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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Newsroom Nosh is a column of recipes written by newsroom staff from personal or family recipes.)
Who doesn't love a barbecue in the summer? It is a wonderful time to gather with friends and family while making good memories and eating good food. Plus, you have the added bonus of grilling, swimming, playing yard games and enjoying the outdoors.
When making some fan-favorite summer dishes like grilled chicken, we tend to gravitate towards the simple bottled barbecue sauce. While delicious, it sometimes doesn't hit all of the marks we want in a barbecue sauce -- a little bit of sweetness, subtle heat and a little bit of tang.
I first found this recipe on Pinterest, but I decided to add my own spin to it with adding additional seasoning. It can be used on your grilled chicken or even in a slow-cooker recipe for hamburger barbecue, pulled pork or pulled chicken sandwiches. It is completely adaptable to your liking and it makes one mean sauce. Try it at your next gathering; I promise it won't disappoint.
For this recipe, we are going to be using a reference for a medium size party of guests, say four to six people. If you have an even larger group or a much smaller group, please adapt accordingly. This recipe can easily be "eye-balled." The measurements below are all "at least." You may add more of one thing or less of another. It is all about the taste and what you want out of the sauce.
Mal's Bold BBQ Sauce
4-6 chicken breasts
1 full bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce, Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce, or your favorite barbecue sauce
3/4 cup of Italian dressing, any brand you prefer
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of brown sugar
Garlic salt, additional to taste
Black pepper, additional to taste
Onion powder, additional to taste
First, you will want to take your chicken breasts and season them with garlic salt, black pepper and a little onion powder. Trust me, this concoction is great for any route you want to take with the chicken -- grilling, baking, pan cooking, slow cooking, anything.
If you're going to grill this, you'll want to get your grill going so it is ready for the chicken to be placed on.
While you're waiting for your chosen appliance to heat up, let's start on the sauce.
Grab a bowl, your ingredients and something to stir it all up.
First, you'll want to add all of the barbecue sauce of your choosing. Then you'll want to add the Italian dressing, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Stir.
Here is where you will want to adapt to your liking. Take a taste. Is it too much barbecue and not enough zest? Add more Italian dressing. Does it feel one-note? Add more Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt and pepper. Can't feel the sweetness? Add more brown sugar.
Once you get it to your liking, you'll want to take a basting brush or something similar to drizzle the dressing over each chicken breast, making sure they are coated for the grill.
Make sure you have some dressing left over to continue to brush the chicken as it is being cooked, ensuring the chicken is not dry.
Make sure to cook until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Drizzle any left-over sauce at the very end of the grilling to have it be extra saucy.
You can serve this with other grilling, summer time favorites for a full meal. It would pair well with potatoes and corn on the cob at your next gathering.
If you are using a slow cooker for this recipe, you can put your seasoned chicken breasts into the cooker and then add all of the sauce mixture on top. You'll want to cook this on low for the entire day, mixing occasionally. Shred the chicken at least an hour before you plan to eat to let the sauce continue to develop. Once it looks cooked all the way through, grab your sandwich bun and enjoy with a side dish of your choice.