Char-Grizzled Whole Barbecue Chicken

This is one of the best whole chicken BBQ recipes that we have tasted this year. It is fairly easy to put together, and most of all, it is enjoyable to cook. It has to be said that the smoky and woody chicken flavor is very, very satisfying.

As always, when cooking a whole chicken, be sure to increase your cooking times.

If you do use BBQ sauce with your whole smoked chicken, allow it to char a little in small areas because you don't want any thin sauce ruining your whole barbecue chicken.

Preparation time with marination is two to four hours, overnight is preferable if you have the time available, and this recipe serves 4 people comfortably.

INGREDIENTS

1 Whole Chicken
1 Bottle of italian dressing
Salt, pepper and garlic powder
Dried red pepper flakes
2 Tbls. Lemon Juice
Your favorite BBQ sauce
Oak or Hickory wood chips for smoking

To make the Grizzly Smoked Whole BBQ Chicken

In a large mixing bowl, pour the Italian dressing in along with the lime juice. Add 3 teaspoons of pepper, 2 teaspoons of salt, and about 2 tablespoons of garlic powder.

Add in 1 tablespoon of the red pepper flakes. If you have a large freezer bag to marinate the chicken in then use that; otherwise, you'll just have to use the mixing bowl.

Skin the chicken if you prefer and put it in the marinade mixture. Seal tightly and put in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Brush the grate with oil so that the chicken does not stick first before lighting up your smoker or grill.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, start your barbecue charcoal grill with the charcoal just as normal. While you are waiting for the coals to turn gray, go ahead and soak the wood chips in water.

When the charcoals are hot , spread them out on the bottom of your grill as normal.

Place several new briquettes of charcoal on top and also a couple of handfuls of wood chips, making sure to remove as much excess water as possible before placing them into the fire so that you do not bring cooking to an abrupt halt!

Place the BBQ griddle directly over the fire but not too close to the coals.

Immediately place the bird on the griddle and then choke all air off of the fire to prevent any flare ups.

Once the fire has died down a bit, open a small hole for air to enter, just enough to keep the fire on the go without burning at too high a temperature. Remember that chicken has a tendency to burn easily, especially if the skin is still on, so be careful here. It is better to take your time and cook the chicken slowly so that there is no chance of over doing the meat.

Barbecued chicken takes longer to cook than a lot of meats so be patient. Also, place the thicker pieces over the hottest part of the fire, and the wings to the outside if you have chosen to cut them off and cook them seperately.

Add more wood chips and charcoal as necessary during cooking, and turn the meat several times. Wait until chicken no longer sticks to grill grates before turning the first time.

When the chicken is nearly done (juices will run clear on piercing), add a generous amount of barbecue sauce on each side and sear it on both sides until it is not longer runny and it shows a few black spots. This final stage is worth taking an extra few minutes to do as the finished result will be that much better.

Serve your grizzly barbecue chicken recipe warm with additional BBQ sauce on the side if your prefer.

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