But when it comes to grilled chicken, nothing feels as perfect as the tang of a mustard-based South Carolina-style barbecue sauce.
What is South Carolina-Sytle BBQ 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.
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
For the chicken:
4 chicken thighs, bone-in with skin 4 drumsticks, bone-in with skin 1 tablespoon sea salt
Turn the heat to medium-low, and cook until sauce has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes more. When done, the sauce should be thick enough that a spoon will leave trails through the sauce when you stir. Set aside to cool. Once cool, measure 3/4 cup into a small bowl for the chicken. Set aside remaining sauce for serving. (Prepared sauce can also be made ahead and kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.) After 5 to 7 minutes, flip chicken. Cook another 12 to 15 minutes until chicken is a rich golden brown, cooked through, and reaches an internal temperature of at least 175°F when tested with a meat thermometer. (I usually cook these thighs and drumsticks to a slightly higher internal temperature to be sure the meat is thoroughly cooked; the sauce and indirect heat keep the chicken from drying out.)
