BUTTERMILK BARBECUE CHICKEN

Buttermilk Barbecue Chicken image

Buttermilk is a very popular marinade for fried chicken, but for whatever reason, it isn't often used with other chicken cooking methods. Which is kind of surprising, especially when you taste just how effective it is for something like this beautiful barbecued chicken. Yogurt, a very similar product, is quite popular in grilled chicken marinades. So, why not use buttermilk? This goes great with coleslaw, potato salad, and a squeeze of lemon.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Whole Chicken Recipes

Time 7h5m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 (3 pound) whole chicken

Steps:

Whisk buttermilk, brown sugar, cider vinegar, garlic, thyme, pepper, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt together in a bowl.
Trim wing flats from the chicken. Cut along both sides of the backbone from the tail to the neck; remove backbone. Make a 1/4-inch-deep cut through the piece of cartilage in the center. Open up both sides to reveal breastbone; lift out. Cut chicken in half through the center line.
Place both halves in a resealable zip-top bag and pour in the buttermilk marinade. Place the bag in a bowl to catch any leaks. Press air out and seal. Marinate in the fridge for 6 to 18 hours.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove chicken from marinade and transfer onto a paper towel-lined plate. Blot off excess marinade.
Place chicken on the grill cut-side down, skin-side up; cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Flip chicken over and continue grilling for 7 to 10 minutes. Flip once more and grill until no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 322.5 calories, Carbohydrate 15.4 g, Cholesterol 116.9 mg, Fat 10.5 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 40.2 g, SaturatedFat 3.1 g, Sodium 2120.2 mg, Sugar 13 g