Chicken BBQ

There is nothing better than succulent barbecued chicken, but just what are the best BBQ chicken recipes. It should be pretty simple, coat the chicken in BBQ sauce and cook it on the grill, but all too often it ends in charred dry chicken that really does not taste very good at all. I have put together some tips on making very tasty BBQ chicken that will not disappoint.

The main key to great chicken recipes is to initially cook it over a low heat, this will ensure the meat is cooked thoroughly and not result in charred skin. Once it is practically cooked, approx 20-30 minutes, move it to a higher heat and baste with BBQ sauce to finish it off. If you are using a charcoal barbecue you will need to pile your charcoal one end of the grill and cook the chicken at the other end for the first step. If you have a gas BBQ grill you can control the heat via the burners.

So that is the best way to cook the meat, but what about the taste? I always use a dry rub to season my meat prior to cooking. This can be done up to a day before you need it and just kept in the fridge. The main ingredients that I use for the rub are salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder, sugar, chilli powder and cumin. But it is really a personal choice what you put into it, some like hot and spicy others don't. Do not be afraid to experiment and try different combinations. Just mix all the ingredients together and sprinkle over the chicken. I usually put it all in a food bag and toss the chicken in the bag to make sure it is fully coated.You can then leave the food bag in the fridge until needed.

Then all you need is BBQ sauce. I am always seeing people cover their meat in the sauce before they put it on the grill - this should be avoided at all costs. It will dry out your meat and can lead to burning. Any sauce you want to use to baste meat on a barbecue should be added towards the end of cooking to ensure the flavour is preserved. There are some very good BBQ sauces that can be bought in your local stores or you can make your own. I always use a ketchup base and then add mustard, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar in varying quantities until I like the taste. Just boil it up and then let it simmer until it thickens.

So the key points to remember are:

Season your meat prior to cooking

Cook the chicken over a low heat for 20-30 minutes until browned

Transfer to high heat and baste with your BBQ sauce

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Chicken salad is a great quick lite recipe to make for the summer. I love sub sandwiches and there is a fast food sub place I frequent a lot but I won't mention them here. You'll have to guess who they are. Here's a hint, some man named Jared lost a lot of weight eating them. Anyway they have added one of my favorite gourmet food sandwiches back to their menu for the summer.

Even though they are relatively a cheap place to eat, I still like trying to cut corners on spending as little money as possible. I like coming up with my version of how I make something you buy at a fast food restaurant. It's healthier, cheaper and probably taste better than the original. Here, I will share my Fruity Chicken Salad sub. This is a simple gourmet recipe where you can put your own creativity into what ingredients you like in your sub sandwich.

Ingredients

12-16 oz can chicken

1/2 cup grapes (red, green or both)

1 celery stalk

half onion

1/2 cup mayo

1 peach yogurt cup

1 tsp rosemary

2 tbsp dill

1/4 cup green peppers

1/2 cup of raisins, cranberries & almonds

spinach

black olives

hot pepperjack cheese

cucumbers

In a large mixing bowl add the can chicken drained. Chop your onions, celery and green pepper small and add to chicken. Add the fruit mix with almonds in along with the grapes. Add the mayo and peach yogurt and mix well with the ingredients. Add the dill and salt and pepper to season. Don't skimp on the dill, it gives the salad a nice flavor after it's been in the refrigerator. The longer in the fridge the better tasting. Choose your favorite bread. I use any kind of bread but if I'm making subs, I will use an Italian loaf or french bread. I cut the loaf in half then slice the half separating the top and bottom. I use two slices of pepperjack cheese to line the bottom bread then top with my cold chicken salad. You are ready to dress you sandwich. I like lots of black olives, spinach and cucumbers lined neatly across the sandwich. You can choose whatever toppings for your sandwich according to your taste. I don't use any other dressing on mine because the mayo and peach yogurt is enough but you can. Fold the sandwich together and you have fruity chicken subs.