Smoky Orange Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches Food

RANCH CHICKEN SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Combine 1/4 cup buttermilk, the hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat; let stand 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the ranch sauce: Mince the garlic with 1/4 teaspoon salt on a cutting board; mash with the flat side of a chef's knife to make a paste. Combine the garlic paste, mayonnaise, vinegar, the remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk and the chives in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the chicken to the grill, letting the excess marinade drip off. Grill until marked on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes, then flip the chicken, top each piece with a slice of cheese and continue grilling until just cooked through, 2 to 4 more minutes.
• Spread each roll with some of the ranch sauce and fill with the chicken, lettuce and tomato. Serve with potato chips.

THE ULTIMATE BARBECUED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme. Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you've only got 15 minutes, that's fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving along side the chicken at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basing the legs.
• Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
• Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes. Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce and then return to the oven for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time. Serve with extra sauce.

BARBECUE CHICKEN SANDWICHES WITH PICKLED OKRA SLAW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken in a medium saucepan and add 2 cups water, the okra brine, large scallion pieces and dill sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and partially cover. Simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss the coleslaw mix, pickled okra and the chopped scallions and dill in a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss; set aside. Brush the buns with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; place on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
• Reserve 1/2 cup poaching liquid, then drain the chicken and transfer to a cutting board. Shred the chicken with 2 forks and return to the pot. Add the chili sauce, molasses, mustard, the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/4 cup of the reserved poaching liquid. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes, adding the remaining poaching liquid as needed if the chicken is too dry. Pile the pulled chicken on the buns and serve with the slaw.

SLOW-COOKER SAUCY ORANGE-BARBECUED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Spray 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown on both sides (cook a few pieces at a time if all don't fit in skillet).
• Place chicken in slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 7 hours or until chicken is tender. About 30 minutes before serving, in 1-quart saucepan, heat sauce ingredients over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
• Drain excess liquid from slow cooker. Pour sauce over chicken; cook 10 to 15 minutes longer.

SMOKY ORANGE BARBECUED CHICKEN SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat a grill pan over med-high heat.
• Heat a small saucepan over medium heat; add in oil and saute onion 3-5 minutes or until soft.
• In a blender, combine chipotle peppers in adobo, ketchup, orange juice concentrate, orange zest, and chicken broth; blend on high speed until sauce is smooth.
• Pour sauce into saucepan with onion; heat to a bubble; decrease heat to simmer.
• Coat chicken lightly with a drizzle of oil and season with grill seasoning blend or salt and pepper.
• Grill 5-6 minutes on the first side, turn.
• Remove half of the barbecue sauce to a small bowl and baste chicken liberally with it.
• Turn chicken after 4 minutes; coat with sauce again and cook another 2-3 minutes.
• To serve: slice grilled chicken on an angle and fan out 1 breast on each bun bottom.
• Spoon remaining sauce from saucepan over the sliced chicken.
• Serve oven faced with the lettuce and red onion setting on bun tops to the side; garnish with orange wedges.