Recipe Background
BBQ Picnic Chicken crafted with a zingy homemade sauce, perfect for rooftop gatherings.
Moving to a bustling city after college, I found myself in a tiny apartment with a minuscule kitchen. It was here, in this cramped space, that I learned how to adapt my culinary skills. I usually kept a stash of ketchup for late-night fries and brown sugar for my morning coffee, so when a friend invited me to a spontaneous rooftop barbecue, I whipped up a homemade sauce using these commonplace ingredients. Melting butter, I sautéed minced garlic which filled the air with a welcoming aroma. It was the Worcestershire and chili sauce combo that truly brought the zing, while celery seed provided an unexpected depth. A dash of hot pepper sauce added a little fire, perfect for elevating the mood of our cityscape gathering.
As my friends and I settled down on the rooftop, surrounded by the glowing city lights, the conversations flowed. We focused on basting the chickens while they sizzled away on the grill—a ritual that demanded and rewarded patience. A tip that stuck with me from those early attempts was to let the sauce come to a robust boil before slathering it on the chicken. This thickens the sauce and creates a glossy finish that clings perfectly to each piece. The butter and mustard work together to give the chicken a savory punch, making it an irresistible choice for any picnic or casual dinner.
That evening marked the start of many city-nights spent blending flavors and befriending neighbors. It was on that rooftop, amid charred chicken and shared laughter, that I understood the power of food to create community in unexpected spaces.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon celery seed
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- hot pepper sauce to taste
- 2 (3 1/2-4-pound) broiler/fryer chickens cut up
Directions
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter.
- Add the garlic to the melted butter and cook, while stirring, about 2 minutes.
- Add the ketchup, the brown sugar, the chili sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, the celery seed, the mustard, the salt, and the hot pepper sauce to the butter-garlic mixture and stir to combine.
- Bring the barbecue sauce mixture to a boil, while stirring constantly.
- Transfer the saucepan from the heat.
- Lightly grease a grill rack.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat.
- Add the chicken pieces to the hot grill and cook, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Baste the chicken pieces with the barbecue sauce mixture, reserving some of the sauce mixture for basting later.
- Grill the chicken pieces, while basting them with the remaining barbecue sauce mixture and turning them several times, until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in their thickest parts, about 15 minutes.
- Serve hot.
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