Spiced smoky barbecued chicken

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Spiced smoky barbecued chicken sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Australian traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 38 minutes in a single soup pot, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 11 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. Make the marinade. Smash the garlic with a little salt using a pestle and mortar. Add the lemon zest and juice, the spice mix, chilli, oil and a good grinding of black pepper. Mix to a paste. This can be done in a mini food processor.
2. Step 2. Toss the chicken in the marinade and set aside while you light the barbecue. When the barbecue’s hot, lay the bunches of herbs on the grid and put the chicken, skin side up, on top. Close the lid, if your barbecue has one, and cook the chicken on the smouldering herbs for about 10 minutes until the meat starts to colour. Turn the chicken and continue to cook for a further 20-30 minutes, turning as necessary, until it is slightly charred from the burnt herbs and cooked through to the bone.

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest soup pot you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with australian roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 6-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Original recipe inspiration: source.