Whole Barbecue Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Heat grill for indirect grilling: Light one side of grill, leaving other side unlit. Close lid; heat grill to 350ºF.
• Trim and discard excess fat from chickens. Squeeze lemon juice into small bowl; reserve lemon halves. Add barbecue sauce and seasoning to juice; mix well. Place 2 each lemon halves and garlic cloves inside each chicken cavity.
• Place chickens, breast-sides up, on grate over unlit area; cover. Grill 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until chicken is done (165°F), turning and brushing occasionally with sauce for the last 20 min. Remove and discard lemon halves and garlic from chickens before serving.

Steps:

• For the BBQ seasoning: Combine the brown sugar, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard and cayenne in a small bowl.
• Preheat your smoker or grill to 275 degrees F.
• If using a charcoal or gas grill, prepare for two-zone cooking with heat or coals on one side of the grill and none on the other. If using a gas grill, prepare your smoking pouches by tearing off 2 large pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil and layering them flat on your work surface. Place two cups of dry wood chips on the center of your foil. Fold up each long side and crimp to secure. Then roll up the ends to make a sealed wood chip pouch. Poke holes in the top of your pouch to allow the heat from the fire to singe the wood chips inside the pouch and make some gorgeous smoke that will be released through the holes and add a delicious smoke flavor to your food. Repeat this process so you have a total of 3 pouches.
• Combine the softened butter and the BBQ seasoning in a small bowl. Use your fingers to loosen the skin of the chicken and spread the seasoned butter up under the skin. Spread any remaining butter on top of the chicken skin.
• Use butcher twine to tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulder joint. Place your chicken directly on the grill grates over indirect heat on your smoker or grill. Add the wood of your choice; I recommend apple, cherry, maple, or pecan. If using a grill, place the smoking pouch on the direct heat. Close the lid and smoke for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, replacing the smoking pouch as necessary. Breasts should be about 160 to 165 degrees F. The thighs should be about 170 to 175 degrees F. If needed, rotate the chicken once during smoking.
• While your chicken is smoking, prepare your BBQ sauce. Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, honey, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool.
• Baste the chicken with the honey BBQ sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking (this is optional). Once the chicken has reached the correct internal temperature, remove it from the grill, rest for 10 minutes, slice, and serve.

Steps:

• Cut 1/2-inch deep slashes in the skin-side of each chicken half; 2 cuts in each breast, 2 in the thigh, and 1 on the leg; remove wing tips.
• Whisk rice vinegar, barbeque sauce, and garlic together in large bowl. Place chicken in bowl and turn to coat chicken in the marinade. Arrange chicken halves, cut-side down, in the bottom of the marinade bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from bowl, pat chicken dry with paper towels, and discard marinade. Place chicken halves, skin-side up, on a plate and season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
• Cook chicken, skin-side down, on the preheated grill for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn chicken over, close the lid of the grill, and cook, basting with remaining barbeque sauce ever 6 minutes, until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Steps:

• Set up grill for indirect grilling. Rinse chicken inside and out and dry thoroughly. Generously season inside and out with coarse salt and ground pepper. Clean and lightly oil hot grates.
• Place chicken, breast side up, on opposite side of grill from heat. Cover and grill until cooked through, or a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 160 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours, rotating halfway through cooking (if using a charcoal grill, add a couple of handfuls of charcoal every half hour to maintain heat).
• About 15 minutes before chicken is done, brush with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Let chicken rest 20 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Add lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon zest to barbecue sauce; mix well.
• Place chicken in baking pan, place 2 of the lemon halves and garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken, rub the outside of the chicken with remaining lemon halves and discard; tie the legs together using kitchen twine.
• Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F, basting with the sauce mixture every 5 minutes during the last 20 minutes of baking.
• Sprinkle with reserved lemon peel during the last 5 minutes.
• Prepare the stuffing mix as directed on package, place stuffing in oven during last 30 minutes of chicken baking time.
• Remove and discard lemon halves and garlic cloves from chicken cavity; skim fat from drippings in baking pan; serve drippings with chicken and stuffing.