At barbecue competitions the the champions cook chicken thighs to win the chicken category. It takes a lot of time, patience and practice to master barbecue chicken on this level. This is not the recipe for those chicken things but it is a lot easier and nearly as good.
Prep Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds chicken thighs
- For Marinade:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- For BBQ Sauce:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients for marinade and mix well. Place chicken thighs in a ziptop bag. Pour marinade over top, seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. Meanwhile makes sauce by combining all BBQ sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
After 3 to 4 hours remove chicken legs from marinade and discard marinade. Place chicken thighs on preheated grill over a medium low heat (around 300 degrees F.) Grill for about 20 minutes turning occasionally. As the chicken nears doneness begin brushing sauce over the surface every 5 minutes until chicken is done and sauce has cooked down to a sticky consistency. Remember, chicken is done when the meat has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. You can typically tell because the internal juices are clear and watery.
