Oven-Barbecued Chicken

I am sure most people can tell that Bernie and I like spicy foods.  So, I tried something a little different.  We do have barbecue chicken, but usually it is cooked on the grill and we use bottled barbecue sauce.  I am really proud of myself for make homemade barbecue sauce – and Bernie actually liked it.  The sauce is really, really sweet.  I prefer spicy still, but Bernie thought this was a nice change of pace.

Sweet and Tangy Oven-Barbecued Chicken, from Cook’s Illustrated, published May 1, 2004

Serves 4 .

Ingredients

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons grated onion

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

1 tablespoon vegetable olive oil

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, about 5 inches from upper heating element; heat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk ketchup, onion, Worcestershire, mustard, molasses, maple syrup, vinegar, chili powder, and cayenne in small bowl; set aside. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

2,  Heat oil in non-stick skillet.  Brown chicken until a very light golden, just a few minutes.  Turn to brown the other side.  Once browned, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.  Wipe out skillet and return to heat.  Add sauce mixture and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula until sauce is thick and glossy – about 4 minutes.  Return chicken to skillet and to to coat thickly with sauce.

3.  Set chicken in baking dish and spoon extra sauce over each piece to create a thick coating.  Place in oven and cook about 20 minutes.  Set oven to broil and cook additional 5-10 minutes.

Yum!