Mango BBQ Chicken
The most important thing to remember when making a BBQ chicken is that BBQ sauce is not a marinade. Most BBQ sauces have a lot of sugar and burn very quickly on a grill. To avoid scorched black chicken, you’ll need to follow a couple of rules. First, cook the chicken (covered) over indirect heat almost all the way through before applying the BBQ sauce. Once the skin starts to brown and turn a little crisp, move chicken a little closer to the flames or heat (if you are using charcoal) and begin to coat the chicken with sauce (mopping it). Flip the chicken every few minutes, allowing the sauce to absorb into the cooked chicken slowly. During the last 8 minutes of cooking, place the chicken directly over the flames/heat and continue to mop with sauce. Flip every few minutes until the chicken has the perfectly charred and caramelized coat. The entire process should take around 45-50 minutes for boned chicken. Smaller pieces, like wings, take less time than breasts. Note: BBQ chicken begs for constant attention.
If you are using a meat thermometer it should registers as follows:
Dark Meat (thighs and leg) 170°F – 175°F
White Meat (breast and wings) 160°F – 165°F
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Mango BBQ Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 whole chicken cut into: 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings, 2 breasts
(Ask your butcher to cut up a whole chicken; keep the backbone for your dog)
1 cup Mango-Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Method
Sprinkle salt, pepper, lime zest and juice all over the raw chicken. Place the chicken in a deep container, and mix well. Cover the chicken, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, or prepare your coals/wood for grilling. (I like to cook the chicken cold and not let it come to room temperature first.) Place the chicken on the grill over indirect medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 20 to 30 minutes (depending on size of piece) until just about cooked through. Move it closer to the direct heat/flame, and begin to baste the chicken, mopping it generously with the sauce, and flipping every 3-5 minutes. After about 10-15 minutes of cooking it closer to the heat, move the chicken directly over the flames/heat. Baste the chicken just a little, flipping it every 2-4 minutes until caramelized and charred to desired liking. Allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving.
