
Poultry
BBQ Chicken with Bite-Through Skin
A steamed butter bath is the secret to these prize-winning chicken thighs that are moist and delicious.

Servings
8 servings
Level
Medium
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 gallon cold water
- ¼ cup salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cups Challenge Butter (1½ sticks)
- 1 Tablespoon seasoning salt
- ½ Tablespoon white sugar
- ½ Tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ Tablespoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 – 1¼ cups barbecue sauce
- Cherry wood chips (optional)
Directions
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1Trim excess skin and fat from chicken.
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2Combine salt and brown sugar in cold water in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Refrigerate two to four hours.
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3Preheat one grill zone, opposite from side you will be cooking on, to 300-325 degrees.*
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4Remove chicken from brine and rinse with cold water.
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5Cut butter in ¼ inch slices and place in foil pan. Place wire rack in pan and chicken on the rack, bone side up. Cover entire chicken with rub and cover tightly with foil.
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6Place foil covered pan on grill. No wood chips are needed yet. Cook 1 to 1½ hours, checking meat temperature at 1 hour. Once chicken reaches 185 to 195 degrees, remove from grill.
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7Warm sauce and dip each thigh into the sauce and place on a rack. Serve or for a little smoky flavor, add wood chips or smoke pouch to grill.
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8Once smoke is generated, place chicken (still on rack) on the grate and smoke for 15 minutes at 300 to 325 degrees. Do not over-smoke.