Grilled Chicken Thighs with Alabama White Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Bone-in thighs cooked two-zone on the grill until the skin crackles, then mopped with tangy, peppery Alabama white sauce — the mayo-and-vinegar barbecue sauce of north Alabama. Six steps, twelve ingredients, and the grill does all the work while you stir the sauce together.

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lb)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Set up the grill for two-zone cooking: on a charcoal grill, bank a full chimney of lit coals to one side; on a gas grill, light the burners on one half only. Close the lid and bring the grill to 400°F (200°C), then scrape the grates clean and oil them.
2. Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Rub them all over with the vegetable oil, then season on both sides with the salt, smoked paprika, brown sugar and garlic powder, pressing the rub into the skin.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, horseradish, lemon juice, black pepper and cayenne until smooth and pourable. Pour half into a small bowl for basting and refrigerate the rest for serving.
4. Lay the thighs skin side up on the cool side of the grill, not over the flames. Close the lid and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the tray of thighs once halfway, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C).
5. Move the thighs skin side down over the hot side and grill uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely and moving any pieces that flare up, until the skin is deeply browned and crisp and the internal temperature reaches 175°F (79°C).
6. Brush the thighs generously with the basting sauce, flip and grill 30 seconds more per side just to set the glaze. Rest 5 minutes on a platter and serve with the reserved cold white sauce for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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