One of my favorite things to make on my Char-Broil Big Easy is split chicken breasts. I buy the chicken on sale, and stock up big. A few bottles of store-bought marinade, a little time, and I’ve got great tasting, tender, moist chicken. I usually cut the meat from the bone and save it for topping salads. Perfect.
This time I grabbed Rib Rack’s Chicken marinade. They claim it’s the “perfect blend of onions, garlic, apples, citrus and spices” and by golly, they’re right. The marinade made for delicious chicken. I let the chicken marinate for about 4 hours. I tend to not marinate as long when the marinade contains citrus. Four hours turned out to be the perfect amount of time.
The Rib Rack chicken marinade does contain sugar, so you’ll want to keep an eye on your chicken as it cooks in the Big Easy. High temperatures and sugar don’t usually go well together. You can end up with a pretty good crisp on your chicken, though mine just started to get dark right as the chicken was done. Perfect.
The bottle claims that it’s the “perfect blend of onions, garlic, apples, citrus and spices” and by golly, they’re right. The marinade made for delicious chicken.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 4hours
Cook Time 1hour20minutes
Total Time 5hours20minutes
Servings 4servings
Calories 258kcal
Author Mike
Ingredients
4chicken breastsbone-in split, or whatever cuts you prefer
Sometimes it’s the little things. I bought 12 stainless steel oyster shells the other day and ever since I can’t stop cooking with them. I initially made these BBQ shrimp in oyster shells on my gas grill. We enjoyed them so much that I next made them on my Char-Broil Big Easy. Getting a dozen shells on the Big Easy is a bit tricky but I got it to work and the shrimp were delicious! (If you don’t have two Bunk Bed baskets, or even one, that’s ok! Just use the basket that comes with the Big Easy and cook four shells at a time!).
The broth that the BBQ shrimp cooks in in the oyster shells on the Char-Broil Big Easy is what adds such tremendous flavor to the shrimp. As an added bonus, you’re left with a good bit of the broth in the bottom of the shells after you devour the shrimp. That broth is absolutely crazy good for soppin’, so grab a few slices of grilled French bread and get to dippin’!
Loading the Big Easy
You can fit 4 oyster shells per ‘level’ in the Big Easy. The bottom level is the bottom of the standard basket that comes with the Big Easy. You’ll want to add the shells, the shrimp and the butter mixture to that level before continuing on to the next.
Then, add a Bunk Bed Basket, latching it so it’s just above the bottom level. Add 4 shells to that level, the shrimp and butter mixture. Finally, you need to add one more Bunk Bed Basket. That’s trickier because it’s easy to knock the bottom basket lose and onto the shrimp below. I take the bunk bed basket and insert it at a bit of an angle. I turn it so that the latches on the sides fit in between the latches on the first bunk bed basket (at a 90 degree angle to them). Then I latch it, add shells, shrimp and butter.
Unloading the Big Easy
Removing the shells is a little tricky too. I found that they cooled pretty quickly and I was able to remove them by grabbing them along the edges with my hands without burning myself, all the while being super duper careful that I didn’t tilt them and get super hot butter on myself! You might want to grab some heat-proof gloves or long tongs (with good rubber grippy tips!) instead. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!
Peel and devein the shrimp. Leave the tail shells on if desired.
Fire up your Big Easy. You can fit 4 oyster shells in the Big Easy basket. To cook all 12 at the same time you'll need 2 Big Easy bunk bed baskets. See my notes on how to use them.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. And remaining ingredients except shells. Stir.
Bring mixture to a slow simmer and let simmer until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Working one basket at a time, add 4 oyster shells to the Big Easy. Add two shrimp into each SOS shell and add a tablespoon of the butter mixture.
Place the shells into the Big Easy baskets grill. Cook until the shrimp begin to turn pink on the outside, 7-8 minutes.
Carefully remove the shells from the basket. I found that they cool to the touch pretty quickly (but the Big Easy baskets DO NOT!) so I just grabbed them on the sides with my hands. You might want to use grill gloves or good tongs.
Notes
You can fit two Big Easy Bunk Bed baskets into the Big Easy, but you have to be careful doing it. Adding the first one is easy, just insert it into the basket and secure the two latches to the sides of the basket. Adding the second basket is trickier. You have to insert it at a slight angle, then you can turn it flat. The latches will be at 90 degree angles to the first basket (i.e. in the gaps between the first one’s latches). I recommend that you try inserting the baskets a few times before doing it for real.
I can’t imagine an easier way to make fantastic-tasting, moist, tender chicken than on the Char-Broil Big Easy. It’s so crazy easy to do that it’s bordering on effortless. I picked up a jar of Famous Dave’s Country Roast Chicken seasoning at the grocery store, along with a whole chicken (on sale! Woo hoo!). A little oil and about 2 hours later, boom! My goodness was it good. You would’ve thought I’d spent hours to produce such wonderful roasted chicken flavor. And would I admit to eating too much of that delicious crunchy skin? Maybe.
I used the new Big Easy Better Basket in my Big Easy. It collapses down, which is great for storage. It also is bigger than the standard Big Easy basket so you can cook a lot more at once.
I was cooking a 5 pound chicken. As you can tell, I had plenty of room for a much bigger chicken (or turkey!).
Love your Big Easy as much I love mine? Check out my Big Easy Add-Ons page and my free Big Easy eCookbook!
Famous Dave's Country Roast Chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy
I can’t imagine an easier way to make fantastic-tasting, moist, tender chicken than on the Char-Broil Big Easy. It’s so crazy easy to do that it’s bordering on effortless.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15minutes
Cook Time 1hour20minutes
Total Time 1hour35minutes
Servings 1chicken
Calories 1638kcal
Author Mike
Ingredients
1whole chickengiblets removed (or any chicken pieces will do)
Sprinkle seasoning over entire chicken. Get the inside too.
Transfer to the Big Easy basket and then to the cooker. Cook for approximately 20 minutes per pound, or until the temperature reaches 165 F as measured in several places.
This super easy marinated chicken is exactly why I love using my Char-Broil Big Easy. I was serving salad for dinner, and wanted chicken to go with it. Not dried out, bland super market rotisserie chicken. Moist, tender flavor-packed chicken. And with as little fuss as possible. And this is it.
I don’t see any reason to use a super fru-fru Italian dressing for marinating the chicken. I used a 16 ounce bottle of generic dressing from our local grocery store. For $1, it added the perfect flavor, tenderness and juiciness to my chicken. Use any dressing (or even bottled marinade) you like, but stay away from anything that contains sugar or sugar-like substances. Sugar will cause the outside of the chicken to burn long before the insides are done.
This super easy marinated chicken is exactly why I love using my Char-Broil Big Easy. I was serving salad for dinner, and wanted chicken to go with it. Not dried out, bland super market rotisserie chicken. Moist, tender flavor-packed chicken.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1hour
Cook Time 1hour30minutes
Servings 4
Calories 384kcal
Author Mike
Ingredients
4largepieces chickenI used split chicken breasts
1bottleItalian salad dressing
Instructions
Rinse chicken and place into a large resealable container or baggie.
Shake the bottle of dressing and add to container. Cover or seal and shake gently to coat.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, turning the chicken once or twice to make sure all sides get time in the dressing.
Fire up your Big Easy.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess.
Transfer the chicken to the Big Easy basket and place into the Big Easy.
Roast for about 20 minutes per pound, or until breasts reach at least 165 F and dark meat reaches 175 F.
I think that like most people, I purchased my Char-Broil Big Easy for making Thanksgiving turkey. And I’ve sure made my share of fantastic turkeys using it, too. From spicy to savory, the Big Easy does turkey amazing, each and every time. This recipe produces a tremendous bird, filled with the flavors of Thanksgiving. It looks fantastic, tastes delicious, and is so moist and tender. All that and so very easy to make, you can’t beat the Big Easy time and time again.
When injecting the turkey it’s important to be consistent. You don’t want to bite into huge pockets of injection in one bite, only to get nothing in the next. Don’t rush the process. Take your time and get the injection in everywhere, from just under the skin, to deep inside the breast meat.
I use a heavy duty injector that has larger holes for injecting liquids that have big chunks of ingredients. Even so, it can be challenging and sometimes clogs. I recommend grinding your spice ingredients first so they are fine enough to easily flow through the injector.
From spicy to savory, the Big Easy does turkey amazing, each and every time. This recipe produces a tremendous bird, filled with the flavors of Thanksgiving.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15minutes
Cook Time 2hours
Resting time 30minutes
Servings 10servings
Calories 429kcal
Author Mike
Ingredients
For the turkey
9poundturkey breastbone-in
olive oil
For the injection
1/4cupolive oil
1/4cupwater
3tablespoonsWorcestershire sauce
1/2seasoningfrom below
For the seasoning
2tablespoonskosher salt
4teaspoonsgarlic powder
4teaspoonsonion powder
2teaspoonsground bay leaf
2teaspoonsground thyme
2teaspoonsground sage
2teaspoonsfinely ground black pepper
Instructions
For the seasoning
Combine all ingredients. If your injector does not have large holes you will want to grind the mixture first, using either a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Half of the mixture will be used for the injection, while the remaining seasoning will be using as a rub for the outside of the turkey.
For the injection
Combine all ingredients with half of the seasoning mix. Whisk well to dissolve the salt.
For the turkey
Inject the injection mixture evenly into the turkey. Get it everywhere.
Lightly rub the outside of the turkey with oil. Sprinkle with the remaining seasoning.
Fire up your Big Easy. Add the turkey to the Big Easy basket and lower into the cooker.
Cook for approximately 20 minutes per pound. Let the turkey reach 165 F for white meat, 175 F for dark meat. Remove from the cooker and let rest 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
This recipe is for a 9-pound bone-in turkey breast. Larger breasts or whole turkeys may require that you double the amount of seasoning and injection ingredients. The cook time will also be longer. You can usually plan on 20 minutes per pound with the Big Easy.You will need a good injector for this recipe. One with larger holes, preferably.
I’ve said it hundreds of times. Chicken cooked on the Char-Broil Big Easy is a fantastic thing. It doesn’t take much effort and no fancy ingredients are required. I like to peruse the marinades at the grocery store, grabbing whatever strikes my fancy. This time my fancy had me using Old Colony Sauce. Often used for steaks, it’s also a fantastic marinade for chicken, adding a light Worcestershire-like flavor and tons of juiciness.
Old Colony sauce isn’t loaded up with sugar or honey, which is important when you are cooking on the Big Easy. Since the Big Easy cooks at a high temperature, marinades or sauces containing sugar or honey will tend to burn. You have to save those for saucing at the very end of your cooking, once the meat is almost done, so you don’t risk charred food.
As you can see, Old Colony sauce produced some mighty fine looking chicken (I used split chicken breasts), with great color and flavor throughout.
