OVEN BARBECUED CHICKEN

I made this for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it was an instant hit with Picky-Picky husband. As a matter of fact, he gave it a thumbs up three times before the dinner dishes were done (that is almost unheard of).

Basted with a maple flavored barbecue sauce; this recipe produces a mildly sweet and sticky-yummy chicken. Served with biscuits and corn on the cob, it is a great way to enjoy barbecue flavor (indoors) during the fast approaching winter season.

 

 

 



Start with a nice big chicken; I usually buy whole chickens that are about 4 pounds.  I split it down the back (removing the backbone) so that you can lay it out flat; it cooks very evenly that way.

 

Place the chicken (rinsed and patted dry) in a baking dish and brush it with the following quick-mix sauce:

 

1/3 cup REAL maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

1/3 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon (dry) salt free seasoning (I use Penzey's)

pinch of cayenne pepper (more if you like heat)

generous quarter teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

 

Mix well  and pour over the chicken, making sure it coats everything.  Bake at 350° for  90 minutes*, basting every 30 minutes or so.

 



Any kind of (dry) salt free seasoning will work,

we like the Penzey brand

 



 

Mildly Sweet and Sticky, just right!!

 

We like a whole baked chicken, but I'm sure this would

work well on a cut up chicken too.

 

 

NOTE: I bake four pound chickens (at 350°) for about 90 minutes, but the baking time for YOUR chicken depends on how big it is.