Root Beer Smoked Chicken
Using Root Beer as a mop or bbq sauce may be a strange thing, but you'll be amazed at how good the chicken legs and thighs are. Especially because you've got a little Cajun spice flavor from my dry rub recipe. Any leftover Root Beer Mop can easily be reduced utnil it's thick, then you can use it as a Root Beer BBQ Sauce.My preferred wood chips for smoking chicken is mesquite, because I feel that the flavor of these wood chips really compliments the flavor of chicken. In a pinch I've used other smoking chips like hickory also.
What better to serve with these Smoked Chicken Thighs than 30 Minute, Baked Beans, Slaw (Coleslaw), or even, one of my favorites, straight off a 19050's Jell-O box, Jell-O Salad.
- 1 Bottle Root Beer, 12 ounce
- 1/4 Cup Butt Kickin' Blacken
- 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Mustard
- Additional Root Beer, as needed
- Hickory or Mesquite Wood Chips, as needed
1. It's best to start the day before you want to make this.
2. Make up a single recipe for the Butt Kickin' Cocoa Rub.
3. Rinse, then dry the chicken, then cut off any additional fat or skin.
4. Coat the chicken with a little oil then with the Cocoa Rub, place in a plastic bag, and set in the refrigerator.
Ron's Note:
Although this is my preferred method, in a pinch, you can get away with putting the rub on the chicken just prior to placing it on the grill.
5. The next day, Soak the chips in water for at least one hour. Then, make up 1 recipe for Butt Kickin' Root Beer Mop.
Start the grill:
6. While the grill is getting ready, place the soaked wood chips in pouch made from aluminum foil.
7. If the coals are too hot, cool them down first, by sprinkling them with a little water. When the grill is ready, poke a couple of holes in the smoke pouch, place it on the grill then the chicken, skin side down, and put the lid on. Regulate the heat so that you don't have too much under the chicken or it will burn.
8. Turn the chicken after 15 - 20 minutes, and baste with the mop.
9. As you're cooking, be sure to rotate the chicken on the grill to keep it from burning.
10. Continue smoking and cookin' for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, turning and basting the chicken with the Root Beer Mop ever 15 - 20 minutes or, until the chicken is done. Total cooking time will depend upon the heat of your grill, and the thickness of the chicken, but you don't want the meat that's close to the bone to be bloody.
2. Make up a single recipe for the Butt Kickin' Cocoa Rub.
3. Rinse, then dry the chicken, then cut off any additional fat or skin.
4. Coat the chicken with a little oil then with the Cocoa Rub, place in a plastic bag, and set in the refrigerator.
Ron's Note:
Although this is my preferred method, in a pinch, you can get away with putting the rub on the chicken just prior to placing it on the grill.
5. The next day, Soak the chips in water for at least one hour. Then, make up 1 recipe for Butt Kickin' Root Beer Mop.
Start the grill:
6. While the grill is getting ready, place the soaked wood chips in pouch made from aluminum foil.
7. If the coals are too hot, cool them down first, by sprinkling them with a little water. When the grill is ready, poke a couple of holes in the smoke pouch, place it on the grill then the chicken, skin side down, and put the lid on. Regulate the heat so that you don't have too much under the chicken or it will burn.
8. Turn the chicken after 15 - 20 minutes, and baste with the mop.
9. As you're cooking, be sure to rotate the chicken on the grill to keep it from burning.
10. Continue smoking and cookin' for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, turning and basting the chicken with the Root Beer Mop ever 15 - 20 minutes or, until the chicken is done. Total cooking time will depend upon the heat of your grill, and the thickness of the chicken, but you don't want the meat that's close to the bone to be bloody.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this recipe, or any other of my recipes you've either looked at or tried.
- Whether or not you like this recipe and why.
- How you'd like to see it different.
- Suggestions for new recipes I could post.
- Recipes you've made using Butt Kickin' Blacken.
Root Beer Smoked Chicken
I like cooking a lot of grilled chicken legs and thighs because I love to eat the leftover pieces, cold, right out of the refrigerator.
However, if you'd like to warm them up, you could easily place them into a pot (for the stove), or a container (for microwave), add a little extra root beer bbq mop or sauce, a tablespoon of water, and heat over low temperature until they're warm. Adding the water creates the steam that will help the chicken legs heat.
