BBQ chicken is one of the easiest dinner options to make for your family and friends. 

This simple grilled dish is summery, kid-friendly, and finger-licking good.

BBQ chicken is cooked inside your grill with the lid closed. This creates the perfect conditions for cooking tender and moist chicken. Inside the grill, the heat circulates around the chicken and cooks the meat slower from all sides. 

The History of Barbecued Chicken

The history of barbecue chicken is as rich as the juicy dish itself.

Grilling can be traced back all the way to the 17th century, starting with the Arawak tribe of the Caribbean and South America. 

The Arawak people created their own style of cooking over a natural flame, with sticks over fire. They then placed meat on it. This method of cooking was called Barbacoa.

Why Chicken?

Chicken is a perfect protein. 

Chicken is lean, so it helps with weight management. Because it is so lean, it reduces your risk of heart disease. 

Chicken is rich in amino acid tryptophan, which raises your brain’s levels of serotonin. (That’s your feel good hormone). So, it literally helps to make you happy!

Barbecued chicken is also versatile. There are countless chicken barb recipes and BBQ chicken meal ideas. It is delicious served several different ways. It goes with just about everything, from fries to veggies. 

Here are some serving ideas for BBQ chicken:

• Sliced over a crisp salad
• Served on soft brioche with a slice of sharp cheddar
• Sliced and tossed into angel hair pasta
• Placed on top of a heaping pile of mashed potatoes

What goes with BBQ chicken? Well, pretty much everything. Such as:

• Potato salad
• Potato chips
• Pickles
• Seasoned fries
• Fresh fruit salad

Can bbq sauce be used as a marinade? 

Yes. You can buy chicken marinade sauce in a bottle, but it’s so easy to make your own marinade. You can create a savory marinade for chicken by adding bacon jam to your sweet baby rays BBQ sauce marinade. 

There are many sweet and savory chicken recipes out there, but TBJ Gourmet suggests this delicious BBQ chicken seasoning recipe with a yummy bacon marinade twist. 

It delivers a snappy and sweet BBQ chicken to die for: 

The Recipe

Recipe is adapted from The Food Network 

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1 Cup of TBJ Gourmet Bacon Jam 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8 boneless skinless thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Directions

1. Making a marinade: Combine the ketchup, TBJ bacon jam for bacon flavored seasoning, cumin, paprika, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few turns of pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. 
2. Add 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8 boneless skinless thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), squeeze out the air, seal tightly and massage gently to coat the chicken with marinade. 
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze up to 1 month; defrost in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.
4. To cook: Remove the chicken from the bag and grill over indirect heat, covered, until cooked through, lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F, 20 to 25 minutes.

Tip: If you are wondering when to apply BBQ sauce to chicken, you have several options. You can marinate your meat overnight. Or, you can marinate your meat the morning of - giving your chicken at least a few hours to soak in the goodness.

A Perfect Summer Meal

This BBQ chicken recipe is sure to be a huge hit with your family and friends for large outdoor gatherings, or for those more intimate summer family meals. 

The combination of the perfectly grilled chicken with the sweetness and savory bacon will thrill your tastebuds. 

Enjoy with snappy salads, various veggies and sweet rolls. Enjoy!

Bon Apétit!