Chipotle Lime Chicken
This is by far the most requested barbecued chicken recipe I make. Because this chicken is brined overnight before soaking in marinade, the chicken is plump, juicy and delicious right down to the bone. The smoky mild heat of the chipotles marries well with the citrusy lime juice resulting in a refreshing change from the everyday barbecue sauce. And, the bonus, it can be served hot or cold as a leftover which makes it the ideal convenient weekday meal.
Equipment
- 12 litre bowl with a lid
- barbecue
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skin-on chicken drumsticks or substitute skin-on chicken thighs
For the brine:
- 5 cups cold water
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/3 cup kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lemon peel remove the entire peel of one lemon
- 6 juniper berries crushed
For the marinade:
- 1 -186 ml can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- â…” cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- To a 12-litre container or bowl, combine the ingredients for the brine and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- Add the chicken.
- Put a plate over the chicken to submerge the pieces in the brine. Put a lid overtop and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, remove the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken and lift the skin up and massage some of the marinade under the skin.
- Put the chicken in a ziploc bag or lidded bowl and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let warm at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to 450 °F. Place chicken on the grill and turn the burners under the chicken to low. If the chicken doesn't require the entire grill, you can turn the burners that are away from the chicken to medium.
- Grill chicken for about 45 minutes, turning once at the midway point. Continue cooking until an internal temperature of 165 °F is achieved.
Nutrition
Calories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 14gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 4803mgPotassium: 212mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 47IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Out of this world delicious! Made this in the oven for dinner this evening after work. I love how easy it is to make the brine and marinade! I made the chicken in the oven because we do not have a barbecue. I placed the chicken on a wire rack over top of a baking tray to mimic the barbecue while catching any drippings and set the oven at 425 F for 45 min. I turned the chicken over half way through the cook time. A gentle warning: this method does produce a lot of oven smoke from any burnt on drippings. However, the flavor was well worth any cleanup! This will definitely be in dinner rotation and cannot wait to make it again.