When it comes to barbecue, chicken is one of those things that can be difficult to really mess up, but also difficult to make interesting as well. This -- my own variation off of the Pitt Cue Co.'s roasted chicken recipe -- is a pretty simple way to spice up your bird with a nice marinade/rub and a little smoke.
Ingredients
1 fryer chicken -- I find that it's best to have them cut into halves
3 tbsp chipotle chile paste -- I ground up three canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 tbsp honey
1 3/4 ounces roasted garlic paste
1/4 cup barbecue rub -- just go with your favorite
The differences between what I do here and the cook book is subbing honey for molasses (I figured it would go better with the spice of the chipotles), and not using a roasting pan for the chicken. I prefer to just get some smoke on it, and then sauce it and grill to get some good, crispy skin.
Instructions
1. Wash the chicken well and pat dry. Place in a large, sealable dish.
2. In a food processor, place the chipotles, butter, honey, garlic paste and barbecue rub and pulse until well-mixed and smooth.
3. Coat the chicken well with the mixture, rubbing it in a little. With a pairing knife, cut a slit into the thigh meat and stuff some of it in. Seal the container and allow to sit overnight, or at least 4-5 hours.
4. Prepare your grill or smoker to around 225 degrees, or whatever works (my Brinkman electric doesn't really have a setting, so adjusting the heat is a matter of fuel). Smoke the birds for an hour-and-a-half, or until the skin is opaque and the meat is cooked.
5. From there, remove the birds, brush on your favorite sauce and stick on a hot grill to get some good crust.
If you can find a good sauce to compliment the rub mixture, you'll get some juicy chicken with a good flavor and a good char and crisp that is always fun.