Barbecue chicken facts for kids
Barbecue chicken is simply chicken cooked over heat, often on a grill or in a smoker. People all over the world cook barbecue chicken in many different ways. It's usually seasoned with special spices, a tasty sauce, or both. Sometimes, chicken is soaked in a marinade (a flavorful liquid) to make it extra tender and delicious. You might have seen rotisserie chicken in grocery stores; it's a very popular type of barbecue chicken. It's one of the most loved barbecue dishes around the globe!
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How to Prepare Barbecue Chicken
Chefs cut chicken in different ways for barbecuing. They might use whole chickens, cut them in half or quarters, or use individual pieces like wings or legs. Sometimes, they even put chicken pieces on skewers. There are many different ways to cook and flavor this dish.
Discovering Regional Barbecue Chicken Styles
Barbecue chicken is made differently around the world. Each region has its own special ways of preparing, cooking, and saucing the chicken. Let's explore some of these tasty variations!
Barbecue Chicken in Asia
In Asia, barbecue chicken is often cut into cubes. These cubes are soaked in a spiced soy-based sauce. Then, they are put onto skewers and grilled.
Indian Barbecue Chicken Dishes
In India, you can find popular barbecue chicken dishes like Chicken tikka and Tandoori chicken. These are similar to barbecue chicken but have their own unique Indian flavors.
Mongolian Barbecue Chicken
In Mongolia, barbecue chicken might be called shashlyks.
Thai Barbecue Chicken: Kai Yang
Kai yang, also known as Gai Yang, is a very popular barbecue chicken street food in Thailand. You can find many different versions of this dish.
Australian Barbecue Chicken
Grilled chicken wings are a popular dish in Australia. Many take-away shops in Australia also sell rotisserie chicken.
European Barbecue Chicken
Portuguese Barbecue Chicken: Frango no Churrasco
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Frango no churrasco is a famous Portuguese barbecue chicken dish. Sometimes, piri piri peppers are used to make the dish spicy and flavorful. In Portugal, frango de churrasco is a common grilled chicken dish. Many churrascarias (restaurants specializing in grilled meats) serve it. Portuguese barbecue and chicken dishes are very popular in countries with Portuguese communities, like Canada, Australia, and the United States.
Ukrainian Barbecue Chicken
In Ukraine, barbecue chicken is often called shashlyks or kurka.
North American Barbecue Chicken
In North America, barbecue chicken is often seasoned with a special spice rub. Then, it's coated with a tomato-based barbecue sauce and grilled. Some versions only use the spice rub and no sauce. Barbecue chicken can also be cooked in pressure cookers or slow cookers with barbecue sauce.
Canadian Barbecue Chicken
Barbecue chicken is a popular dish in French Canadian fast food restaurants.
Caribbean Barbecue Chicken Flavors
In Cuba, some private restaurants called palladores offer barbecue chicken. You might also find street vendors selling this dish.
In Jamaica, barbecue chicken flavored with Jamaican jerk spice is a common dish. In the past, spices and wild chili peppers were used to preserve meat in Jamaica.
In the French West Indies, Buccaneer-style chicken is popular. Today, chicken is marinated for 24 hours in a mix of lime, spices, vegetables, and vinegar. Then, it's smoked.
Mexican Barbecue Chicken
Loncherias, which are street food stalls serving breakfast and lunch, sometimes offer barbecue chicken.
United States Barbecue Chicken Styles
In Alabama, some barbecue chicken is served with white sauces made from egg or mayonnaise. These are often used as dipping sauces. This is more common in Northern Alabama. Barbecue in Southern Alabama usually has tomato-based sauces.
California Pizza Kitchen, a restaurant chain, was the first to create barbecue chicken pizza.
In Georgia, slightly sweet sauces with mustard are used on chicken.
In Western North Carolina, thin sauces made with tomato and vinegar are common.
In rural Pennsylvania, egg is sometimes used to make the chicken skin crispy. In Kentucky, chicken is a favorite meat for barbecuing, along with lamb and mutton.
In Texas, barbecue usually means ribs, but many barbecue restaurants serve barbecue chicken. It's seasoned with a "dalmatian rub" made of salt and pepper. The chicken is often served with a very hot vinegar or even beer-based barbecue sauce. Texas barbecue is usually slow-smoked, not grilled.
Beer-can chicken is a fun way to grill a whole chicken. It uses steam from beer (or another liquid) inside the chicken to add flavor and help it cook.
Rotisserie Chicken: A Popular Choice
Rotisserie chicken is a whole chicken cooked on a rotating spit. This cooking method makes the chicken juicy and gives it a crispy skin. It's a very popular and convenient meal, often found in grocery stores.
Images for kids
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Spit-roasted Huli-huli chicken (left) and pork (right)
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Close-up of a rotisserie chicken from Costco
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Chicken, pork and eggs being grilled at a restaurant in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
