Seven ingredients in the sauce and five minutes on the stove. That is all it takes to stop buying bottled barbecue sauce after you make Martha Stewart’s Barbecued Chicken, a grilled whole cut-up chicken basted with a homemade BBQ sauce of ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, Dijon, garlic, and hot sauce.
Someone in the reviews said they have not bought store sauce in years after making this and I understand why. This Martha Stewart BBQ chicken recipe is the one I pull out every summer when people come over because the sauce takes care of everything and grilling is just the last 15 minutes.
Try More Grilled Chicken Recipes:
The Sauce Is The Whole Point
Ketchup, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, brown sugar, molasses, and hot sauce simmer together for about 5 minutes until they reduce into something thick and tangy. It takes less time than preheating the grill.
The molasses and brown sugar together give it a depth that ketchup-only sauces never have. I have used this sauce on ribs, pork, and even grilled tofu and it works on everything.
Barbecued Chicken Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup light-brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 cut-up chicken (3 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
How To Make Martha Stewart Barbecued Chicken
- Make the sauce: Heat the grill to medium. Combine the ketchup, hot sauce, vinegar, mustard, garlic, brown sugar, and molasses in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Split the sauce: Divide the sauce between two bowls. One is for basting on the grill and one stays clean for serving at the table.
- Prep the chicken: Toss the chicken pieces with oil in a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper.
- Grill covered: Oil the grates, then place the chicken on the grill. Cover and cook, turning frequently, until the chicken registers 165 degrees for dark meat or 160 for breast, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Baste and finish: Uncover the grill. Brush the chicken with sauce from the basting bowl, turning and brushing until glazed and charred in spots, 3 to 4 more minutes. Serve with the clean sauce on the side.
Why You Split The Sauce Into Two Bowls
The brush that touches raw chicken on the grill goes back into the sauce bowl. If you only have one bowl, that sauce is now contaminated and you cannot serve it at the table.
Martha splits it before grilling so you always have a clean bowl of sauce for dipping. It is a small thing that most backyard grillers skip and it matters more than people think.
Sauce Goes On Last, Not First
The sugar in this sauce will burn if it sits on the grill too long. That is why the chicken grills covered for 10 to 15 minutes with no sauce at all, just oil and seasoning.
The sauce only goes on during the last 3 to 4 minutes when the chicken is almost done. I burned a whole batch once by saucing too early and it was a sticky black mess that tasted like charcoal.
What To Put On The Table
Coleslaw and baked beans are what I always make because they sit out fine while the chicken grills. Cornbread if I have time.
For a bigger spread I add pasta salad that I made the morning of. Everything can be cold or room temperature so I am not running between the grill and the kitchen.
Three Ways To Eat The Leftovers
The chicken keeps in the fridge for 4 days and Martha gives three ideas for using it up. Shred it into a salad with corn and avocado, pile it on pizza with red onion and bacon, or warm it with extra sauce and stuff it into a bun with coleslaw.
I do the sandwich version most because it takes 5 minutes and the sauce on the leftover chicken intensifies overnight. Reheat in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes if you want it warm.
FAQs
- Can I make this without a grill? Martha says to bake the chicken at 375 degrees until almost cooked, then finish on a grill pan over medium-high heat with the sauce. You lose the smokiness but the sauce still caramelizes and the chicken is just as good.
- What if I cannot find molasses? Dark brown sugar has more molasses in it, so swap that for the light brown sugar and you get closer to the flavor. Maple syrup or dark corn syrup work as a direct substitute for the molasses itself.
More Chicken Recipes:
Nutrition Facts
(1 serving, serves 6)
- Calories: 420
- Total Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
- Sodium: 580mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 32g
- Protein: 32g
Martha Stewart Barbecued Chicken Recipe
Description
Seven ingredients in the sauce and five minutes on the stove. That is all it takes to stop buying bottled barbecue sauce after you make Martha Stewart’s Barbecued Chicken, a grilled whole cut-up chicken basted with a homemade BBQ sauce of ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, Dijon, garlic, and hot sauce.
Someone in the reviews said they have not bought store sauce in years after making this and I understand why. This Martha Stewart BBQ chicken recipe is the one I pull out every summer when people come over because the sauce takes care of everything and grilling is just the last 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Heat the grill to medium. Combine the ketchup, hot sauce, vinegar, mustard, garlic, brown sugar, and molasses in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Split the sauce: Divide the sauce between two bowls. One is for basting on the grill and one stays clean for serving at the table.
- Prep the chicken: Toss the chicken pieces with oil in a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper.
- Grill covered: Oil the grates, then place the chicken on the grill. Cover and cook, turning frequently, until the chicken registers 165 degrees for dark meat or 160 for breast, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Baste and finish: Uncover the grill. Brush the chicken with sauce from the basting bowl, turning and brushing until glazed and charred in spots, 3 to 4 more minutes. Serve with the clean sauce on the side.
Notes
- Split the sauce into two bowls: One for basting, one for serving. The basting brush touches raw chicken so that bowl cannot go on the table.
- Sauce goes on last: The sugar burns if it sits on the grill too long. Grill the chicken plain first, then sauce for the final 3 to 4 minutes.
- Oil the grates: Fold a paper towel, grip with tongs, dip in oil, and rub the hot grates until dark and shiny. Prevents sticking.