Southern-style BBQ chicken with a SECRET MARINADE that's the universal weapon for any BBQ meat. Tomato + molasses + garlic + lemon + bay + cloves = a sweet-savoury, slightly smoky, deeply complex sauce that transforms chicken (or pork, or sausages, or ribs).

Make a big batch of the marinade, store in the fridge — keeps a month + works on virtually anything.

Photo by Vaishnav Chogale on Unsplash

Serves: 4-6 · Prep: 10 minutes (+ 1 hour marinate) · Cook: 20-25 minutes · Equipment: mixing bowl, BBQ grill, foil, basting brush

Photo: Jono Hirst / Unsplash

Chicken + sauce additions:

• 1kg fresh chicken breasts, cut into large pieces (or thigh fillets — much juicier)
• 1 portion Secret Marinade (recipe below)
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• ⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp French-style mustard (Dijon)

SECRET MARINADE (makes 1 portion — ~3 cups; keeps a month in the fridge):

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup molasses (OR ⅓ cup honey OR ¼ cup brown sugar)
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp salt
• ½ tbsp cracked black pepper
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp ground cloves

To serve: steamed rice, fresh green salad, coleslaw, cornbread, sourdough.

1. Make the Secret Marinade. Combine all marinade ingredients in a saucepan. Heat gently + stir to dissolve. Cool. Store in a sealed jar — keeps a month in the fridge.

2. Combine marinade with sauce additions. In a large bowl, mix Secret Marinade + cider vinegar + Worcestershire + French mustard. The vinegar brightens it; the mustard adds bite.

3. Marinate the chicken. Add chicken pieces to the bowl. Coat thoroughly. Cover + refrigerate AT LEAST 1 hour (overnight ideal).

4. Heat BBQ to MODERATE heat. Oil the grill plate.

5. Sear the chicken. Lightly sear chicken pieces on ALL sides over direct heat — about 1-2 mins per side.

6. Lower heat + cover with foil. Reduce heat to medium-low (or move to indirect side of grill). Cover with foil tent. Cook 15-20 minutes total — turning + basting with marinade 3-4 times.

7. Test for doneness: internal temperature 75°C; juices run clear. Don't overcook chicken breasts — past 75°C = dry.

8. Rest 5 minutes. Heat any leftover marinade in a saucepan to a vigorous boil (kills bacteria from raw chicken contact) for 1 minute.

9. Pour heated marinade over chicken + serve with rice + green salad.

• The Secret Marinade is the universal BBQ weapon — make a double batch + use on chicken thighs, pork chops, sausages, even slow-cooked beef
• Chicken thighs beat breasts for BBQ — fattier = juicier; harder to overcook. The original recipe uses breasts; thighs upgrade it
• Boil leftover marinade for 1 minute before serving — kills any bacteria from raw chicken contact
• Wholegrain mustard variation instead of Dijon — slightly more rustic flavour
• Smoky variation: add 1 tbsp smoked paprika + 1 tsp chipotle powder to the Secret Marinade
• Korean-southern fusion: add 2 tbsp gochujang + 1 tbsp sesame oil
• Camp version: works on a portable BBQ; basting + foil-tent technique transfers directly
• Drink pairing: cold lager, IPA, or a cab merlot blend

The Southern-style BBQ chicken that nails the sweet-savoury balance. The Secret Marinade is the real recipe — once you have a jar in the fridge, the BBQ flavour shortcut is permanent.

Same marinade works on pork ribs, sausages, even brushed onto smoked brisket in the last hour. Worth keeping permanently in the camp pantry.