A delicious recipe featuring our traditional 18 year-old balsamic as the sauce base. This mouthwatering recipe makes the chicken sticky, sweet and tangy!

For the Chicken:

  • 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1  teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or use your own favorite peppers, we also like Ancho, Pasilla or a fruity Habanero. Fun to play with these!)
  • 6 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, white or dark meat

Combine/whisk all herbs and spices in a bowl thoroughly. Arrange chicken pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle both sides evenly with spice rub. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6-24 hours.

Troy’s Balsamic BBQ Sauce:

  • 1 cup of Fresh Harvest traditional 18-year old balsamic (You can also use other flavors like espresso, pomegranate, fig, black cherry, etc.)
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar (optional, leave out for low-glycemic recipe)
  • 2 tbsps Fresh Harvest Cayenne Chili Fused Olive Oil (optional, if not using add more chili powder)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or use 2 teaspoons granulated)
  • ½  tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground, to your taste)
  • 1 teaspoon granulated onion (to your taste)
  • 1 or 2 teaspoons Ancho or Cayenne chili powder (to your taste)
  • ½ ground cumin (to your taste)
  • ½ teaspoon paprika (to your taste)

Directions:  Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes over low-ish heat, stirring frequently – make sure to turn on vent fan. Vinegar can have a lot of fumes.  The sauce needs to reduce by at least 1/3rd (or to the consistency you prefer). It’ll thicken more when cooling. Taste along the way – adjust seasonings as you like.  It will get more spicy as it reduces, so start with less heat and work your way up.  (optional: blend the ingredients together with a stick blender or in a Ninja prior to cooking it down.)

Cooking Instructions – PLEASE READ ALL DIRECTIONS BEFORE PROCEEDING

FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent halfway and place disposable pan filled with 3 cups water on 1 side of grill. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over other half of grill (opposite disposable pan). Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot.

FOR A GAS GRILL: Place 2 disposable pie plates, each filled with 1½ cups water, directly on 1 burner of gas grill (opposite primary burner). Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn primary burner to medium-high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature of 325 to 350 degrees.)

Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken, skin side down, over hotter part of grill and cook until browned and blistered in spots, 2 to 5 minutes. Flip chicken and cook until second side is browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Move chicken to cooler part and brush both sides with 1/3 cup sauce. Arrange chicken, skin side up, with leg quarters closest to fire and breasts farthest away. Cover (positioning lid vent over chicken if using charcoal) and cook for 25 minutes.

Direct and indirect cooking are key to this recipe! Brush both sides of chicken with remaining 1/3 cup sauce and continue to cook, covered, until breasts register 160 degrees and leg quarters register 175 degrees, 25 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve, passing reserved sauce separately.

 

Fresh Harvest Tasting Room Olive Oil and Balsamic

Print Friendly, PDF & Email