Summertime sweetness meets its favorite match with our Whole 30 BBQ chicken. As a Texan BBQ is life and Coopers or Franklins are a mile away at all times. We have spicy BBQ sauce spiked with pepper and sweet sauces buried in brown sugar. Every BBQ joint has its own BBQ flare and of course its own sauce. After months of experimenting and loving it all; I found a Whole 30 BBQ sauce that’s sweet, vinegary, and can be customized to your favorite flavors.
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What is Whole 30?
Whole 30 is a beautiful reset for the body as you eliminate common disruptive foods from your meals for 30 days. You replace the bread, legumes, dairy, and any sweetener with whole foods like sweet potatoes, chicken, ghee, and fruit. This Whole 30 BBQ chicken is gluten-free, sweetener-free, and dairy-free and is still oh so delicious to the point I make this even off Whole 30. Whole 30 is so delicious because you’re making fresh food with incredible ingredients. Learn more from their website.
After finishing 5 rounds of Whole 30 I feel far more in tune with my body and know how dairy and bread affect me. Rather than feel like I can never eat bread it feels easier to digest bread now that my body has healed. Check out my top 12 Whole 30 tips for surviving and thriving.
Ingredients for Whole 30 BBQ Chicken
Ghee – A substitute for butter on Whole 30 and then for the rest of your life. Ghee is deliciously caramelized tasting and is lactose-free.
Check out our top ghee brands post here where we taste tested 10 ghees (so full after) to see which was best.
Chicken Thighs – Chicken breasts will also work. Thighs have a higher fat content and in Whole 30 you learn to embrace fat and let it fill you. If you have never tried chicken thighs now is a great time to learn for yourself how delicious they are.
Coconut aminos – Coconut aminos basically replace soy sauce as a gluten-free alternative. They have a strong umami flavor and also a sweet taste. If you’re wanting to add sweet umami to a recipe use these.
Fish Sauce – Fish sauce is used in loads of sauces at restaurants and adds a depth of flavor. We use a touch of fish sauce for the Whole 30 BBQ chicken because BBQ has to have umami. Usually, Worstechiere sauce is used but it contains gluten.
Ketchup – Ketchup is a foundation for a lot of BBQ sauce and contributes to that tomato flavor and delicious saucy char. For Whole 30 look for sugar free ketchup like Primal Kitchen or any sugar free brand you can find.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Vinegar, salt, sweetness and umami are what create that iconic barbecue flavor. Apple cider vinegar is delicious and is used often in Whole 30.
Jam – Jam is optional for this recipe. I love adding jam to BBQ sauce because it adds a depth of sweetness without sweetener and thickens the sauce. The sauce is delicious without it though. Look for a sweetener-free jam (not even Splenda). I tested several jams for this recipe and found all blueberry jams tasted like grape juice, the first ingredient. Thrive has delicious sweetener-free jams (except the blueberry) and they all work. I loved the superfruit jam and the apricot jam with no added sugar.
Tools for Whole 30 BBQ Chicken:
For brushing the chicken with the sauce and the ghee. You can also use this to stir the sauce so you only dirty one tool. We use silicone brushes because they look cool and the hairs don’t go everywhere like they do with other brushes.
Although we would all love to eyeball chicken and now exactly when its done this skill is not a human one. Invest now in a food thermometer so none of your meat is overcooked again.
Use these to flip the meat. They are very easy to clean which is great when working with sticky glaze.
Used to cool cookies and also makes a great substitution for a grill. Used in an oven the rack allows for more air to circulate around the chicken.
How to Personalize Your BBQ Glaze and Make it Yours
BBQ is so versatile and that’s what creates its unique and hotly debated legacy. BBQ sauces range from Alabama and it’s mayo based sauce to Carolina with a vinegar heavy sauce. I’ve seen espresso BBQ sauce and super spicy sauce. Try the base recipe first and then experiment.
Tip:
Keep the liquid to ketchup ratio similar in order to keep the glaze thick. If you are not wanting a thick glaze then run free and vinegar it up. Vinegar will create that tanginess. If you want a sweeter sauce decrease the vinegar and increase the coconut aminos. They have a natural sweetness since they’re made from coconut nectar. This Whole 30 BBQ chicken becomes your own easily with these swaps.
To Vinegarize Your Glaze:
Instead of using 2.5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar make it 3 tablespoons
To Sweeten Your Glaze:
Use 2 Tablespoons of coconut aminos and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
Add Smoke to Your Glaze:
Add two drops of liquid smoke for a smoky delicious flavor that doesn’t require a grill.
Umamify Your Glaze:
If you want extra umami flavor then add an extra teaspoon of fish sauce (or more if you know your umami spot). Be very careful with adding more fish sauce as it is very strong and can overpower your other flavors very quickly.
How to Make Whole 30 BBQ Chicken
For this BBQ chicken, you simply combine the sauce ingredients, coat the chicken in ghee and salt then spread the sauce over the thighs. Then pop them onto a sheet pan with a rack sauced side down. Add another layer of sauce and bake the BBQ chicken for 25-30 minutes. Add more sauce every 5-7 minutes and flip the chicken over each time. Use a meat thermometer to check the doneness. Enjoy immensely.
Preheat Your Oven & Prepare the Pan:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Take a sheet pan and line it with foil to catch grease then put a wire rack on top. This helps circulate the air of the oven around the chicken for even cooking.
Combine the Whole 30 BBQ Chicken Glaze Ingredients:
Combine one and a half tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, with 1 and a half tablespoons of coconut aminos and 1/2 a tablespoon (2 teaspoons) of fish sauce. I just use one tablespoon and fill it halfway with aminos and halfway with fish sauce. Add in 1/2 a cup of ketchup and a teaspoon of chili powder then salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside 3 tablespoons of glaze to turn into dipping sauce at the end.
Salt and Ghee the Chicken Thighs:
Salt the chicken thighs. Take 2 Tablespoons of ghee and add them to a bowl (so you aren’t dipping a utensil that’s touched raw meat into your ghee). Brush it onto your chicken.
Save three tablespoons of sauce for dipping later on.
Glaze the Chicken Thighs:
Spread BBQ glaze on one side of the chicken.
Add to the Pan:
Then add the chicken, glazed side down to the sheet pan.
Brush on BBQ Glaze Again:
Every five to seven minutes open the oven and brush on more glaze. Flip the BBQ chicken, then add more glaze to the other side.
Use a Thermometer to Check Doneness:
Check the doneness of the chicken with a meat thermometer. These Whole30 bbq chicken thighs are done at a temp of 165 degrees.
Enjoy!
Looking for Other Whole 30 Summer Recipes?
Whole 30 Lavender Pork Chops with Peaches
Easiest Lettuce Wrapped Sandwiches
Whole 30 Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers
Want to Try Our Whole 30 BBQ Chicken in an Air Fryer?
Check out our Whole 30 Air Fryer BBQ Chicken.
Because of the speed of the air fryer fan you get crispier, juicier chicken. It tastes similar in texture to grilled chicken. For a smoky flavor just add 2 drops of liquid smoke to the sauce.
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Whole 30 BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
1 Pound Chicken Thighs (we used Imperfect Foods)
2 Tablespoons Ghee
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt
Sauce:
1/2 Cup Sweetener Free Ketchup
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Coconut Aminos
2 teaspoons Fish Sauce
1 teaspoon Chili Powder (just check for no added sugar)
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt
Optional:
2 Drops Liquid Smoke (for smoky flavor)
Pepper to tasteÂ
Sweetener Free Jam - see notes
Equipment:
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with tin foil and placing a wire rack on top.
2. Combine all of the glaze ingredients by stirring with a brush. If using jam stir an extra 30 seconds to disperse the jam. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside 3 tablespoons of glaze to turn into dipping sauce at the end.
3. Salt the chicken. Add the ghee to a separate bowl then brush it onto the chicken.
4. Brush one side of the chicken with the BBQ glaze then add it to the sheet pan, sauced side down, then brush the other side with glaze.Â
6. Brush more glaze on the chicken every five to seven minutes then flip and add glaze to the other side.Â
7. Check the internal temp with the thermometer. It's ready to be devoured at 160 to 165 degrees.Â
9. Dip chicken into your reserved sauce and bliss out.
Notes
Outside of using Thrive Market jam I've tried several sweetener-free jams with grape juice as the first ingredient instead of sugar. They tasted so much like grape that no other flavor came through.
Besides the blueberry Thrive Market jam (which tasted like grape), the other flavors are delicious. The apricot and strawberry go deliciously with BBQ sauce.
Another delicious brand is Bionaturae which is crafted in Italy. Sooo delicious. On Amazon you can only buy it in bulk so I recommend checking it out at the store. If you know any other delicious brands please comment with them below.
The jam is fully optional and there's already added sweetness from coconut aminos so you'll get that sweet and salty vinegar BBQ taste no matter what. The jam adds extra texture and fruity sweetness that is delicious.
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