A friend had posted an old picture of friends enjoying the local barbecued chicken back when they lived on Guam and well…
it looked really good.
So, I did some research and found a recipe from someone born and raised on Guam for Chamorro BBQ chicken.
I did stay pretty true to the marinade recipe, only swapping out Tamari (gluten-free) for the called for soy sauce.
The original also called for drumsticks and/or thighs, but allowed as how boneless/skinless was an option, and, since my mom-in-law is with us for a while, I went for chicken tenders, because they are just easier for her.
Also, too, since it is January and we live in far northeastern Illinois, I opted for air frying in place of grilling. Friends of ours are wicked hardy and will grill in a blizzard.
My husband will not.
INGREDIENTS
Marinade:
•1 cup lower sodium Tamari (or soy sauce)
•1 cup Sprite, 7up, or Coca-Cola
•3 lemons, juiced about 1/2 cup
•1 tbsp garlic powder
•1 tbsp onion powder
•1/2 tbsp cracked black pepper
Chicken:
•2 lb drumsticks, thighs, or boneless skinless
Glaze:
So… I did make the called for glaze and, even after doctoring it up and cooking it for a bit longer, I was not loving the results; so I ended up using my own home made Arby’s Sauce. if you like, substitute your own favorite barbecue sauce.
Whisk the marinade ingredients together, then pour over the chicken pieces in a bowl or gallon-sized zipper bag.
Note: Since I was using tenders, it was easy to completely cover the chicken in a bowl. With drumsticks or thighs, I would suggest using the zipper bag and arranging the closed bag in a rimmed (for to catch any leakage) flat-bottomed container.
Stash in the fridge for at least two or, far more better, up to 24 hours; giving the chicken a stir or (if in that zipper bag), a flip or three when you think to.
When ready to cook the chicken, remove from the marinade (discard the marinade) and pat the chicken pieces dry.
I think that this marinade would work a treat on a grill, but this recipe suggested air frying, and, as I noted earlier, my husband was not going to stand out on the deck in January, so that is what I did.
Heat your air fryer to 400º.
Line the air fryer tray with parchment paper.
Note: if you scrunch the parchment paper up into a ball after you pull it off the roll, it will lay flat when you spread it out.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the lined air fryer tray and cook for six minutes.
Flip the chicken pieces over and air fry for another six minutes.
Now is when we add the bonus hit of flavor.
Brush your chicken pieces with Arby’s Sauce or your fave barbecue sauce.
Note: I try to keep a squeeze bottle of Arby’s Sauce in the fridge at all times, so I used that over the chicken.
Pop back into the air fryer for another five minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked through and mebbe just a bit crispity.
Serve.
As you can see above, we enjoyed ours as part of lovely main course chopped salad.