Lunch / Dinner
Root Beer Barbecue Chicken
Sound bizarre? Maybe, but this root beer sauce packs a punch. It provides the unusual flavors of sassafras, sarsaparilla, cherry, and ginger extracts.
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN, COAT:
FOR THE ROOT BEER SAUCE, SAUTÉ:
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
For the chicken, coat chicken with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast 45 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate with oil.
For the root beer sauce, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, 2–3 minutes. Add root beer, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until reduced to ½ cup, about 15 minutes. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, Worcestershire, and pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add lime juice.
Dip chicken into barbecue sauce to coat, then grill, covered, 5 minutes. Dip pieces in sauce again, turn over, and grill until charred and crisp, 5 minutes more. Serve chicken with sliced fresh tomatoes on the side.
Precooking the chicken prevents it from scorching on the outside before it cooks through inside.
Add 2 cups root beer and reduce until it's syrup-like. Keep an eye on it — it can burn quickly.
Dip chicken into sauce — since it's cooked, there's no need to worry about cross contamination.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per 2 pieces
Calories: 588
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 60%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 140mg 46%
Sodium 443mg 18%
Carbs 23g 7%
Fiber 0g 0%
Protein 35g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.