BBQ Chicken Thighs

I made some BBQ chicken thighs this weekend and they came out pretty good. Not quite as good as some of the competition chicken I've had, but a respectable effort. I'm working on refining my timing for every meat that gets entered in BBQ competition.

I was happy with how the chicken came out. It wasn't the best chicken I had tasted, but it was damn good. Chicken thighs are what most BBQ teams use for that category — they have more fat and cook relatively quick, so I picked up a pack of Zacky Farms thighs from Costco. I know this is pretty average chicken, but I wanted to see how different sizes cooked up with regards to seasoning and time on the grill. Next time I'll avoid the pre-packaged thighs and ask the butcher to give them to me all the same size. It just looks better when it's plated and it evens out the cooking time.

I started with a recipe from the Cook's Illustrated Best Recipe Grilling & Barbecue book that called for the use of a brine. The brine was simple: a quart of water with 3/4 cup each of sugar and salt, mixed together until dissolved. I added a little pepper and some crushed garlic for good measure. Put the chicken in a large zip-lock bag along with the brine and let them sit in the fridge for about an hour. I sprinkled my BBQ rub all over the chicken after brining.

I lit the coal in my chimney starter and soaked my apple wood chips. I used a 22.5-inch kettle grill with all of the lit coals placed on one side. The chicken was placed on the grill away from the coals, fat side up, and the wood chips were placed on the coals. Then the grill was covered.

The chicken cooked for half an hour and then was turned over gently. I let it cook for another fifteen minutes, then glazed it with BBQ sauce and flipped it again. I glazed the top (fat side) of the chicken pieces and let them cook for another 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reached 165°F.

I was happy with the chicken texture — tender, moist, and not overcooked — and the appearance. I was just a little unhappy with the seasoning and the sauce. It was okay, and probably would get me some props around the neighborhood, but it wasn't to the level that competition BBQ demands. I'll keep working on it.