What is the secret to making a chicken recipe that stands out from hundreds out there? Two words: the sauce. This sweet pepper sauce is a fan favorite from my cookbook! At Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, we love the sweet pepper sauce and chicken combination. The simple recipe is heavenly with tender grilled chicken and creamy sauce balanced with notes of red bell peppers and olives. There’s a reason why the chicken is seasoned very lightly—because the sauce will give it all the scrumptious flavor necessary! You’ll be sure to impress your guests with this high-quality meal.
The trickiest part of the recipe is probably grilling the chicken. You want to make sure the heat is low as you turn the chicken every 20 minutes. This is important because you don’t want it to dry out. As you turn the chicken, make sure to brush it with the vinegar mixture and check the temperature. The magic number signifying it’s ready is 180ºF. Another indicator is cutting the center of the thigh and the juice of the being no longer pink.
Although this recipe calls for the chicken to be served with the sweet pepper sauce, you can also serve this over other grains such as rice or quinoa for a healthier option. The sweet pepper sauce chicken also goes wonderfully over pasta! However you decide to serve the sweet pepper sauced chicken, you will surely enjoy a delicious meal filled with flavor accents you can’t resist.
INGREDIENTS
- Sweet Pepper Sauce (see below)
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
- 1 clove garlic — finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 pounds whole broiler-fryer chicken — (3 to 3 1/2-pounds)
- SWEET PEPPER SAUCE
- 2 medium red bell peppers
- 12 fresh basil leaves — (12 to 15)
- 8 whole ripe olives — pitted
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon balsamic or cider vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Prepare Sweet Pepper Sauce (see 13.).
- Mix vinegar, water, margarine, garlic and pepper in small 1-quart saucepan.
- Cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cool completely.
- Brush grill rack with vegetable oil.
- Heat coals or gas grill for indirect heat (see “Grilling: Direct- and Indirect-Heat Grilling” tip).
- Fold wings of chicken across back with tips touching.
- Tie or skewer drumsticks to tail.
- Brush chicken with vinegar mixture.
- Insert barbecue meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone.
- Cover and grill chicken, breast side up, over drip pan and 4 inches from LOW heat 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours, turning every 20 minutes and brushing with vinegar mixture, until thermometer reads 180ºF and juice of chicken is no longer pink when center of thigh is cut.
- Discard any remaining vinegar mixture.
SWEET PEPPER SAUCE:
- Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.
- Cut bell peppers lengthwise in half; remove stems and seeds.
- Flatten pepper halves with hand.
- Cover and grill peppers, skin sides down, 4 to 6 inches from HIGH heat 10 to 15 minutes or until skin is charred.
- Place charred peppers in paper or plastic bag; cool.
- Remove and discard skins.
- Place peppers and remaining ingredients in food processor or blender.
- Cover and process about 1 minute or until smooth.
- Cover and let stand until serving. About 1 cup.
- Serve chicken with Sweet Pepper Sauce
