Jamaican-Style Honey Garlic BBQ Baked Chicken.

Jamaican-Style Honey Garlic BBQ Baked Chicken

This recipe yields tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken with a sticky, sweet, and tangy glaze that carries a hint of island spice. This recipe is a perfect comfort dish if the weather is brutal and you can't get to the grill. 

Ingredients

The Chicken

  8 lbs Chicken leg quarters (cleaned and trimmed)

  2–4 tbsp Jamaican-style chicken seasoning (e.g., Tropical Zinger or my dry jerk rub)

  Salt and pepper to taste

The Honey Garlic BBQ Glaze

  2 cups Base BBQ sauce(or your favorite BBQ sauce)

  ¾ cup Brown sugar

  ½ cup Granulated sugar

  ¼ cup Raw honey

  1 tbsp Garlic paste

  1 tbsp Chicken seasoning

  2 tbsp Yellow mustard

  1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

  ½ cup Orange juice

  Pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Prep and Season

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Pat the chicken leg quarters dry with paper towels. Season them generously on all sides with your chicken seasoning, salt, and pepper. Arrange the chicken in a large baking dish (skin side up).

2. The First Bake

Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. This allows the skin to render and the meat to cook through before the sugars in the sauce are added.

3. Prepare the Glaze

While the chicken is baking, combine all glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until the sugars have dissolved and the sauce is smooth. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors marry.

4. The Saucing Phase

  First Glaze: Remove the chicken from the oven. Pour or brush a generous amount of the BBQ sauce over the pieces. Cover the dish tightly with foil and return to the oven for 20 minutes.

  Final Glaze: Remove the foil, apply another layer of the glaze, and bake uncovered for a final 10 minutes. This helps the sauce "tack up" and become sticky.

5. Finish (Optional)

For that extra-dark, caramelized look seen in your photo, turn the oven to Broil for 2–4 minutes. Watch it closely so the honey and sugar don't burn!

Tips for Success

The BBQ Sauce: I started with a base BBQ sauce which wasn't too sweet or particularly spiced so I could make it my own. You could also just use a citrus based sauce that would pair very well with chicken. One of my favorite BBQ sauces to make this dish with in a pinch in the Drunken Pineapple BBQ sauce from Whiskey Bent BBQ. 

  Citrus Note: The orange juice in your glaze adds a great Caribbean brightness that cuts through the heavy sugars.

  Resting: Let the chicken rest for 5–10 minutes before serving; this keeps the meat juicy and allows the sauce to set.

This recipe was served over a bed of garlic mashed potatoes and a side of roasted broccoli. The sweet, spicy and tangy notes from the chicken were complimented perfectly by the perfect buttery smooth mashed potatoes.