The secret to many of the best grilled chicken recipes is not a spice rub, a brine or a side salad. The key to a great grilled chicken recipe is the sauce. No matter what your preferred regional barbecue style, be it a sweet, spicy vinegar-based or another favorite, you know the importance of the good stuff. But one of the biggest rookie grilling mistakes is getting a little antsy with the sauce and adding it too soon.
By covering your chicken with barbecue sauce from the first moment it hits the grill, you are setting yourself up for burnt disappointment. Even the best barbecue sauce recipe is filled with sugar, which burns quickly. The end result will be a charred exterior (lacking the rich flavors of said sauce) and an interior that may or may not be cooked to temperature.
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