A couple weeks ago the owner of Sun Ovens came to our city and put on an amazing presentation. I had used my Sun Oven many times before this class, but was grateful for all of the new tips I learned. I hadn’t thought of stacking cookie sheets in the oven to bake more cookies at one time. I was also amazed that you can cook a 18-20 lb. turkey in a Sun Oven–now that is cool! I can’t wait to try that 😉
(The bread in the Sun Oven was so moist and soft–it was unbelievable and only took 40-45 minutes to bake)
I also learned that you can use your Sun Oven as a dehydrator. I have had a lot of fun drying sun dried tomatoes the past week. I love sun dried tomatoes but they are always so expensive I don’t buy them often. The Sun Oven worked perfectly and in a few hours I had dried sweet and sour sun dried tomatoes. I keep these in a mason jar in my fridge (or freezer) for all of my favorite pasta or sandwich recipes.
(To make sundried tomatoes all you need to do is slice tomatoes and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and place in the Sun Oven with the door slightly open and dry for 3-5 hours, or until dried but still soft)
The other day I baked my first meat recipe in my Sun Oven. I made my Grandma’s BBQ Chicken and it worked awesome! I did forget to rotate my oven midway through the cooking process, but once I compensated for that, it worked fabulously. Whether you have a Sun Oven to cook in or not, here is a recipe for a very simple (and food storage friendly) BBQ Chicken recipe. My Grandma Lucy has been making this chicken dish since I was a little girl and my family loves it. Feel free to adjust the seasonings as needed. My family likes more spice so I add more cayenne pepper and paprika. If you like a little sweetness to your BBQ Chicken, I have also added peach or apricot jam to the sauce for a sweeter flavor (about 3 T.-1/4 c.). Hope you enjoy!
- 2 c. ketchup
- 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 T. salt
- 1/8-1 t. cayenne pepper
- 1 t. black pepper
- 1 1/2 c. water
- 1/4 c. worcestershire sauce
- 2 t. paprika
- 1 1/2 t. chili powder
- 1/2 t. garlic powder
- 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Cooked rice
- Mix up the first ten ingredients and set aside. Place the chicken into a large crock pot and add 1/4 c. of the barbecue mixture to the chicken with a 1/4 c. of water. Let the chicken cook for 3-4 hours on medium heat (or longer on low) until the chicken is mostly tender. Drain most of the the juices from the chicken (leaving just a little for flavor) and pour the remaining barbecue sauce over the chicken. Continue to cook for another hour until chicken can be easily shredded. Shred the chicken in the barbecue sauce and serve over hot rice.
Wow that looks yummy. I keep trying to convince my hubby to buy a sunoven for camping or emergencies, maybe I need to show him your blog!
Hi, I made this dish last night and was wondering if the recipe is correct. Is there really 1 1/2 T. of salt? I used 1 1/2 tsp. Also, after adding it (the bbq sauce) to the chicken at the end I tasted it-whew was it vinegary-was there supposed to be sugar In the recipe? I added 1c. of brown sugar and it helped but was still kinda tangy. Any suggestions? Thanks
I know, the 1 1/2 T. seems like a lot of salt, but it works and needs it. My grandma actually adds 2 T., so I have cut back from her recipe.
This BBQ recipe is not your traditional bbq flavor that you are probably expecting. It is like a Memphis BBQ where it has a spicy vinegar flavor. It could be an acquired taste, but we have all come to love it through the years. My grandma never added sugar, but sometimes I like to add apricot or peach jam to add some sweetness. It just depends what taste you are wanting 😉
Hope you were able to come up with a combination you liked. Thanks for your comments!