Nanny's Famous Chicken and Ribs with BBQ Sauce
Nanny's backyard BBQ sauce works on both chicken and ribs, doubles easily for a crowd, and keeps in the fridge for two weeks. The only sauce recipe you will ever need.
Ingredients
For the Dry Rub
- 9 pounds pork ribs
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 3 tsps black pepper
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp chili powder
Chicken
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 8 chicken thighs
BBQ Sauce for Chicken and Ribs
- 1.5 cups chili sauce (I use Heinz)
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 300F. Combine dry rub ingredients and coat ribs thoroughly on all sides.
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Arrange ribs overlapping slightly on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with parchment paper and wrap tightly with foil.
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Bake for 2.5 to 3 hours, rotating baking sheets halfway through if using more than one sheet. Ribs can be refrigerated at this point for up to one day ahead.
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Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
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When ready to serve, cut ribs into 3-rib sections. Grill chicken and ribs over medium-high heat, basting generously with sauce until caramelized and cooked through.
Recipe Notes
Note 1 (sauce) The sauce recipe here is already doubled, which is what you need for this quantity. If you are making a smaller batch, halve everything. It keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks so there is no reason not to make the full amount.
Note 2 (make ahead) The ribs can be baked a full day ahead and refrigerated before grilling. This is actually the move for a party. Do all the oven work the day before, pull them out when your guests arrive, and finish on the grill. Nobody needs to know how easy that was.
Note 3 (chicken) The dry rub is for the ribs only. The chicken goes straight to the grill and gets the sauce. Drumsticks and thighs work best here because they can handle the heat without drying out. Breasts are not this recipe's friend.