Barbecue Chicken Recipe – Thanksgiving Beyond Turkey

Barbecue Chicken Recipe – Thanksgiving Beyond Turkey 1I admit that a Turkey dinner is what comes to mind when I plan my family Thanksgiving dinner. But are you like me and haven’t even bought the turkey till now? We can make a delicious Thanksgiving spread with this barbecue chicken recipe from the House of Q, with a sauce that combines the qualities of a tomato and vinegar based barbecue sauce.

I’m going to try something offbeat with the House of Q Rock n’ Red BBQ sauce. I’ll do an indoor Cajun grilled chicken, because if there’s one barbecue chicken recipe that doesn’t require much ado, it might be this. It’s got all the delicious flavour, minus the negatives of long cooking time that goes hand in hand with turkey.

I love this barbecue chicken recipe so so much because it’s easy and requires just common kitchen ingredients. Anyone can make this with zero kitchen experience. Add in some vegetarian side dishes and you’ve got a seriously beautiful, crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving dinner on your hands.

Last October, I cooked Turkey and, and enjoyed Thanksgiving with my daughter Kass and my two nieces Becky and Alison (eating a turkey drumstick in the picture). I made some quick decisions and kept the cooking simple – and I wasn’t too tired to spend some quality time with family. This year, I’ll go with barbecue chicken.

For my offbeat Cajun grilled chicken Thanksgiving dinner this year, I will use the brining technique and get the best flavours of tomato and vinegar based barbecue sauce, all in one with the House of Q Rock’n Red Barbecue sauce. I will also double the recipe, and spend some quality time with family.

eating turkey
BBQ Brian’s daughter, Kass (on left), nieces Becky (center), Alison (right)

Here’s a little brining secret from the House of Q – use a syringe to inject marinade inside chicken.  This recipe takes classic Cajun flavour and makes chicken ridiculously juicy and tasty. Melt butter in the saucepan and add seasonings and spices AFTER it cools to room temperature. And yes – remember to inject as you’re pulling the syringe out of the chicken – very important.

Cajun Injection

Salt – sea or kosher2tbsp
Garlic powder2tsp
White pepper2 tsp
Cayenne pepper2 tsp
Onion powder2 tsp
Melted Butter1 cup

Rinse and pat dry the chicken pieces.  Prepare the injection as above and prepare your syringe. Fill the syringe with the marinade and insert into the meat.  For larger pieces, move the syringe over about an inch and repeat the process.

Cajun Injected Chicken

Mixed chicken pieces2-3 lbs
House Rub4 tbsp
Ground thyme2 tsp
White pepper1 tsp
House of Q Rock’n Red BBQ Sauce4-6 tbsp

In a clean bowl mix the seasoning together and sprinkle all over the chicken pieces.
Preheat your indoor oven at 400 degrees. Smoke or roast the chicken for 30 minutes, and then brush with the BBQ sauce and bake in the oven for 10 more minutes, turning as needed.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving with traditional thanksgiving side dishes such as a bean casserole. Another good side dish is green salad – you can never go wrong with that one.

Canadian Thanksgiving Fun Facts

  1. Most of the US aspects of Thanksgiving (such as the turkey), came to Canada when United Empire Loyalists began to flee from the United States during the American Revolution and settled in Canada.
  2. Early settlers in Canada from New England and France in the early 17th Century started late autumn Thanksgiving celebrations. New immigrants into the country (such as the Irish, Scottish and Germans) added their own traditions to the harvest celebrations.
  3. Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in all provinces in Canada except in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Businesses may remain open in these provinces, but the holiday is recognized and celebrated regardless of its status.

This weekend, when you revive tradition with family and friends, you can be confident of producing yummy grilled cuisine with House of Q bbq sauces and house rubs. Order any vinegar-based barbecue sauce, honey based barbecue sauce or mustard based barbecue sauce online, and grill like a champion with the House of Q. So don’t buy the turkey this Thanksgiving – instead bring in some barbecue chicken sass to your Thanksgiving dinner and keep up the Canadian tradition.

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