking to ensure the flavour is preserved. There are some very good BBQ sauces that can be bought in your local stores or you can make your own. I always use a ketchup base and then add mustard, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar in varying quantities until I like the taste. Just boil it up and then let it simmer until it thickens.

So the key points to remember are:

Season your meat prior to cooking

Cook the chicken over a low heat for 20-30 minutes until browned

Transfer to high heat and baste with your BBQ sauce