Grilled Chicken with South Carolina BBQ Sauce combines savory, mustard-based South Carolina-style barbecue sauce with grilled chicken. The sauce adds a touch of sweetness and spice, and off the grill, every bite is deliciously smoky!
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Barbecue sauce is controversial in a way few condiments are. Local pride is at stake. Sauce-wise, I’m mostly stateless and just as happy with a North Carolina-style vinegar sauce as I would with a Kansas City sauce made with tomato and molasses.
What is South Carolina style BBQ sauce?
This recipe combines savory mustard-based barbecue sauce with grilled chicken. The resulting dish has hints of sweetness and spice, and each bite is deliciously smoky with an ideal balance of savory flavors.
Remember that grilling chicken with gravy is a messy business. Be sure to start with a clean grill grate and also scrub the hot grate with a wire brush after grilling.
When preparing your grill, create two heat zones for hot and indirect heat cooking. First sear the chicken over hot coals, then smoke over indirect heat until cooked through.
South Carolina-style grilled chicken with BBQ sauce
To save some prep time, the BBQ sauce can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for up to two weeks.
ingredients
For the BBQ sauce:
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1 Cup prepared yellow mustard
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1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
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2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
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1 tablespoon Ketchup
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1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
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1/2 teaspoon bottle hot sauceplus more to taste
For the chicken:
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4 Chicken thighs, on the bone with skin
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4 drumsticksbone-in with skin
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1 tablespoon sea-salt
method
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Prepare the barbecue sauce at least 30 minutes before grilling:
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a 2-quart saucepan and place on a backburner over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until the mixture is very steamy. (The sauce may bubble and splatter, so use caution. To avoid burns, stir the sauce constantly to distribute the heat.)
Turn heat to medium-low and cook until sauce has thickened, another 5 to 7 minutes. When ready, the sauce should be thick enough that a spoon, stirring it, will leave a mark through the sauce. Set aside to cool.
Once cool, measure 3/4 cup into a small bowl for the chicken. Set aside remaining sauce to serve. (Prepared sauce can also be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)
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Rub the chicken with sea salt 20 minutes before cooking:
Rub both sides with salt. Place in the fridge while you prep the grill.
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Prepare a charcoal grill:
When the coals are gray and very hot, gently slide them to one side of the grill so that one side has hot direct heat and the other side has indirect heat. (Alternatively, prepare a dual-zone gas grill for cooking.)
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Coat chicken generously on both sides with 3/4 cup prepared barbecue sauce
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Grill the chicken over high heat for searing:
Place the chicken on the hot side of the grill directly over the coals, thighs skin-side down. After 2 to 3 minutes, flip the chicken and grill an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the chicken is nicely browned or even slightly blackened on both sides.
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Finish cooking the chicken over indirect heat:
Move the chicken to the off-coals side to finish cooking over indirect heat. Brush again with barbecue sauce. Cover the grill.
After 5 to 7 minutes, turn the chicken. Cook an additional 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is richly golden brown and cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of at least 175°F when tested with a meat thermometer.
(I usually cook these thighs and drumsticks at a slightly higher internal temperature to ensure the meat is thoroughly cooked; the sauce and indirect heat keep the chicken from drying out.)
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Surcharge:
Serve immediately with extra barbecue sauce.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 431 | calories |
| 23g | Fat |
| 11g | carbohydrates |
| 45g | protein |
