June 8, 2023

Saucy Candied BBQ Chicken

Name: SAUCY CANDIED BBQ CHICKEN
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup smoked paprika ((yep, a 1/4 cup!)); 2 tablespoons light brown sugar; 2 teaspoons chili powder; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1-1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on your heat tolerance); 12 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in (about 4 lb.) (trimmed); 2 lemons (zested and juiced); 2½ teaspoons kosher salt; 4 tablespoons BBQ Seasoning; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 small onion (chopped); 3 cloves garlic (chopped); 2 tablespoons light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon BBQ Seasoning; ¾ cup ketchup; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons unsulfured blackstrap molasses; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon hot sauce (ie. Frank's Original Red Hot); 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

To this day BBQ Chicken is one of my all-time favorite meals. I get a real chuckle when I think back to visiting days at overnight camp and I would request my mom bring me BBQ chicken (thighs only!!) and Santa Rosa plums while every other camper was asking their parents to bring candy and soda. It’s so Michelle🤷🏻‍♀️. Since those long ago days, my tastes and cooking have changed over the years but my love of BBQ chicken has never waivered. Saucy Candied BBQ Chicken is lacquered with lots of sauce that gets ridiculously caramelized and snappy…just the way I like it!

Jump to Recipe

BBQ Seasoning Ingredients

Mix together smoked paprika, light brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small-ish bowl. Set aside. Makes about ½ cup of BBQ seasoning.

Ingredients

Ingredients – chicken thighs with bone-in, skin-on, BBQ seasoning mix, onions, lemon zest and juice, salt, light brown sugar, garlic, dijon mustard, worcestershire, hot sauce, unsulfured blackstrap molasses, apple cider vinegar, ketchup.

Short cut tip: If short on time, use a bottled gluten free bbq sauce in place of the homemade bbq sauce but don’t skip the bbq seasoning or marination.

Marinating the Chicken

Mix lemon juice and zest, together in a large bowl.

Add chicken to the bowl and using tongs mix the chicken with the juice and zest.

Combine lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Add chicken thighs to the bowl. Use tongs to toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and 4 tablespoons BBQ seasoning and toss again to evenly coat. Cover and let marinate for 1/2 hour to 2 hours in the fridge.

Making the BBQ Sauce

Next, add brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar turns a shade darker, about 2 minutes.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Add onion and garlic to the pan, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Next, add brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar turns a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon bbq seasoning and continue to cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add ketchup and cook until slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Lastly, stir in vinegar, molasses, mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Let cool 5 minutes.

Place sauce in a blender or food processor and blend/process for approx 2 minutes.

Transfer sauce to a blender or food processor and purée/blend until smooth, approx 2 minutes. Set sauce aside.

Grilling the Chicken

Then flip chicken pieces over and cook for 5 minutes, covered. Both sides of the chicken should be browned and charred.

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Spray grill with oil. Place chicken skin-side-up on the grill. Cook for 10 minutes covered. Check on chicken after 5 minutes to make sure there are no major flare ups. If so, move pieces around and possibly reduce heat to medium to avoid more flare ups. Then flip chicken pieces over and cook for 5 minutes, covered. Both sides of the chicken should be browned and charred.

Now we start saucing and turning every couple of minutes or so, until thoroughly browned, caramelized and cooked through, about 10 minutes more (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thighs should register 165°). Total cooking time will be approx. 25 minutes.

Saucy Candied BBQ Chicken

Remove chicken from the grill and place on a large platter. Serve with any extra bbq sauce you may have.

Print Recipe

SAUCY CANDIED BBQ CHICKEN

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

marinate2

Total Time2 45

Course: dinner

Cuisine: bbq, Southern

Keyword: bbq chicken, chicken thighs, gluten free

Servings: 6 people

Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

BARBECUE SEASONING (CONSIDER MAKING A DOUBLE BATCH!)

¼ cup smoked paprika (yep, a 1/4 cup!)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper depending on your heat tolerance

CHICKEN

12 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in (about 4 lb.) trimmed
2 lemons zested and juiced
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons BBQ Seasoning

BBQ SAUCE

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon BBQ Seasoning
¾ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons unsulfured blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce ie. Frank’s Original Red Hot
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

BARBECUE SEASONING

Mix together paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside. Makes about ½ cup.
Seasoning can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

CHICKEN MARINADE

Combine lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Add chicken thighs. Use tongs to toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and 4 tablespoons BBQ seasoning and toss again to evenly coat. Cover and let marinate for 1/2 hour to 2 hours in the fridge.

BBQ SAUCE

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Add onion and garlic to the pan, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Next, add brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar turns a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon bbq seasoning and continue to cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add ketchup and cook until slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Lastly, stir in vinegar, molasses, mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Let cool 5 minutes.
Transfer to a blender or food processor and purée/blend until smooth, approx 2 minutes. Set sauce aside.
Short cut tip: If short on time, use a gluten free bottled bbq sauce in place of the homemade bbq sauce but don't skip the bbq seasoning or marination.

BBQ-ing

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Spray grill with oil. Place chicken skin-side-up on the grill. Cook for 10 minutes covered. Check on chicken after 5 minutes to make sure there are no major flare ups. If so, move pieces around and possibly reduce heat to medium to avoid more flare ups. Then flip chicken pieces over and cook for 5 minutes, covered. Both sides of the chicken should be browned and charred.
Now we start saucing and turning every couple of minutes or so, until thoroughly browned, caramelized and cooked through, about 10 minutes more (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thighs should register 165°). Total cooking time will be approx. 25 minutes.
Remove chicken from the grill and place on a large platter. Serve with any extra bbq sauce you may have.

Notes

I prefer thighs but any chicken parts can be used for this recipe… breasts, wings and/or drumsticks.

Recipe from Bon Appétit with grilling modifications by me.

If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Honey Lime Chicken, Thai-Style Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauce, and Sweet and Spicy Korean Short Ribs.

GLUTEN FREE DISCLAIMER

The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.