Indoor Barbecued Chicken
This Indoor Barbecue Chicken recipe really knocked our socks off-- from the juicy chicken to the quick homemade tangy barbecue sauce that was rich in flavor. Best of all, the prep work wasn't uber time-consuming. A quick spice rub (with no unusual ingredients) took a couple of minutes to mix together. The chicken is easily seared by placing into a screaming hot cast-iron skillet until roasted to perfection. As for the homemade barbecue sauce-- wow! A ketchup-molasses sauce produced a beautiful rich color with a sweet and tangy flavor. The sauce is good enough to bottle for so many uses! This is almost a "one-pan" dinner because the sauce is made in the same pan, and once the chicken is coated with that delicious sauce you have barbecued chicken that is out of this world! This is a perfect week night meal to put together.
Servings 6
Calories 432kcal
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 3 pounds chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks and/or thighs
- salt and pepper
For the rub:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
For the sauce:
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 2/3 cup ketchup I used Organic Ketchup
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Tbsp molasses
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp cider vinegar
Instructions
- Adjust the middle rack of the oven to the middle position; place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet on the rack and heat the oven to 500F.
For the rub mixture:
- Combine the oil, chili powder, sugar, garlic powder, cumin 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper in a bowl. Combine with a fork.
For the chicken:
- Trim excess fat, using poultry shears, from the chicken thighs. Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the chicken breasts in half by slicing all the way to the bone; then rock the knife back and forth applying pressure with your other hand until separated.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub evenly with the rub mixture.
- When the oven reaches 500F, place each chicken piece skin side down on the skillet. Reduce the oven temperature to 450F and roast the chicken until it is well browned. A meat thermometer should reach 160F and the drumsticks/thighs reach 175F, 25-30 minutes, flipping the chicken over halfway through roasting.
- Using potholders, remove the skillet from the oven. Transfer the chicken to a large platter and let rest while making the sauce
For the sauce:
- Pour of all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until softened (about 5 minutes).
- Whisk in ketchup, water, molasses, Worcestershire and mustard, and cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and is reduced to about 1 cup (about 2-5 minutes).
- Stir in any accumulated chicken juices. Off heat, whisk in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, turning to coat with the sauce.
To serve: Place on platter, but I prefer to serve right from the skillet!
Notes
Recipe Source: Cook it in Cast Iron (America's Test Kitchen)