November 11, 2010

brown butter barbecue basted whole chicken

I know what you're thinking. A whole chicken? I don't think so.

It's okay, I promise. Especially when you take some help from the grocery store and buy a whole chicken already cut up. It's not that expensive either! Score.

It gets even better when you brush a brown butter barbecue sauce all over the chicken before grilling it.

Be still my heart. Look at that juicy goodness.

I can't deal. Don't you just want to stick your head through the screen and take a bite? I know I do.

Shew. Moving on...

The sauce starts with brown butter, obviously. Put a couple tablespoons of butter in a skillet and let it melt. Then let it brown. I love love love brown butter. As it browns, it gets this nice nutty flavor. I use it all the time in sauces, and I've even seen some baking recipes that call for brown butter. I will share those someday!

It's best if you add the butter to the pan in slices, so it melts evenly. Keep stirring it as it melts. Don't let it go from brown to black, which it will if you cook it too long. If your butter burns, just throw it away and start over.

Minced garlic and onion come next. You can't even imagine what this smells like. Unless you're making it right now... then you are LUCKY.

After the garlic and onions cook for a bit, lower the heat. Next comes all the wonderful ingredients that go in most barbecue sauces: ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, chili powder, salt and pepper.

A whole chicken! Intimidating? Not really. Thank you, butcher man for cutting this up for me.

Remember: each piece cooks for a different length of time. If you cook the wings the same time as you cook the breasts = disaster.

Brush/pour/rub the magical sauce into the chicken, both sides, all over. I even got under the skin on most pieces.

Then throw those babies on the grill. If you don't have an outdoor grill or don't feel like lighting it up in this cold weather, use an indoor grill pan on your stove top. This helps char the outside of the chicken and get those beautiful grill marks. You could also bake them in the oven, I'm sure it would still be delicious!

I grilled mine on an outdoor grill and it was to die for. If you try another method, please let me know how it turns out.

Whatever way you cook it, just try the sauce. Seriously.

Here's the recipe!

Brown Butter Barbecue Sauce

3 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Slice 3 tablespoons of butter and put in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Let the butter melt evenly, stirring as it browns. This should only take a few minutes. Throw in minced garlic and onions, stirring while they cook through, about 3-4 minutes. Drop the heat down to low and add ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, brown sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper. Make the seasonings as hot and spicy as you would like. Add more chili powder and maybe red pepper flakes for more heat.

Stir ingredients together and continue cooking until the sauce thickens a bit as the sugar caramelizes, for 4 or 5 minutes. Then remove from heat. You can let it cool, then put it in a container to store in the fridge. Or brush it on chicken to grill and serve immediately.


  1. This looks really good, Jenna! I love BBQ chicken...the stickier, the better!

  2. This chicken had such an amazing flavor...until you get married next year, I sure am enjoying you trying all these recipes at home sweetie!!!

  3. Oh, my how good it looks !! Think I'll have to try this one.

  4. Oh my gosh...I just bit a chunk off my monitor. Seriously I want this so bad right now...incredible. You could also make that sauce just to drink.

  5. Brown butter is all you have to say and I'm sold!!!

  6. Brown butter barbecue sauce. Now that is somethign I can barely wrap my head around. Sounds fantastic!

  7. Sounds delicious! A trick for BBQ meat that my mom taught me that makes for perfect BBQ chicken every time: first, boil the chicken pieces in a pot of water flavored with vinegar and red pepper flakes (amounts aren't too important here). Cook until chicken is almost cooked through. Then, slather with sauce and throw on the grill until nicely browned and tasty. This way you get all the fun of the BBQ flavor with none of the stress of wondering if it's done or not. :) -DtD

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