20-07-2025
The Absolute Best Way To Season BBQ Chicken For Maximum Flavor, According To An Expert
Pork and beef cuts like ribs and brisket may get all the barbecue glory, but it's hard to beat a juicy piece of flavorful BBQ chicken. While more mild in flavor than other popular barbecue cuts, on the grill, chicken retains the strengths that make it such a popular choice for any dinner. It's affordable, easy to cook quickly, and it's a great blank canvas for all the charred, sweet, and smoky flavors of barbecue.
You can make a great simple smoked barbecue chicken, yet nobody is going to be a purist and complain about you slathering your favorite BBQ sauce all over it either. But getting the most flavor out of barbecue chicken still requires some prep work. So we asked an expert, Chef Billy Parisi, a classically trained culinary school graduate and food blogger, for his tips on making the tastiest possible barbecue chicken.
To start, Parisi says, "I first pat it dry on all sides to ensure a good sear. I then coat the chicken in a thin layer of oil to ensure the seasonings will stick and not bounce off as I season it." He also adds that you can put your seasoning in a bowl and toss the chicken for an even coating. But if you are sprinkling the seasoning on, Parisi notes, "Be about a foot away so that you can cover a larger surface area, ensuring every bite is delicious instead of just a few concentrated areas that were seasoned."
Read more: 11 Frozen Chicken Entrees, Ranked Worst To Best
Marinade Your Barbecue Chicken And Coat It Well With Seasoning
The other big prep step according to Parisi is marinating your barbecue chicken. He advises, "When you do this, give yourself enough time. One to two hours won't do much; you need 12 and up to 48 hours." Parisi recommends you add a good mix of bright flavors like garlic, vinegar, and onions that balance the flavor of chicken and barbecue sauce well. If you want to take it to the next level, Parisi says you should try dry brining. As Parisi explains it, "You lay your chicken cuts over a rack on a sheet tray and season all sides with salt and pepper. Leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for four hours or up to 24 hours. This helps retain moisture while drying out the skin on the outside, resulting in a superb Maillard reaction."
Parisi also has a few smaller tips. He says that if your chicken is whole, "It's absolutely worth opening the skin around the cavity, allowing you to get down into the thighs and breasts and add rubs, marinades, or simply salt and pepper." However, if your chicken is broken down into pieces, it's not necessary to get under the skin, which may even cause it to fall off. And finally, he doesn't add barbecue sauce until right before the chicken is done cooking so that it can pick up all the smoky flavors from the grill first. Chicken doesn't get more mouthwatering than that.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Solve the daily Crossword
