Best ever oven BBQ chicken - tips from my friend a restaurant Chef.
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My friend Debbie spent 32 years working at Big Boy restaurant here in Michigan. Seems everything she touches is delcious even if it is just a simple fruit salad. Of course, presentation is half the battle and her dishes are always beautifully arranged.
I was over there last week and the BBQ chicken was just fantastic. I know I'm supposed to be trying for vegetarian, and I still hate the cruelty aspect, but it was just so darn tasty.
Today, she showed me step by step exactly how she makes it so yummy:
Prepare and start baking the chicken
Place well rinsed chicken pieces (with or without skin as you desire) in a large baking dish. Line with foil for easy clean up. Sprinkle generously with Italian Seasoning (blend of oregano, basil, etc.) and garlic powder, dash of pepper and salt. Add water about 1/2" deep and place in preheated oven to bake for one and one half hours, turning pieces every 30 minutes so they don't dry out. She baked hers uncovered. She also likes really done chicken, you might try 45 minutes to start. 350F
Prepare Barbecue Sauce
Of course, a true Chef probably never makes exactly the same sauce twice. But hers are always delicious.
In a small soup pot, place coarsley chopped small onion or two and four or five cloves chopped garlic. (It is not necessary to finely mince, since it is going to be boiled then baked.) Add barely enough water to cover. Boil gently for 15 minutes. Add 1/2 Tbsp. each white vinegar, lemon juice (bottled is fine) and hot sauce. Dash black pepper. Add two 18 oz bottles of Open Pit thick and tangy or the sauce of your choice. Stir and simmer until hot. After first baking period, remove chicken from oven. Submerge chicken pieces in BBQ sauce for a minute and then replace in pan. Add more BBQ sauce on top of chicken. Bake another hour, basting wtih more sauce as needed every 30 minutes.
Save left over BBQ sauce from pot and from chicken pan for next time. Obviously store leftover sauce in fridge.
**** note, if you have reallly large breast pieces, you can slice them in half, but not all the way, horizontally. Place BBQ sauce in between if desired.
Let me know what you think.