Chicken
Smoky, Crispy Chicken Thighs with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
As we have seen, griddles and planchas offer many culinary benefits. But the one thing they can’t do is make barbecue. Or can they? What got me into writing this book was a technique I developed called smoke-griddling. (In a nutshell, you heat your griddle on a charcoal grill, adding wood chunks to the fire to generate smoke.) But can you actually smoke on a griddle? You can, and these crusty on the outside, moist and smoky on the inside chicken thighs—served with Alabama’s vinegary, peppery white barbecue sauce—offer edible proof.
Chicken Thighs with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Smoky, Crispy Chicken Thighs with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Recipe Notes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (910 g) chicken thighs (preferably skin-on and bone-in)
- Coarse salt (sea or kosher) and plenty of freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil or olive oil for the chicken and griddle
- Alabama White Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
You’ll also need:
- 2 wood chunks or 1-1/2 cups (135 g) hardwood chips, soaked (if griddling on a charcoal grill) or ¼ cup (23 g) hardwood chips, unsoaked, or hardwood sawdust or pellets if using a standing griddle
- An instant-read thermometer
Recipe Steps
1: Generously season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.
2: Set up your grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium. Have a few coals in the center under where you’ll position the griddle or plancha. Add the griddle and oil it with vegetable oil.
3: Place the chicken thighs skin side up on the griddle. Add 2 wood chunks or chips to the fire. Close the grill lid. Adjust the vents to obtain a temperature of 350°F (175°C).
4: Smoke-griddle the chicken thighs until sizzling, browned, and cooked through. (The internal temperature will be 165°F/74°C on an instant-read meat thermometer.) Alternatively, make a slit in the underside of the thighs to make sure there’s no red at the bone. Invert the chicken thighs toward the end of the cooking time to crisp and brown the skin. The total cooking time will be 30 to 40 minutes.
5: Transfer the chicken to a platter or plates and serve with the Alabama White Barbecue Sauce on the side.
What Else:: If you do your griddling on a charcoal grill, smoking is easy. But if you’re working on a standing, gas-fired griddle, you can still smoke the chicken. The secret lies in burning wood chips on the griddle and capturing the smoke under a griddle dome.
What’s More:: To cook the chicken thighs on a gas-fired griddle: Heat your griddle with one medium zone and one high zone. Oil the medium zone. Place the wood chips on the high zone of the griddle. After a few minutes, they’ll darken and start smoking. At this point, using a scraper or spatula, slide them to the medium zone. Arrange the chicken on the griddle, skin side down. Lower the griddle dome over the chicken and smoking wood chips. Cook until the chicken thighs are sizzling, crusty, and browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Finish with the skin side up. Test for doneness and serve as directed above.
Recipe Tips
Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Makes 1 cup (240 ml)
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
• 2/3 cup (150 g) mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann’s)
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons prepared white horseradish or freshly grated horseradish (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (optional)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (sea or kosher)
This tangy white condiment is one of the world’s more unusual barbecue sauces. It originated at Big Bob Gibson’s in Decatur, Alabama, where legend has it that the original Big Bob created it in the 1920s for a customer who disliked tomatoes. It sounds strange. It is strange, but it goes great with barbecued chicken. Note: The freshly grated horseradish and mustard are optional (they’re not in the traditional recipe), but I like how they spice up the chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions about Smoky Crispy Chicken Thighs
Yes—reduce the horseradish or pepper mash, or swap cider vinegar for a gentler white wine vinegar. Taste as you go for your perfect balance.
Start with high heat to render fat, then smoke over indirect coals. Finish directly over the flame to re-crisp the skin before serving.
Find This Recipe
And More
Project Griddle
Prized for their accessibility and versatility—and because they’re so much fun to use—griddles (also known as planchas and flat-tops) are …
Buy Now ‣
