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Prep time
24 hours
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Cook time
30 minutes
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Serves
4-6
Author Notes
When temps are still north of 95 degrees outside, I always try to avoid turning on my oven in the summer as I don’t want to heat up my house and make my AC work any harder. With that in mind, I tend to head outside, fire up the grill and get together with friends or family for a night of great food and good laughs. The combination of a warm summer breeze, unique flavors and good company creates the ideal setting for a warm summer night get-together.
I’m always more experimental when it comes to grilling as it’s the perfect opportunity to mix classic flavors with non-traditional sauces and rubs. Whether you're a seasoned griller or just getting started, there is always something new to try — and that always keeps your guests coming back for more.
The standard BBQ chicken is a classic but sometimes can be a reliable taste, and who wants that time after time. This recipe uses Asian flavors and sauces to create a four-prong flavor bomb that balances the sweet with heat, acid, salt and umami. I’ve been loving this Soy Brined BBQ Chicken with Hot Honey Hoisin BBQ sauce from The Gill Dads; try it out and let me know what you think! —Emily Smith
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Ingredients
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1 gallon
water
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1 cup
Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Soy Sauce
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1/2 cup
Kosher salt
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1
Naval orange zest
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2 tablespoons
black peppercorns
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1/3 cup
brown sugar
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4
smashed garlic cloves
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1
1” piece of fresh ginger, roughly peeled
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5
chicken leg quarters
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1
20oz. Bottle of Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce
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2 tablespoons
Lee Kum Kee Sriracha Chili Sauce
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2 tablespoons
Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Soy Sauce
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2 tablespoons
Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Flavored Sauce
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1/2 cup
rice vinegar
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2 tablespoons
honey
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1
blood orange, halved
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1
Naval orange, halved
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3
limes, halved
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1/3 cup
chives, chopped (1/2" long)
Directions
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Combine all brine ingredients besides the chicken in a large container. Whisk aggressively.
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Add your chicken and place it in the fridge for 12-24 hours — 24 hours is preferred.
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When you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and pat it dry. Let it sit while you prepare your sauce and heat up your grill.
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Heat your smoker to 400ºF and allow it to pre-heat for at least 30 minutes. We like to cook our chicken on a rack on a sheet tray so the hot air can circulate and we don’t get sugary BBQ sauce inside the grill, but you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.
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To make your sauce, add all of the ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.
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Test for seasoning. If it is too sweet, add more vinegar. If it isn’t spicy enough, add more Sriracha Chili Sauce. If it is too tart, add more honey. It most likely won’t need salt, but add some, as needed.
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Simmer for about 5-7 minutes, then remove from the heat.
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Place the chicken in the smoker and cook until the internal heat hits about 165ºF. Our target final temp is 175ºF internal. This temp is great for dark meat because it renders out all the connective tissue without drying it out. This would be way overcooked if it were a chicken breast, so adjust if you’ve made the mistake of switching. Once you are at 165ºF, start basting the chicken with sauce. Once basted, close the lid for a minute or two, then baste again. Keep repeating this until the chicken hits 175ºF and remove. Allow it to cool as you grill the citrus.
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Grill all of the citrus. Give the chicken a healthy squeeze of the juice from each citrus. Top with chives and serve!
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