Trisha Yearwood’s Summer-Ready Chicken Features Dad Jack’s Tangy Barbecue Sauce and One Secret Ingredient

Trisha Yearwood has always loved barbecued foods. This love of outdoor cooking is passed down from her family, who loved to cook and eat in the fresh air with family and friends. The Trisha’s Southern Kitchen star is a massive fan of this delicious chicken dish cooked atop a grill. Yearwood adds one secret ingredient and her late father Jack’s secret recipe for barbecue sauce to create a taste explosion.

Trisha Yearwood has fond memories of her father Jack grilling at home

Yearwood recalled summer days when her father, Jack Yearwood, operated the grill at her Monetico, GA home.

She told ABC News that these memories remain some of her happiest.

“My dad was the grill master, and he used to make barbecue chicken for the whole town of Monticello, Georgia,” Yearwood shared.

She recalled summer nights, especially the Fourth of July, where the family gathered with friends to enjoy some of Yearwood’s favorite seasonal foods.

These foods include corn on the cob, ribs, a favorite of Yearwood’s late mother Gwen, and fresh, seasonal vegetables.

Trisha Yearwood’s chicken features one secret ingredient

To make this summertime staple served at Yearwood and husband Garth Brooks’ Nashville home, you must prepare the chicken ahead of grilling.

However, one secret step makes Yearwood’s chicken perfect every time.

This essential step is brining.

For this recipe, the chicken pieces are placed in a large bowl or deep pot and covered with water.

To this, add salt. Then, place the chicken in the refrigerator for at least six hours or overnight to tenderize and flavor the meat.

Drain the chicken from its brine and pat dry when ready to cook.

A tasty and zippy barbecue sauce completes the dish

Yearwood features her father Jack’s infamous barbecue sauce atop the poultry dish.

This vinegar-based sauce has a zippy flavor that enhances the taste of the grilled chicken.

This sauce includes cider vinegar, peanut oil, hot sauce, and black and cayenne pepper.

Bring this sauce mixture to a boil, stir it well and remove it from the heat.

Then, use it to baste the chicken on the grill over medium-low heat.

Yearwood recommends basting the poultry with the sauce and cooking for an initial 30 minutes.

Then, turn the chicken pieces over and cook, basting with the sauce again.

Yearwood’s secret for delicious chicken every time is to continue turning and basting the chicken every 10 minutes until cooked all the way through.

The recipe for Trisha Yearwood’s Barbecued Chicken is available on the Food Network website.

Trisha’s Southern Kitchen airs Sundays at noon on The Food Network.