Recipes Meat and Poultry Chicken Whole Chicken Recipes Chef John's Barbecue Chicken 4.7 (162) 120 Reviews 23 Photos When it comes to grilled barbecue chicken, everyone wants a nice thick barbecue glaze attached to the skin, and the only way to do it is to brush it on as it cooks. But because barbecue sauce has such a high sugar content, it only takes a minute for it to go from brick red to solid black — so you have to be careful! To ensure a sticky, sweet glaze that's not burnt, I sear the skin quickly, then cook it skin-side up on a covered grill, brushing on the glaze while it cooks. Because the glaze never touches the grilling surface, it doesn't burn. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on November 30, 2023 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 23 23 23 23 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Additional Time: 1 hr Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 6 Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings 1 whole chicken, cut into halves ¼ cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ cup barbecue sauce, or as needed Directions Cut 1/2-inch deep slashes in the skin-side of each chicken half: two cuts in each breast, two in each thigh, and one in each leg. Remove wing tips. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Whisk vinegar, 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, and garlic together in a large bowl. Place chicken in the bowl and turn to coat. Arrange chicken halves in the bottom of the bowl with the cut sides down; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove chicken from the bowl and pat dry with paper towels; discard any remaining marinade. Place chicken halves, skin-side up, on a plate and season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Cook chicken, skin-side down, on the preheated grill until grill marks appear, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn chicken over, close the grill lid, and cook, basting with remaining barbecue sauce every 6 minutes, until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Dotdash Meredith Food Studios I Made It Print 562 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 464 Calories 24g Fat 11g Carbs 48g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 464 % Daily Value * Total Fat 24g 31% Saturated Fat 7g 34% Cholesterol 149mg 50% Sodium 1583mg 69% Total Carbohydrate 11g 4% Dietary Fiber 1g 2% Total Sugars 7g Protein 48g 95% Vitamin C 1mg 1% Calcium 34mg 3% Iron 3mg 14% Potassium 396mg 8% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.