This Zesty Baked BBQ Chicken is such a winner in our house, I just know you’ll love it too. My kids really can’t get enough. So much so, that the amount I made for two nights, really only ended up making it to one night for all of us, then just enough for the munchkins the second night. And what’s even more awesome, Miss Sparkle, exclaimed “Mama, I just love this chicken!” For her, that’s big when it comes to many things savory, especially chicken.
With the fourth of July weekend here, and traditional ways of celebrating possibly (hopefully) halted for most, I think it’s nice to still be able to feel like we’re doing something special and fun to make the day feel different. For us here in Istanbul, we’ve gotten pretty good at that, having had to celebrate a few different holidays we’re normally used to celebrating that are just an ordinary day here. December 25th here definitely has a different feel to it than back home. And it should be no surprise that my favorite way to connect to traditions and the roots I grew up with, is none other than food. And 4th of July fare is no exception.
Do you have any particular menu items that are must haves for your Independence Day get togethers? I’ve been lucky enough to grow up on a street where we have this really cool block party every year and all the neighbors bring their favorite summer time dishes and share them on a table set in the middle of the street. It’s something really special and I look forward to it each year. Last year we were fortunate enough to be in Los Angeles for the 4th and got to be a part of it. This year we won’t make it in time, but I’m thinking there also won’t be the same block party happening and definitely no buffet spread for all to enjoy. We can always hope for next year though.
In the meantime, one food item that is always a part of the festivities and I couldn’t love more as it was my absolute favorite thing to eat growing up is BBQ chicken. The sweet sauce is something I could never resist. Surprise surprise. And the recipe I’m sharing with you today is no different. It’s sweet but has a fun little twist that my son thought was the coolest thing. The sauce includes a little (natural) lemon-lime soda to give it a little sizzle and tang. And for someone who isn’t allowed to drink soda, he’ll take it any way he can get it. Miss Sparkle wasn’t in on that secret as she doesn’t quite understand that she’s being deprived of soda drinks yet, but she still loved every bite and lick.
This recipe is really easy and what’s nice is that in case you’re somewhere you don’t have access to an outside grill, this is perfect as you can make it at home in your oven. It doesn’t quite get the pretty trademark grill lines of traditional bbq chicken but it’s absolutely delectable. (You can turn the broiler on towards the end of cooking if you really want some char on top.) I used drumsticks and breasts in the photo below because that’s what I had, but you can also use thighs or a combo of the three. My recommendation is always bone-in and skin-on if you can, but as you can see, boneless and skinless breasts can still come out great, just don’t over bake them.
To make the sauce, you simply combine some onion, garlic, ketchup, fresh lemon juice, a little brown sugar, whole grain mustard and a little of the lemon-lime soda and cook for about ten minutes until the sauce is nice and bubbly and thickened. Then the chicken gets a quick rub with some salt, pepper, a little paprika, garlic powder and some lemon zest. It gets popped into a super hot oven and baked for about 20 minutes. Then I turn the oven up a little mor and brush it with a little of the sauce on both sides, and bake it for another 15-25 minutes more (depending on cut of chicken,) brushing it two more times in between. And that’s it. The oven did most of the work for you and you didn’t have to slave over a hot gril.
If not this weekend, please give this a try soon, I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed. And if you do, be sure to let me know how it goes. I hope you’ll love it as much as we do.
Zesty Baked BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2 tsbsp extra-vrigin olive oil
- 1/4 c finely chopped red onion
- 1 lg garlic clove, minced
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup natural lemon-lime soda (not diet)
- 2 1/2 tbsps fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 2 tbsps brown sugar
- 2 tsps whole-grain mustard
- 1 1/2 tsps dijon mustard
For the rub:
- 2 tsps kosher salt
- 1 tsp paprika (smoked or sweet)
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tsps)
- 1 1/2-2 lbs chicken pieces (I used legs and breasts) (bone-in & skin-on will yield the best results)
- 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Line a sheet pan with foil (for easier clean-up) and drizzle with 1 tbsps olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
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To make the sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Then sautè the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook about 2 minutes more until fragrant. Then stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring often.
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Now, make the rub by stirring together the salt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder and lemon zest. Season the chicken pieces all over with the rub. Place the chicken pieces skin side down on the baking sheet and drizzle with the other tbsp of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
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Reserve about a cup of the bbq sauce in a separate small bowl. Then once the chicken has baked for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven and turn the oven up to 425F/ 218C. Using a basting brush, baste the chicken all over with the sauce, carefully turn the chicken over and baste the other side. Bake for another 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven, baste both sides of the chicken again and continue to bake for about 10 minutes more. (If you're using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, they will bake for a shorter amount of time, probably closer to 30-35 minutes total, so you can baste in shorter intervals.)
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Once the chicken is done, (a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part should register 165F,) remove it from the oven, or if you want crispier skin, you can place it under the broiler for about 2 minutes. Serve with the reserved sauce and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
*Baking the chicken on wire baking rack set over the sheet pan can help to get crispier skin all over.
*Bone-in/ skin-on chicken pieces will give you the juiciest results. But I have also done breasts, as you can see above, just shorten the baking time by about 10 minutes and baste the chicken a little earlier.
*If you’re pressed for time or want to make a store-bought bbq, that will also work fine with this recipe.
**Recipe adapted from Family Circle.
