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Chicken quarters on a wooden cutting board next to a small bowl of BBQ sauce.
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4.86 from 7 votes

Bourbon Glazed Smoked Chicken Quarters

These smoky, juicy chicken quarters are seasoned with my Signature Sweet Rub, slow-smoked, and then basted in a bourbon glaze that is simple to make but packs a flavor punch.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Barbecue
Keyword: Smoked Chicken Quarters
Servings: 4 people
Author: Taylor Shulman

Ingredients

Bourbon Glaze

  • 1 ½ cups bourbon whiskey
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup fig preserves
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic grated
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Franks' RedHot Sauce
  • ¼ cup cold butter cubed into small pieces
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F. Apple, cherry, pecan, or maple wood would all work well with this recipe.
  • Prep and season. Trim any excess pieces of fat, gristle, or overhanging meat from the chicken quarters. Drizzle with olive oil and season on all sides with the Sweet Rub.
  • Smoke. Place the chicken quarters on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke until the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of your chicken quarters.
  • Make the glaze. While the chicken quarters smoke, prepare your glaze. Put the whisky in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat and simmer until the whiskey is reduced by half (about 5 minutes). Add all other glaze ingredients, except the butter, to the pan and whisk often, and reduce it until it reached your desired thickness. The glaze should be slightly thicker than syrup, but thinner than BBQ sauce.
  • Add the butter. Pour the glaze into a blender and begin blending on slow. Add the cubed butter to the glaze a few pieces at a time and blend until smooth. Divide the glaze so you've got about 1 cup for basting and the rest for serving alongside your chicken.
  • Finish smoking. Baste your chicken quarters in the bourbon glaze and continue smoking until the chicken reaches 175 degrees F.
  • Serve. Remove the chicken quarters to a serving dish. Rest for 5 minutes and serve with the reserved bourbon glaze.

Notes

Sweet Rub Recipe: https://heygrillhey.com/best-sweet-rub-grilled-pork-chicken/

Nutrition

Calories: 1270kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 314mg | Sodium: 444mg | Potassium: 791mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 812IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 5mg