My mother used to host big Sri Lankan parties for a couple hundred people, and she’d often make large trays of barbecue chicken — mild for the kids, spicy for the adults. She would actually just use store-bought barbecue sauce, adding chili powder, which works great, but you can also make your own using the recipe below. You can also throw these on the grill, in which case, you might stir some softened butter into the sauce to help prevent sticking.
1 dozen chicken legs and/or thighs, skins removed
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. ginger powder
1 t. black pepper
1 t. turmeric
1 t. salt
For barbecue sauce:
1 c. ketchup
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. dry mustard
2 T jaggery or brown sugar
2 T vinegar
1-2 t. raw red chili powder (optional)
1. Prick chicken pieces with a fork, rub with ginger, garlic, pepper, turmeric, and salt. Marinate 30 minutes.
2. While chicken is marinating, make barbecue sauce, mixing ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, jaggery or brown sugar, and vinegar. Add chili powder if desired. (Adjust seasonings to taste.) Pre-heat oven to 375.
3. Mix chicken with barbecue sauce, coating thoroughly. Cover with foil and bake 1 hour. (An instant-read thermometer near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C)).
4. Remove chicken to serving dish. Whisk liquid left in pan to make a nice sauce, drizzle over chicken, and serve with rice or naan.
