Barbecue chicken
Encyclopedia
Barbecue chicken is chicken
parts seasoned and coated in a barbecue sauce
, then grilled
or smoked. In North America, barbecue chicken is often seasoned with a dry rub, then coated with a tomato based barbecue sauce, and grilled.
In Europe, chicken is marinated in a vinegar and oil mixture, similar to a vinaigrette
, then grilled and served with a cream sauce
.
In Asia
, chicken is sometimes cubed and marinated in a spiced soy-based sauce
, then threaded onto skewers
and grilled.
Regional variations include cooking techniques and saucing differences. In Australia barbecue chicken does not always refer to sauces or rubs but is often used to describe whole chickens cooked on slow turning spits/rotisseries. In Western North Carolina
, thin tomato and vinegar based sauces are common, and chicken is often smoked slowly over a barbecue. In Texas
, barbecue usually refers to ribs
, but many barbecue restaurants in Texas serve barbecue chicken seasoned with rub, sometimes called "dalmatian rub", that is made of salt
and pepper
. The chicken is often served with a very hot vinegar or even beer
-based barbecue sauce.
In Georgia
, slightly sweet sauces with quite a bit of mustard
are used on chicken. In Alabama
, egg or mayonnaise-based white sauces are sometimes served with chicken at the table as a dipping sauce.
In Kentucky
, chicken is a favorite meat for barbecuing
along with lamb and mutton.
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
parts seasoned and coated in a barbecue sauce
Barbecue sauce
Barbecue sauce is a flavoring sauce or condiment ranging from watery to very thick consistency. As the name implies, it was created as an accompaniment to barbecued foods. While it can be applied to any food, it usually tops meat after cooking or during barbecuing, grilling, or baking...
, then grilled
Grilling
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been cut into slices...
or smoked. In North America, barbecue chicken is often seasoned with a dry rub, then coated with a tomato based barbecue sauce, and grilled.
In Europe, chicken is marinated in a vinegar and oil mixture, similar to a vinaigrette
Vinaigrette
The word vinaigrette or vinegarette can refer to:*Vinaigrette, the salad dressing or sauce...
, then grilled and served with a cream sauce
Sauce
In cooking, a sauce is liquid, creaming or semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods. Sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to another dish. Sauce is a French word taken from the Latin salsus, meaning salted...
.
In Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, chicken is sometimes cubed and marinated in a spiced soy-based sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
, then threaded onto skewers
Skewer
A skewer is a thin metal or wood stick used to hold pieces of food together. They are used while grilling or roasting meats, and in other culinary applications....
and grilled.
Regional variations include cooking techniques and saucing differences. In Australia barbecue chicken does not always refer to sauces or rubs but is often used to describe whole chickens cooked on slow turning spits/rotisseries. In Western North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, thin tomato and vinegar based sauces are common, and chicken is often smoked slowly over a barbecue. In Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, barbecue usually refers to ribs
Ribs (food)
Ribs of beef, lamb, venison, and pork are a cut of meat. The term ribs usually refers to the less meaty part of the chops, often cooked as a slab .They can be roasted, grilled, baked, braised, or smoked....
, but many barbecue restaurants in Texas serve barbecue chicken seasoned with rub, sometimes called "dalmatian rub", that is made of salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
. The chicken is often served with a very hot vinegar or even beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
-based barbecue sauce.
In Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, slightly sweet sauces with quite a bit of mustard
Mustard (condiment)
Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant...
are used on chicken. In Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, egg or mayonnaise-based white sauces are sometimes served with chicken at the table as a dipping sauce.
In Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, chicken is a favorite meat for barbecuing
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
along with lamb and mutton.