Barbecued Chicken
Grilled chicken is juicier and tastes better when you brine it first—and the sweet and smoky homemade barbecue sauce doesn't add extra calories from sugar.
Recipe Ingredients:
Barbecue Sauce:
3 cups reduced-sugar ketchup
1/4 cup SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon paprika
11/2 teaspoons salt
11/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
Chicken:
1/4 cup SPLENDA® Sugar Blend
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup hot tap water
3 cups cold water
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cooking Directions:
- For Barbecue Sauce: Combine all ingredients for barbecue sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened. (Top with a splatter guard during cooking.)
- Use immediately or cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
- For Chicken: Combine Splenda® Sugar Blend, salt, and hot water in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and shake to dissolve Splenda® and salt. Add cold water and chicken. Press air out of bag, seal, and refrigerate 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Remove chicken from brine and discard brine. Refrigerate chicken until half an hour before you want to grill it (up to 1 day). Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with pepper. Let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Heat grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate and coat with oil.
- Put chicken on grill, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes on one side. Flip chicken and brush with barbecue sauce. Cook another 5 to 7 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear (about 170°F | 80°C) on an instant-read thermometer).
- Coat chicken with 1 1/2 cups Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): Calories: 270; Calories from Fat: 60; Total Fat: 7g;Saturated Fat: 1.5g; Cholesterol: 70mg; Sodium: 1770mg; Total Carbs: 25g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugars: 68g; Protein: 22g.
Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Splenda, Inc; through ECES, Inc., Electronic Color Editorial Services.