Your ultimate guide to BBQ chicken
It doesn’t have to be summer for you to enjoy BBQ chicken. In fact, we think it’s a dish best served year round because it can be prepared, cooked and served up in a variety of ways. Whether you’re craving BBQ chicken wings, BBQ chicken breast or you want to learn how to make BBQ chicken drumsticks, the good news is that there’s no shortage of ways to get creative with the humble chook.
We’re proud to stock high-quality free-range poultry on iPantry from local producers, so you can create magic in the kitchen or on the BBQ. So let’s dive into your ultimate guide to BBQ chicken, including extra tips and tricks you can use to spice up your menu.
How to prepare and cook the different parts of a chicken
One of the first things to note when you’re looking for a BBQ chicken recipe, is what part of the chicken you need to use. That’s one of the best features of BBQ chicken: you can cook just about every part of it, from the wings to the legs.
Wings
A popular dish the world over would have to be BBQ chicken wings. A regular feature on the menus of sports bars (and a quick, small snack), if you’re curious about how to make the best BBQ chicken wings, we’re here to tell you it’s not as hard as you think.
Here’s a quick and easy recipe for spicy BBQ wings you can try:
- Mix a teaspoon each of Pantry to Plate Mexican seasoning, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper with 1 cup of flour to a mixing bowl to start.
- Evenly coat your chicken wings in this flour mix and bake them for around 45 minutes in a 220°C oven until golden brown, flipping them halfway.
- Allow the wings to cool a little then you can dig in!
Legs
Let’s look at the other end of the chicken next so you can learn how to make BBQ chicken drumsticks. You can road test the recipe above or simply layer BBQ sauce onto the drumsticks as you bake them slowly in the oven at a slightly lower temperature to really let those flavours come to life.
If you’re not sure of how long to BBQ chicken legs, it all depends on what your end goal is. If it’s crispy skin you’re after, you might want a shorter cook time at a higher temperature. But if you’re chasing rich, juicy drumsticks, we recommend taking it slow.
Thigh
Next to the legs, chicken thigh meat is considered a dark meat in comparison to other cuts. You can find both diced thigh fillet and whole thigh fillets (skin off) on iPantry from one of our favourite local producers, Hazeldene’s.
One of the best ways to add flavour to your chicken thigh fillets without having to create a sauce is to marinate. Many BBQ chicken recipes involved marinating the chicken first because it locks in flavour from the beginning.
All you need to do to create a marinade is an acid (like lemon or orange), flavouring (like spices from Pantry to Plate) and an oil. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and immerse your chicken in the mixture for at least a few hours, covered in the fridge. You’ll be amazed at just how much flavour you get!
Breast
By far the most popular cut of chicken would have to be the breast. You can find Hazeldene’s skin off breast fillets and free-range breast fillets both on iPantry – then, it’s a case of choosing how you want to BBQ chicken breast.
If you’re working with a traditional setup, you may be wondering just how long to grill chicken breast on the BBQ. You don’t want to overdo it, otherwise the chicken will dry out, but it takes roughly six to 10 minutes for a breast to cook through on the BBQ with no turning.
One way to keep your chicken from losing its moisture is to cook it alongside other fruit and vegetables. Adding big chunks of red capsicum, pineapple and even red onion to a skewer with pieces of chicken breast is a delicious way to BBQ chicken, especially if you’ve got a troupe of mouths to feed.
Ready to cook up a storm? Get it sorted on iPantry
If you’ve got a BBQ chicken recipe at the ready, hop on over to our online grocery marketplace to grab everything you need for your next culinary adventure. And with next day delivery when you order before 2pm Monday to Friday, there’s never been a better (or more convenient) way to start experimenting in the kitchen.
