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Test Kitchen Approved

Alabama Grilled Chicken

Time: 9 hours 15 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

About

Every state in the union has its own way to grill chicken. Alabama Grilled Chicken is a delicious twist on a classic! The chicken is marinated in a sweet and salty brine and then grilled until savory and juicy. Brushed with a homemade white barbecue sauce that's got all that deep south tang, Alabama Grilled Chicken is just delightfully tasty! Your next cookout is going to be a hit!

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Ingredients

  • For the brine:
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt, plus more, to taste
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 2 (12-ounce) bottles amber beer, chilled
  • 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
  • 2 (4-pound) chickens, cut into 8 pieces each
  • For the white barbecue sauce:
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • hot pepper sauce, to taste
  • vegetable oil, to taste

Directions

Step 1 -In a pot large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces, add 1/4 cup of the sugar, 1/4 cup of the salt, and the cold water and stir to combine until the sugar and the salt dissolve completely.

Step 2 -Add the beer, the garlic halves, the bay leaves, and the black peppercorns to the sugar mixture and stir to combine.

Step 3 -Add the chicken pieces to the brine and cover the pot.

Step 4 -Refrigerate the chicken pieces in the brine for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.

Step 5 -In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, the vinegar, the horseradish, the remaining sugar, and the Worcestershire sauce and whisk until smooth.

Step 6 -Season the sauce mixture with 1 teaspoon of the remaining kosher salt, the black pepper, and the hot sauce.

Step 7 -Cover the sauce mixture and refrigerate until you are ready to cook the chicken.

Step 8 -Preheat the grill to medium and prepare it for both direct and indirect grilling.

Step 9 -Drain and rinse the chicken pieces and using paper towels, pat them dry.

Step 10 -Lightly season the chicken pieces with the extra salt.

Step 11 -Brush the chicken pieces lightly with the vegetable oil.

Step 12 -Carefully brush the grill grates with the vegetable oil.

Step 13 -Add the chicken pieces, bone-sides down, to the indirect-heat side of the grill and cover the grill.

Step 14 -Cook until the chicken skin is golden and the chicken pieces are almost cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of about 130-135 degrees F, about 20-25 minutes.

Step 15 -Flip the chicken pieces so they are skin-side down and cook, covered, until the thickest chicken pieces reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes.

Step 16 -Brush the chicken pieces evenly with about 1/2 of the sauce mixture.

Step 17 -Transfer the chicken pieces, skin-side down, to the direct-heat side of the grill and cook just until the skin is crisp, about 3 minutes.

Step 18 -Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes.

Step 19 -Serve the chicken with the remaining sauce.

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