Serves 2I have made it very clear that I ate lots of hog when I was growing up and very little of other meats—chicken and brisket both included. If I saw chicken that wasn’t fried when I was a kid, it was made in the following fashion. That’s because my dad loved to make half chickens, so I’m going to give you his method for that—that’s what he sold for take-out in his barbecue business and what I saw him cooking when I was coming up.
We buy whole chickens, local ones, and then we split them ourselves (see this page).
First, remove the neck and giblets.
Place the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down.
Using a very sharp kitchen knife, cleaver, or sharp kitchen shears and working from the cavity opening to the neck, cut down the backbone of each side of the chicken; discard the backbone.
Next, cut a two-inch slit through the membrane and cartilage at the “V” of the neck end.
Grab a breast in each hand and gently bend both sides backward, as if you were opening a book, to snap the breastbone.
Use your fingers to work along both sides of the breastbone to loosen the triangular keel bone; pull out the bone.
With the tip of a sharp knife, cut along both sides of the cartilage at the end of the breast-bone; remove the cartilage.
Turn the chicken breast side up.
The final step: Cut lengthwise down the center of the chicken to split it into two halves.
The chicken halves should be brined at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight (see this page for brine recipe), in gallon-size zip-top bags.
When ready to cook, remove the chicken halves from the brine.
Pat the halves down with paper towels or a clean dry kitchen towel.
Rub each chicken half inside and out, skin and cavity, with white vinegar.
Then season them thoroughly all over with salt and pepper—take your time to season the chicken well.
Preheat a smoker to 250°F.
Place the chicken, breast side up, in a deep aluminum pan.
Place the pan in the smoker and cook for 90 minutes, or until the breast meat reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
At the 90-minute mark, take a look at the chicken skin.
Push down on the skin with your finger and see if the push leaves a dimple.
If that happens, you’re on the way to being done.
The final check for doneness is to grab that chicken leg and gently twist it, and if it pulls away, then it is ready to go.
Remove the chicken halves from the smoker and allow to rest uncovered in the pan for 15 minutes.
Then serve your birds—I give a half chicken per person.
Serves 4 For Chicken Plates, Or 8 For Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
This is the best recipe for a beginner, the perfect place to get you started on your journey to becoming a pitmaster. The nicest part about it is that once you’ve got it mastered, you end up with something pretty damn impressive to serve your friends and family in the backyard—they don’t need to know how easy it is to get this right. That said, there is one crucial thing you need to remember here:
Chickens like to dry out on the smoker, mostly because compared with pork shoulders, briskets, and ribs they just don’t have a lot of fat on them. My chickens never dry out because I put a pan of apple juice underneath them in the smoker, which ensures that the chicken is bathed in moisture and sweetness for the duration of its cook time. (Note: This is not a recipe that’s going to give you seared crunchy skin; the point of smoking a chicken is to produce meat so soft to bite through, you don’t even need a knife to cut it.)
Place the chicken in a deep baking pan, pour over the stock, and marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least three hours, or preferably overnight.
When are you ready to cook the chicken, preheat a smoker to 250°F.
Remove the pan from the refrigerator and pour out the stock.
Pat the chicken dry all over with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
Apply the rub liberally to the chicken, making sure to get it all over the bird.
Place the chicken breast side up on a meat rack with the handles facing down, so the bird will be raised above the surface of the pans.
Set the rack inside a deep aluminum pan.
Pour the apple juice into the bottom of the pan, underneath the meat rack.
Place the pan in the smoker and cook for 1½ hours.
Pull the pan from the smoker.
Using a sharp knife, cut off the wings of the bird (see this page for instructions on how to do that).
Wrap the wings in aluminum foil and keep them warm in an oven on the lowest setting.
Meanwhile, return the rest of the chicken to the smoker and cook for an additional 1½ hours, or until the internal temperature of the white meat reaches 165°F and the dark meat reaches 180°F.
Remove the chicken from the smoker and allow it to rest just as it is, on the rack in its pan and uncovered, for 15 minutes.
To serve, carve the chicken into individual pieces.
Notes & Wine Advice
If you like to make pulled chicken to eat on its own or for pulled chicken sandwiches: Put on a pair of food-handling gloves. Over a cutting board, pull the chicken apart at the breastbone, applying firm pressure with your thumbs on either side of the bone while gently using the rest of your fingers to separate the breasts from the bone. Then pull the chicken meat from the bones and transfer to a platter. I like to make pulled chicken sandwiches by spreading both sides of a soft roll with barbecue sauce and then serving and eating those suckers immediately.
Serves 4Because I know so many of us eat chicken breasts with great regularity these days, I’m going to tell you how you make them into “good barbecue.” You didn’t come to me to tell you how to grill a boneless, skinless breast, because you can figure that out yourself. What I can tell you is how to make a good quick barbecue-style chicken breast, for which you’ll need to cook breasts that are still on the bone and have some skin attached. These breasts hold up much better for this type of hot and fast cooking without drying out like those boneless, skinless ones tend to do
1cupJack’s Old South Tangy Sweet Sauceor make your own for serving
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Instructions
Rub them all over with the vinegar.
Place the chicken breasts in one or more gallon-size zip-top bags and pour the stock over them.
Seal the bag(s) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.
When you are ready to cook, set up your charcoal or gas grill for indirect heat: Build a fire in your grill, leaving one side free of coals.
When the coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium-high (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for about 5 seconds), you are ready to cook.
(For a gas grill, turn one of the burners down to low or off, lower the cover, and heat for 15 minutes. )
Remove the chicken from the marinade.
Pat dry all over.
Coat liberally on both sides with the rub.
Place the chicken breasts on the grill skin side up.
Cover and grill the chicken until browned and just cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Turn the breasts over and grill until the skin is crisp and lightly charred, about 2 to 5 minutes more.
Transfer the breasts to a cutting board and let them rest, loosely covered with foil, for 5 minutes.
Serve with the sauce on the side for dipping, if you like.
Serves 6 To 8
Let’s say you don’t want to bother with a whole chicken. Or let’s say you’re me, and you’re just a person who happens to love the inexpensive versatility of chicken thighs and legs—you can cook them just about any old way, and because they’re the fattiest parts of the bird, they have the most flavor. That’s a win-win in my book. This is such an easy recipe—three ingredients, folks—that I recommend it to people when they ask me what they should make for dinner on a busy weeknight. It’s not exactly “barbecuing” because you’re not cooking meat over a low heat and infusing it with smoke, but it has a similar flavor profile and it makes for some really good eating. Note that I prefer bone-in thighs, but you can use boneless just as well if you like.
Set up your charcoal or gas grill for indirect heat: Build a fire in your grill, leaving one side free of coals.
When the coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium-high (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for about 5 seconds), you are ready to cook.
(For a gas grill, turn one of the burners down to low or off, cover, and heat for 15 minutes.
)
Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly in cold water, then dry them with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
Rub the pieces all over with the vinegar.
Apply the rub all over the exposed areas of the chicken pieces.
Arrange the chicken on the hot grate above the drip pan in your cooker and away from the coals or burner, skin side down.
Cover and grill for about 40 minutes, opening the grill once about halfway through the cooking time to flip the pieces and covering the cooker again, until the skin is crisp, the meat is cooked through, and the thigh meat registers 180°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Transfer to plates and serve immediately with the sauce on the side for dipping, if you like.
Grab the chicken with one breast in each hand and open it like a book, exposing the cavity of the bird—you’ll hear a crack, most likely.
Running from the middle of the bird down between the two legs is the so-called “soft bone” or “keel bone”—this is the breastbone.
It’s a triangular shape that is firm toward the middle of the bird but becomes soft flexible cartilage as it tapers down between the legs.
To remove it, use a paring knife to cut down either side of it.
Once you’ve cut it free, use your fingers to loosen and then pull out the breastbone.
Discard the bone, and your chicken is good to go.
Rub the chicken all over with the vinegar, then season it on both sides with salt and pepper.
Generously smear the rub under and over the skin and on the interior of the bird.
Place in a baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least three hours or preferably overnight.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat half the grill to medium-high (or build a medium-high-heat fire on one side of a charcoal grill); leave the other half unheated.
Place the chicken skin side down over the heated side and grill until the skin begins to color and char marks form, about 5 minutes.
Flip over and grill 5 minutes more.
Move the chicken to the unheated side.
Close the lid and cook, making sure the chicken is flat against the grate, skin side up, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone registers 180°F, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
Transfer to a platter and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before carving.
Chicken glaze combines sweet honey, maple syrup, smoky barbecue sauces, and rich brown sugar into a glossy homemade glaze perfect for grilled chicken and barbecue dishes. The glaze develops deep caramelized flavor while warming gently on the stove, creating the perfect balance between smoky sweetness, tangy vinegar, and buttery richness.
This barbecue glaze remains popular because it transforms simple grilled chicken into rich sticky barbecue perfection with very little effort. Honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar create thick glossy texture while vinegar sauce and hickory barbecue sauce balance the sweetness with smoky tangy depth.
Why chicken glaze creates sticky barbecue flavor
The popularity of chicken glaze continues to grow because sweet glazes caramelize beautifully on grilled chicken while locking in moisture and flavor. Warming the glaze gently before brushing it onto the meat also helps create smooth glossy coverage during grilling.
Another reason this barbecue glaze works so well is the balance between sweet and smoky ingredients. Ketchup creates a rich tomato base while vinegar sauce adds tanginess and hickory sauce contributes deep smoky barbecue flavor.
Honey and maple syrup create rich glossy texture
The honey and maple syrup give this chicken glaze its signature sticky texture and sweet barbecue richness. Brown sugar deepens the caramel flavor while melted butter creates smoothness throughout the glaze.
If you enjoy homemade barbecue sauces and glazes, you may also like our Bourbon BBQ Sauce, another flavorful barbecue recipe packed with smoky sweet richness.
Texture plays an important role in this recipe. The glaze becomes smooth, glossy, and slightly thick after warming, making it perfect for brushing over chicken thighs, wings, drumsticks, or even whole grilled chicken.
The glaze also stores very well in the refrigerator, making it ideal for preparing ahead before cookouts and barbecue gatherings. Reheating before serving helps restore the smooth glossy consistency.
Perfect glaze for grilled chicken and barbecue recipes
This chicken glaze works perfectly for grilled chicken thighs, barbecue wings, smoked poultry, whole roasted chicken, and even pork recipes because the sweet smoky flavor complements grilled meats beautifully.
The glaze also works wonderfully during the final minutes of grilling because the sugars caramelize lightly without burning too quickly. Brushing several thin layers over the chicken creates even richer barbecue flavor and shine.
Proper food handling remains important whenever preparing sauces and grilled poultry dishes. Chicken should always be cooked safely and handled carefully during grilling and serving. For additional poultry preparation and food safety guidance, visit the FDA.
Ultimately, chicken glaze delivers sticky sweetness, smoky barbecue richness, and glossy caramelized flavor in an easy homemade recipe perfect for grilled chicken and outdoor cookouts.
prevents your screen from turning off”
Chicken Glaze
Sweet and smoky homemade barbecue glaze for grilled chicken and barbecue dishes.
1cupJack’s Old South Hickory Sauceor make your own
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Instructions
Prepare your smoker and heat it to 275°F.
Apply the rub all over the exposed areas of the chicken and into the chicken’s cavity as well.
Place the seasoned bird with its breast side up on a meat rack with handles down, so the bird will be raised above the surface of a pan.
Then set the rack inside a deep aluminum baking pan.
Pour water into the bottom of the pan, underneath the meat rack.
Carefully transfer the pan into the smoker, cover, and smoke for about 3 hours, or until the breast meat reaches a temperature of 165°F and the dark meat reaches 180°F.
Remove the pan from the smoker and allow the chicken to rest on its rack in the pan, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a wooden carving board, carve the chicken into pieces, and serve with the sauce on the side.
25- to 6-pound inexpensive boneless pork shoulders (Boston butt only) or 2 brisket flats, which will support the hog in the smoker (you will not eat these)
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Instructions
1 to 3 helper humans, needed for carrying the whole hog
Prep the hog: On a long table covered with clean butcher paper or other sanitary covering, lay long strips of aluminum foil until the table is completely covered.
Place the hog, which has been butchered and split with its head on and its feet removed, flat on its back on top of the foil.
Score the hog: With a sharp chef’s knife, make shallow cuts in a crisscross pattern in the meat all along each side of the spine of the hog, especially making sure to create squares where the ribs connect to the spine.
Then crack and pull down each side of the hog, starting from the spine.
You want the hog to be laying semi-flat (or as flat as you can get it, without removing the sides from the spine), so that you can easily reach inside it.
Remove the membrane (or “silver”) from the backs of the ribs on each side: The easiest way to do that is to make a small incision just below the length of the breastbone.
Work your fingers underneath the membrane until you have 2 to 3 inches cleared.
Grab the membrane with one of my rib skimmers or a towel or your fingers and gently but firmly pull it away from the ribs.
Pulling off the membrane exposes loose fat that will need trimming, so take your sharp paring knife and cut away any excess exposed fat.
Use a meat saw to split and saw down in between the ribs and down each side of the spine of the hog.
You’re going to cut the ribs on both sides 3 inches off the spine.
Why?
Doing this makes baby back ribs out of full-size spareribs.
Take care to saw only the bone, and try not to pierce the skin on the bottom of the hog.
This will ultimately make it easier for you to serve the ribs.
“Barbecue is an evolving art, and even though pitmasters like me still rely on the ancient technique of smoking meat over fire, we still have to evolve with the times.”Makes 12 Appetizer Or 6 Main Course ServingsWhen I make cupcake chicken for competitions, we have to use bone-in chicken thighs. If you’re cooking in your backyard, you can surely use the boneless thighs—it will save you a lot of time and aggravation.
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