When it's too cold outside to barbecue, I drum this up in the oven for family gatherings! The dry-rub barbecue has so much flavor versus using the sauce. And when you make your own dry rub, you'll never buy it in the store again. This is a must-try, family-favorite dry rub.
Brine and Chicken:
5 cups water
⅓ cup white sugar
⅓ cup kosher salt
½ cup white vinegar
5 pounds chicken leg quarters
Dry Rub:
7 tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons smoked paprika
3 tablespoons chipotle chile powder
1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix water, sugar, salt, and vinegar for brine in a food-grade, nonreactive container.
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place it in the brine, cover, and let sit for 2 hours.
Mix brown sugar, paprika, chile powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, cumin, and nutmeg for dry rub together in a small bowl.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking dish with foil.
Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry. Place it on a tray and generously sprinkle dry rub all over each piece, rubbing it into the skin and meat. (You will have some dry rub remaining.)
Place chicken, skin-side down, in the prepared baking dish,. Cover with foil, making sure not to wrap it too tightly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven. Increase the temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Remove the foil cover and turn chicken over. Sprinkle more dry rub onto the skin and return to the oven.
Bake until skin is crispy, chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear, about 20 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
