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Alabama BBQ Chicken on a Gas Grill

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 13, 2011

Yield

Serves 8

Alabama BBQ Chicken on a Gas Grill

Ingredients

<B>White BBQ Sauce</b>

¾ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar ½ teaspoon prepared horseradish ½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

<B>Chicken</b>

1 teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 whole chickens (3 ½- to 4-pound), patted dry and split (see photos)2 cups hickory wood chips Vegetable oil for grill grate

Before You Begin

To hold the wood chips, you will need a small disposable aluminum tray.

Instructions

  1. For the sauce: Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate sauce in airtight container for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
  2. For the chicken: Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne in small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over chicken.
  3. Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes, place chips in small aluminum tray, and place tray directly over primary burner. Light grill, turn all burners to high, and close lid, keeping grill covered until wood chips begin to smoke, about 15 minutes. Oil cooking grate. Turn all burners to medium-low. Place chicken skin side down on grill, and cover.
  4. Grill chickens until skin is well browned, 35 to 45 minutes. Flip chickens skin side up and grill, covered, until breast meat registers 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
  5. Transfer chickens to cutting board, brush with 2 tablespoons sauce, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Remove foil and brush chicken with 1 tablespoon sauce. Carve and serve, passing remaining sauce at table.
Alabama BBQ Chicken on a Gas Grill
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Marie Piraino.

Alabama BBQ Chicken on a Gas Grill

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 8

Ingredients

<B>White BBQ Sauce</b>

¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

<B>Chicken</b>

1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 whole chickens (3 ½- to 4-pound), patted dry and split (see photos)
2 cups hickory wood chips
Vegetable oil for grill grate

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

<B>White BBQ Sauce</b>

¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

<B>Chicken</b>

1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 whole chickens (3 ½- to 4-pound), patted dry and split (see photos)
2 cups hickory wood chips
Vegetable oil for grill grate

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

<B>White BBQ Sauce</b>

¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

<B>Chicken</b>

1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 whole chickens (3 ½- to 4-pound), patted dry and split (see photos)
2 cups hickory wood chips
Vegetable oil for grill grate

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For an Alabama-inspired barbecued chicken recipe, we ditched the tomato and slathered a mayonnaise-based sauce on hickory-smoked chicken. Smoking generally takes hours, but our recipe expedites the process by cutting the chicken in half before placing it on the grill. We coated our chickens with the Alabama-style barbecue sauce—a seasoned mayonnaise and vinegar mixture—two times during cooking so the hot chicken absorbed the sauce and was flavored through and through.

Before You Begin

To hold the wood chips, you will need a small disposable aluminum tray.

Instructions

  1. For the sauce: Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate sauce in airtight container for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
  2. For the chicken: Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne in small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over chicken.
  3. Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes, place chips in small aluminum tray, and place tray directly over primary burner. Light grill, turn all burners to high, and close lid, keeping grill covered until wood chips begin to smoke, about 15 minutes. Oil cooking grate. Turn all burners to medium-low. Place chicken skin side down on grill, and cover.
  4. Grill chickens until skin is well browned, 35 to 45 minutes. Flip chickens skin side up and grill, covered, until breast meat registers 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
  5. Transfer chickens to cutting board, brush with 2 tablespoons sauce, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Remove foil and brush chicken with 1 tablespoon sauce. Carve and serve, passing remaining sauce at table.

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