Recipes Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Easy Barbecue Chicken 4.0 (1) 1 Review The easy homemade barbecue sauce uses ingredients you likely have on hand. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Published on May 20, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 4 Ready for barbecue chicken? For the juiciest, most flavorful version we use bone-in, skin-on pieces and dry brine the chicken with a simple salt-and-pepper rub, letting the meat stand while we mix a quick barbecue sauce and get the grill going. The sauce is made with pantry ingredients like ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce plus fresh garlic. You can make it advance, but it only takes 10 minutes to put together. Our recipe includes instructions for partially making the chicken ahead of time if you're scaling up the recipe to serve a crowd or need to get a head start on dinner. Our 29 Greatest Grilled Chicken Recipes Armando Rafael Make-Ahead The sauce can be made up to a week in advance. Ingredients Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 chicken (4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces (breasts halved crosswise) ½ cup ketchup ⅓ cup apple-cider vinegar ½ cup light-brown sugar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 3 finely minced garlic cloves Extra-virgin olive oil Directions Season chicken and let stand: Combine 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly on chicken, then set chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Let stand uncovered 1 hour. Mix sauce: Meanwhile, bring ketchup, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic to a simmer in a small saucepan. Cook sauce: Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer sauce to a bowl. Set up grill with two-zone fire: Heat a charcoal grill, creating a two-zone fire with vents partially open. Position coals on one side of the grill for direct high heat, and leave the other side empty for indirect lower heat. Making a Two-Zone Fire on a Gas GrillTurn one side on high, and leave the other burners off. Oil chicken and cook over indirect heat: Lightly coat chicken with olive oil and place over indirect heat. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until pieces are cooked through and a thermometer inserted into thickest parts (not touching bones) registers 165°F, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to direct heat; brush with sauce and cook: Uncover grill; transfer chicken to direct heat. Brush with sauce and cook, turning frequently, until caramelized and lightly charred, about 3 to 4 minutes. Brush on more sauce as pieces come off the grill, or serve it on the side. Cooking for a Crowd If you're entertaining and want to get as much prep done ahead as possible, remember you can make the sauce ahead and follow these instructions to partially prep the chicken to streamline day of work: Before: The day before serving, bake chicken in your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until pieces are cooked through, about 35 minutes; then let cool and refrigerate. Day of: About 30 minutes before it's time to eat, remove chicken from fridge. Set up your grill for direct-heat cooking, and finish as directed in step 6. Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, July/August 2017 Rate It PRINT