Smoky Barbecued Chicken

By Shaylie

This amber-colored chicken is incredibly delicious thanks to an overnight marinade, a spice-and-sugar rub, a sweet-sour mop and four hours on the grill. To make the chicken extra moist, stand it upright inside the grill on top of a half-filled can of beer.

Ingredients

• MARINATED CHICKEN
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 small shallots, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Two 3-1/2-pound chickens
• RUB
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon dehydrated
• onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon pure chile powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• MOP
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce for serving
• ACTIVE: 2 HR; TOTAL: 5 HR PLUS OVERNIGHT MARINATING

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

1. MARINATE THE CHICKEN: In a ,
blend together the vinegar, must honey, garlic, shallots, salt and pep Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Put the chic ens in a 2-gallon resealable plastic ba and pour in the marinade. Seal and tur to thoroughly coat the chickens. Refrige ate overnight, turning a few times.
2. Light 50 charcoal briquettes using a chimney. Run the wand of a thermomet r through a cork and use the cork to plug on of the air vents in the grill lid. Leave th remaining lid vents open and adjust t e lower vents as needed (if the fire gets t o hot, close the vents; too cold, open them .
3. MAKE THE RUB AND THE MOP: Com
bine all of the rub ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wine and apple juice in a spray bottle or small bowl.
4. Drain the chickens. Set them on a lame rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle all over with the rub, inside and out.
5. When the coals are hot, push them to one side of the grill and set a drip pan I-1 1f- filled with water on the other side. Using tongs, transfer 4 of the hot coals to t le chimney to light an additional 25 bri-quettes. Set the chickens breast side up on the grill grate over the drip pan, w th their cavities facing the coals. Cover and cook for 2 hours, spraying the chickris with the mop every hour. Check the ther¬mometer to maintain a temperature of 250° to 275°. Add more coals, 25 at a time, every hour or so as needed.
6. After 2 hours, turn the chickens 90°, still breast side up, so their sides are facing the coals. Be careful when turning the ch ck¬ens to keep the juices inside the cavit es. Spray the chickens with the mop. aiver and cook for 1 hour, then turn the chickens so that their opposite sides are facing the coals. Spray again, then cover and cook for
1 to 1-1/2 hours longer, until a thermomter inserted in the inner thigh reads 170