Italian Bbq Chicken

This is the three-ingredient BBQ chicken hack every grill cook should know. Bottled barbecue sauce mixed with Italian dressing creates a basting glaze that’s tangier and herbier than straight BBQ sauce alone, with garlic-and-oregano notes from the dressing playing against the smoke and sweet from the sauce.

The Italian dressing is doing double work. The vinegar in it thins the BBQ sauce just enough to brush smoothly, while the herbs and garlic powder build flavor depth that no single bottled sauce delivers. Use a zesty Italian dressing, not creamy.

Grilling over low coals is the move. High heat scorches the sugar-loaded sauce before the chicken cooks through, leaving you with charred skin and raw meat. Low and slow lets the chicken render fat, brown gradually, and finish tender with a lacquered glaze, not a burnt one.

Brush sauce only during the last 30 minutes. Saucing earlier exposes the sugars to too much heat and they turn into a bitter crust.

Flip the chicken every 10 to 15 minutes during the saucing phase for even glaze buildup and to prevent any one side from charring.

Pro Tips

• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before grilling. Wet skin won’t crisp.
• Use bone-in chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, breasts) for moister meat than boneless.
• Set up a two-zone fire (one side hot for searing, one side cooler for finishing) so you can move pieces as they brown.
• Internal temperature should hit 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. Use a thermometer rather than guessing.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of bourbon or whiskey to the sauce mix for a smoky-boozy kick.
• Swap Italian dressing for Caesar dressing for a richer, garlickier glaze.
• Spike the sauce with a teaspoon of red pepper flakes or hot sauce for heat that builds across bites with grilled corn on the side.