Why it works: Ketchup and sauce match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,099 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Barbecue-style Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, place the chicken in the dish and bake 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.
Preheat the grill to medium heat.
Grill and serve
Coat the chicken with the sauce mixture, then grill for 15–20 minutes, or until the juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink, turning halfway through grilling.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Ketchup + saucetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,099 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,259 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Ketchup + sugartop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together260 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Chicken + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,814 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chicken
- Provides the main protein; baking first partly cooks it before grilling for browning and char.
- Ketchup
- Supplies tomato base, sweetness and body to the sauce that clings to the chicken.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the sauce caramelize and darken on the grill.
- White vinegar
- Adds acidity that balances the sweetness and cuts the richness of the sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Adds savory depth and salty, umami flavour to the sauce.
The step that matters
Grilling the sauced chicken. Sugar in the sauce burns easily over direct heat, so the sauce can char before the meat is cooked through. Turning halfway and checking that the juices run clear helps the chicken cook evenly and safely.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, sauce, mustard):
- Horseradishfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Shallotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, sauce, mustard. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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