Bourbon Smoked Chicken
Bourbon and BBQ both have Southern roots and get their signature flavors from burned wood. So it isn’t surprising that adding a little bourbon to your BBQ sauce gives it a sultry, smoky flavor that pairs well with smoked meats like this whole chicken, smoked on an Oklahoma Joe’s Judge.
The chicken is spatchcocked [flattened out] to allow the smoke to flow evenly over the bird, resulting in shorter cook times and more even cooking. Mop sauce is dabbed onto the meat during the cooking process so that the sauce cooks onto the chicken, creating layers of flavor.
- 1 4-pound whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or other high temperature cooking oil
- 3 tablespoons BBQ rub
- 2 oak wood splits
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons course ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup apple jelly
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon BBQ rub (reserved)
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 1 teaspoon BBQ rub
Bourbon – We used a popular, mid-level brand of bourbon - nothing cheap but not a collector’s bourbon either.
You might also like
This honey garlic smoked chicken rub makes your whole smoked chicken so juicy and flavorful that you'll want to use it again and again.
This honey garlic smoked chicken rub makes your whole smoked chicken so juicy and flavorful that you'll want to use it again and again.