Name: Cast Iron Indoor Barbecued Chicken
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: US & Canada
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons packed brown sugar; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; Salt and pepper; 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed; 1/2 onion , chopped fine; 2/3 cup ketchup; 1/3 cup water; 3 tablespoons molasses; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Why This Recipe Works

You don't need a grill for classic barbecue tang and tender, juicy chicken; you can get the same deep flavor and great browning indoors with your cast-iron skillet. To build levels of flavor, we first rubbed the chicken with a spicy mixture of chili powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. We then used a superhot preheated pan and a hot oven to crisp up the skin and develop flavorful browning on the chicken while still retaining moisture. While the meat rested, we made a quick but deeply flavored ketchup-molasses barbecue sauce in the empty skillet. To finish, we simply tossed the chicken thoroughly with the sauce before serving. Waiting to make the sauce until after cooking the chicken kept it from burning and gave the skin on the chicken a chance to develop color first. The bright, tangy flavors of the sauce were complemented by the deeper, smoky flavors of the spice rub.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch cast-iron skillet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Meanwhile, combine oil, chili powder, sugar, garlic powder, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and rub evenly with spice mixture.

When oven reaches 500 degrees, place chicken skin side down in hot skillet. Reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees and roast until chicken is well browned, breasts register 160 degrees, and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through roasting.

Using potholders, remove skillet from oven. Transfer chicken to serving platter and let rest while making sauce.

Being careful of hot skillet handle, pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in ketchup, water, molasses, Worcestershire, and mustard and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, 2 to 5 minutes.

Stir in any accumulated chicken juices. Off heat, whisk in vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken to skillet and turn to coat with sauce. Return chicken to serving platter and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.