Buttermilk Barbecue Chicken – Sorry, Fried Chicken, Your Secret is Out

Buttermilk is a very popular marinade for fried chicken, but for whatever reason, it isn’t often used with other chicken cooking methods. Which is kind of surprising, especially when you taste just how effective it is for something like this beautiful barbecued chicken.

Adding to the mystery is the fact that yogurt, a very similar product, is quite popular in grilled chicken marinades. So, what do people have against buttermilk? I remember my mother-in-law, Peggy, mentioning one time that she hesitates to make recipes that call for it, since she never knows what to do with the leftovers.

I guess people are used to having yogurt around, but apparently they find the thought of a half carton of buttermilk in the fridge a little disconcerting. I have two words for those people…buttermilk biscuits. Also, buttermilk pie. Of course, you could just make a double recipe, and use it all, but the point is, don’t be afraid.

Regardless of whether you’re going to have some leftover, or how you’re going to use it, if you’re looking for an easy, and delicious change-of-pace to the typical barbecue chicken recipes, then I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 portions:

1 whole chicken (about 2 1/2 to 3 lbs.), cut in half as shown

For the marinade:

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup brown sugar
4 cloves crushed garlic

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 tablespoons kosher salt

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