Get Your Grill On: Award Winning BBQ Chicken

Tired of grilling the same-old fare each week? Hotdogs and hamburgers may be a staple of summer, but if you’re looking for something new, try this award-winning BBQ chicken recipe. This tasty recipe by Extraordinary BBQ won 2nd place in the World Championship Barbeque Cooking Contest in Memphis.

barbecue chicken thighs on the grill

Award-Winning Chicken Thighs

Ingredients for Brine:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 can of Sprite
  • ½ cup kosher sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon pepper

Ingredients for Chicken:

  • 1 package of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Basic chicken rub
  • Your favorite BBQ sauce
  • Brine

Steps:

  1. Brine your chicken in the ingredients listed above for 30 minutes to several hours.
  2. Rinse and place on a tray, skin side down. Dust the underside with chicken rub.
  3. Prepare your smoker or gas grill.
  4. Roll the chicken thighs so the skin is wrapped completely around the meat. Use a toothpick to hold in place. Sprinkle more rub all over.
  5. Place the thighs as far away from your heat source as possible. At 225 degrees, they will smoke for 2 hours.
  6. After 2 hours of smoke, bring a pot of thinned hot BBQ sauce outside and dunk the thighs in the sauce, and put it back on the grill (do not pierce meat).
  7. After 10-15 minutes the sauce should be caramelized and your thighs are ready. Let them rest for just a couple of minutes and dig in.

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