Spicy Cajun BBQ Chicken

There are a couple great BBQ joints in LA. One is Baby Blues. Another is Mr. Cecil's. I have a couple of Texan co-workers and we seem to end up eating at these two places more than once in a while. The key to any good BBQ dish is definitely, definitely the sauce. After my great satisfaction with the homemade BBQ sauce made for the BBQ chicken pizza, I decided I needed another dish to pair with that sauce. Trusty chicken came through. Some BBQ chicken recipes use a rub. Some use a sauce. This one uses both.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1-1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 large chicken breasts

1/2 cup BBQ sauce (click here for homemade BBQ sauce recipe)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine chili powder, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish. Generously coat chicken breasts, one at a time, with the rub mixture. Using a George Foreman grill (if you're me), or an actual grill (if you have a backyard), grill chicken for about 10 minutes until fully cooked through or when all pinkness is gone. Serve with BBQ sauce on top and mashed potatoes on the side. 

Grub down!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Happy 4th of July weekend! I think there will be a lot of BBQ-ing going on this weekend. To get in the mood... BBQ chicken pizza.

This pizza is made with a homemade dough and homemade BBQ sauce, but it is SIMPLE. The directions for the BBQ sauce are my all time favorite directions for anything. Ever. You'll see. It is a really great tasting sauce and can be used for so much more than just pizza. It has a little kick, but nothing too crazy.

For the pizza dough, or any bread dough for that matter, if there is any piece of advice I can offer, it is to get a kneading attachment for your mixer or hand mixer. I only have a hand mixer, and my kneading attachment makes any type of bread-making about 100x less annoying. I will promote anything that keeps my hands from becoming a doughy, sticky, crazy mess.

BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA (inspired by closetcooking.com)

INGREDIENTS:

1 pizza dough (recipe below)

1/2 cup BBQ sauce (recipe below)

1/2 lb. chicken breast, boneless and skinless

1 handful red onion, sliced

1/4 cup goat cheese, feta cheese, or blue cheese

1-1-1/2 cup colby/monterey jack shredded cheese

1 handful cilantro, sliced (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Grill the chicken until just cooked all the way. Let cool and cut into 1/4 inch strips. Roll pizza dough on a lightly greased surface sprinkled with corn meal. Spread the BBQ sauce on the pizza, followed by chicken, onion, and cheeses. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

PIZZA DOUGH (adapted from Jenna at Just Cook Already):

INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 - 3 cups four

1 Tablespoon (or one packet) yeast

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup very warm water

2 Tablespoons olive oil

corn meal

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, and salt. Stir very warm and oil into dry ingredients. Stir in enough remaining flour (about 1/2 cup for me) to make soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface, or with an electric mixer and kneading attachment, about 4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 10-20 minutes.

BBQ SAUCE (adapted from closetcooking.com):

INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup ketchup

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

DIRECTIONS:

Mix well. (That's it!)

Enjoy!!