Barbecue Chicken Recipe
Sometimes you just need a good old Barbecue Chicken fix. This recipe takes me back to those family 4th of July BBQ’s where the grill was slap-full of what seemed like endless pieces of smokey, glazed chicken goodness. Cooking barbecue chicken is really easy. All you need is a grill or smoker set up for indirect cooking and as much chicken as you want to cook. You can season the chicken however you like. I use my Killer Hogs AP rub mixed with a few other ingredients to create what I call a Chicken Rub.
Barbecue Chicken Rub
- 1/2 cup Killer Hogs AP Rub
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Granulated Onion
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Season the outside of each piece of chicken with the seasoning and get it on the pit. Now comes the fun part…turn on some music, crack a few beers and kick back and barbecue some chicken!
You’ll want to stick around the grill turning the pieces every 30 minutes or so and making sure the grill stays in the 275-300 zone. Don’t freak out if it gets above or below just hang in there.
Every time you open the pit, baste the chicken with the mopping liquid to keep it juicy. I mix Zesty Italian dressing with BBQ Rub, BBQ Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and water. If you have a favorite mopping concoction, by all means use it!
Barbecue Chicken Mop
- 32oz Water
- 16oz Zesty Italian dressing
- 8oz BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 cup BBQ Rub
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
Use the same mopping brush to baste the sauce over the chicken on both sides and keep on cooking until the chicken is done – 165 in the breast and 175 in the dark meat. I really like the wings, legs, and thighs to creep up closer to 200 internal because they stay tender and juicy.
That’s all there is too making Barbecue Chicken and I hope you invite a crowd of family and friends over to enjoy the experience. BBQ is all about good times and making memories, and a Big Ole’ Barbecue Chicken Plate is special in my life!
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Barbecue Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 pcs Chicken (mix of Breast, Legs, Thighs, & Wings)
- 1 cup Chicken Rub *recipe below
- 1/2 gallon BBQ Chicken Mop *recipe below
- 1 bottle Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce
- 1 bottle Killer Hogs Vinegar Sauce
Barbecue Chicken Rub
- 1/2 cup Killer Hogs AP Rub
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Granulated Onion
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Barbecue Chicken Mop
- 32oz Water
- 16oz Zesty Italian dressing
- 8oz BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 cup BBQ Rub
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
Instructions
- Prepare offset smoker or any BBQ Grill for indirect cooking at 275 degrees using your favorite wood for smoke flavor (I used Post Oak for this recipe)
- Season the outside of each piece of chicken with the Chicken Rub – substitute your favorite rub if you like
- Place the chicken on the smoker and cook until the internal temperature in the breast reach 155 degrees. Turning and basting with the BBQ Chicken Mop* every 30 minutes.
- Pour the BBQ Sauces into a small aluminum pan and place on the smoker to warm. Once the internal temperature in the breast hit 165 start brushing the sauce on both sides and continue flipping the chicken every 15-30 minutes until the sauce caramelizes on the outside and the internal temperature reach a minimum of 165 in the white meat and 175 in the dark.
- Remove the BBQ Chicken from the smoker and serve.
Have a Question About This Recipe?
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Can’t wait to try this, although scaling back on the quantities. Do have a question on the temp to start applying the BBQ sauce. From step 4:
Pour the BBQ Sauces into a small aluminum pan and place on the smoker to warm. Once the internal temperature in the breast hit 165 start brushing the sauce on both sides and continue flipping the chicken every 15-30 minutes until the sauce caramelizes on the outside and the internal temperature reach a minimum of 165 in the white meat and 175 in the dark.
This has the temp to start applying the sauce and the final temp both at 165.
I wasn’t going by internal temps so much – just when it looks like it’s getting close start applying the sauce. I pull the chicken off when it’s 165 in the breast.
Malcom, you are the best at what you do sir. We love your channel!
Man that looks delicious….I know what Im making tomorrow!
Malcom, I have a more general question if you dont mind…a lot of your recipes call for “indirect heat”. Im currently set up on a UDS that I made (thanks to your video!). Idont own an offset…is its still considered indirect heat if I dont have a difuser plate between the coals and the meat? I love the flavor created when those drippings get down on the coals, but sometimes worry im creating too much heat not having anything between coals and meat.
Thanks for everything man, you are the reason I got into BBQ, and can’t wait to continue to make more delicious grub!
Let just say you are adrift in a life raft in the middle of the ocean with a 90 year old nun. The two of you only had a handful of seaweed in 30 days. A piece of this chicken was to magically appear in the middle of the life raft. You’d throw her ass overboard. I’m just saying it’s that good.
I made this today, it went down well. I did some chicken breast and some drumsticks. The breast turned out really good, definitely everyone’s favourite piece. The drumsticks however ended up having quite a spicy flavour which wasn’t that great.
I was wondering what could have caused the big difference in flavour between the breast and drumsticks seeing as they were all cooked at the same time, same amount of time and all mopped and sauced at the same time.
Might have gotten too much seasoning on the legs?
Good
You are a powerful ganisher
Malcom: I made this yesterday on my green egg, and followed the recipe Exactly, It smelled and looked great and temps were spot on but the skin never rendered. It was tough and rubbery-what did or didn’t I do correctly?
I’m not a great cook by any stretch, but I lay the chicken out uncovered on a baking sheet the day before I cook and put in the fridge so the skin is DRY when i put it on the pit
Hi I tried your AP rub this weekend on a brisket, came out great. It complimented the meat perfectly. I going to order some of your bbq sauce and try that bbq chicken recipe it sounds delicious.
What kind of sausages are those in the picture of the chicken.
B&B Red Skin Sausages!
Hey Malcolm, I tried and love this recipe. I’m doing a tailgating event and probably will have over 200 pieces of chicken. Any suggestions to on I should calculate the seasoning and mop mixture?
4-5lbs of seasoning and 1 gallon of mop should do the trick.
Dude did you ever deliver!! Not only was you calculations on point but, every piece of 80 pounds of chicken was gone!! Perfect recipes!! I proudly displayed your Killer Hogs products and people here in Orangeburg SC loved it. Special shout out to you from the South Carolina State University Bulldogs football team. They ate it up.
Thanks Brother!!
Dude did you ever deliver!! Not only was you calculations on point but, every piece of 80 pounds of chicken was gone!! Perfect recipes!! I proudly displayed your Killer Hogs products and people here in Orangeburg SC loved it. Special shout out to you from the South Carolina State University Bulldogs football team. They ate it up.
Thanks Brother!!
Made this yesterday… the flavors were dynamite! The only complaint was the skin just wasn’t crispy. Most of it was rubber and inedible. Any advice on how to crisp it up?
Smoked chicken with crispy skin is tough to do. You can make sure the skin is really dry, then apply cooking spray or some oil to the skin, then apply the seasoning. That will help
Great recipe which resulted in some of the best BBQ chicken ever!!! And that was the consensus of the group.
Followed the recipe but made a few changes. I use chicken broth in place of the water and a combo of Killer Hogs and Salt Lick spicy BBQ sauce in the mop. It comes out so good that I don’t baste any extra sauce at the end.
Malcolm, thank you for so many great recipes. You’ve single handedly have leveled up my cooking skills.
Keep cooking!
★★★★★
Could the mop also be used as a marinade?
yes – and it would be a good one!
THAT WAS AWESOME — 3 hours to absolute banging chicken…… did a 50 50 comparison with this and the corn starch from the You tube video —– both Winner Winner Chicken dinner…..
Just wish I could grab your rubs in the UK quicker..!
★★★★★
Question re the 16oz Zesty Italian Dressing in the mop – is this bottled dressing – or a dressing seasoning mix? Thanks!
Its the bottle Dressing.
Well after watching this video, this Carolina boy was going to smoke some pork, but now I’m savoring some of Malcolm’s barbequed chicken. Malcolm, You sure know how to tell a food story, im starved at 9am ! Derek
By far, the best BBQ chicken I’ve cooked, and it was really easy. I split a whole chicken instead of using individual parts, so I didn’t need to turn it so much during the cook. I used a Weber Kettle with a Slow n Sear, but only used 1/2 the water chamber in order to keep temps a little higher than a normal smoke. I don’t know if it was the mop sauce, as I’ve never done that with chicken before, but this was the juiciest and most flavorful chicken ever! Keep up the great work, Malcom!
★★★★★
Super good. I love this recipe.
★★★★★
Malcom, love your stuff and thanks!
I’m struggling with bite-through (not even “crispy”) skin on all my smoked chicken. If you were going to start at a lower temperature, say 225-275, for smoked chicken in general to get some smoke flavor, do you then recommend going 325 to 350 for the remainder of the cook? Also, do you ever jaccard the chicken skin, I have heard that helps? I would really appreciate any advice.
Best. Chicken. Ever.
★★★★★
One general question. I tried some pork ribs last weekend. I wrapped the ribs after adding some red wine vinegar. After about an hour my temp. gauge was reading 185 so I unwrapped. A few minutes later the ribs are back on the smoker and the temperature had dropped to 150 and stayed there for what seemed like an eternity. I never saw 185 again, Finally pulled the ribs, but it was to late. The ribs were very dry. Same problem when trying your monterey chicken recipe. Add the sauce and temp. drops dramatically. I wait till I see 165 but the chicken is as dry as a bone. You’ve never mentioned this in any of your videos that I’ve seen. Help me understand and what to do differently. Thanks
Malcom, You are the reason I got a smoker. Love your videos man. we have done the Malcom style ribs several times, came out perfect. 2 briskets now great. doing this mop BBQ chicken parts right now. Several spatchcock chickens and a couple spactched turkeys. several butts and several times the bacon wrapped thighs on pepper cream cheese in the chicken pan. Love you brother, Thanks and keep on cookin !
Malcom, I love your passion for smoking, grilling different foods. I always refer to your videos for help & ideas, when I try to smoke foods. I really love your collection of seasoning and bbq sauces. I use them all the time when I cook. Thanks again for all your dedication, its made me a better smoker ,griller.
Does this work good with skinless chicken? And about how long of a cook on this recipe?
In this recipe you have an ingredient : 1 bottle Killer Hogs Vinegar Sauce
But you never indicate where to use it. I assume that you mix it with the barbecue sauce, but there are no directions to do that.