Grilled Chicken with Rosemary White Barbecue Sauce

Recipe by: Rick Rodgers | from Summer Gatherings: Casual Food to Enjoy with Family and Friends

Cookstr

Course: Main Course

Total Time: Under 1 Hour

Skill Level: Moderate

Cost: Moderate

grilled-chicken-with-rosemary-white-barbecue-sauce

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

Many cooks in Alabama don’t cotton to red barbecue sauce and finish grilled chicken with a mayonnaise-based slather. My version adds garlic and herbs to the formula, and the result is a great alternative to the typical backyard bird. Like all barbecue sauces, don’t apply it to the chicken until the last few minutes. This one won’t scorch like the sweet tomato sauces, but it could separate.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Rosemary white barbecue sauce:

1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
Grated zest of 1 lemon
½ cup fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, crushed through a press

Chicken:

Two 4–pound chickens, each cut into 8 serving pieces
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. To make the sauce, whisk the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, and garlic together. (The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated.)

2. Build a fire for indirect grilling in an outdoor grill. For a charcoal grill, leave the coals heaped in a mound in the center. For a gas grill, preheat on high. Then leave one burner on high and turn the other burner(s) off.

3. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Lightly oil the cooking grate. Place the chicken on the unheated areas of the grill (that is, on the perimeter around, but not over, the coals in the charcoal grill, or over the off burners of the gas grill). Cover and grill for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken, cover, and continue grilling until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 165°F, about 20 minutes more.

4. Move the chicken to the hot area of the grill (over the coals of the charcoal grill, and over the high burner of the gas grill). Brush the chicken all over with the mayonnaise mixture. Grill, turning and basting occasionally with the remaining mayonnaise mixture, until the mayonnaise has reduced to a mostly transparent glaze, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve hot, with the remaining sauce passed on the side, if you wish.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Nutritional information is based on 8 servings.

Nutritional information is based on using 1/4 of the Rosemary White Barbeque Sauce to brush on the chickens. It does not include additional sauce served on the side.

Calories 1031kcal (52%)

Calcium 52mg (5%)

Vitamin C 9mg (16%)

Vitamin A 191mcg RAE (6%)

Potassium 855mg

Magnesium 90mg

Protein 83g

Sugar 0g

Fiber 0g

Total Carbohydrate 1g

Cholesterol 339mg (113%)

Sodium 802mg (33%)