Chef John's Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 whole chicken, into halves
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons barbeque sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup barbeque sauce, or as needed

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Ready Time: 2 hrs


• cut 1/2-inch deep slashes in the skin-side of each chicken half; 2 cuts in each breast, 2 in the thigh, and 1 on the leg; remove wing tips.
• whisk rice vinegar, barbeque sauce, and garlic together in large bowl. place chicken in bowl and turn to coat chicken in the marinade. arrange chicken halves, cut-side down, in the bottom of the marinade bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• remove chicken from bowl, pat chicken dry with paper towels, and discard marinade. place chicken halves, skin-side up, on a plate and season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
• cook chicken, skin-side down, on the preheated grill for 3 to 4 minutes. turn chicken over, close the lid of the grill, and cook, basting with remaining barbeque sauce ever 6 minutes, until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 35 minutes. an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees f (74 degrees c).