Barbecue sauce is contentious in a way that few condiments are. Local pride is on the line. Sauce-wise, I’m mostly stateless and am just as happy with North Carolina-style vinegar sauce as I am with a Kansas City sauce made with tomatoes and molasses.
But when it comes to grilled chicken, nothing feels as perfect as the tang of a mustard-based South Carolina-style barbecue sauce.
This recipe pairs zesty, mustard-based barbecue sauce with grilled chicken. The resulting dish has a hint of sweetness and spice, and every bite is wonderfully smoky with an ideal balance of piquant flavors.
Keep in mind that grilling chicken slathered in sauce is a messy business. Be sure to begin with a clean grill grate and then scrub the hot grate with a wire brush after grilling, too.
When preparing your grill, create two zones of heat for hot and indirect heat cooking. First, sear the chicken over hot coals, and then smoke it over indirect heat until cooked through.
Grilled Chicken with South Carolina-Style BBQ Sauce
To save some prep time, the BBQ sauce can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Ingredients:
For the BBQ sauce:- 1 cup prepared yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bottled hot sauce, plus more to taste
- 4 chicken thighs, bone-in with skin
- 4 drumsticks, bone-in with skin
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
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