A classic Mexican-style grilled chicken recipe where chicken parts are first brined in salt water to lock in moisture, then coated with a homemade red chile adobo marinade and grilled until beautifully browned. A honey-chile glaze is brushed on near the end of cooking for a perfect balance of heat and sweetness.
ground black peppersmall amount, to taste~¼ tspest.
ground cinnamona touch~¼ tspest.
salt1 tsp
vinegar (apple cider or white)2 tbsp
honey2 tbsp
oil1 tbsp
potatoesfor grilling~4-5 mediumest.
oilfor coating potatoes and chicken~2 tbspest.
saltfor seasoning potatoes~½ tspest.
Mexican queso fresco or Parmesan cheesefor garnish~½ cupest.
cilantro leavesfor garnish~¼ cupsest.
Steps
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1
Prepare the brine by dissolving 1/4 cup of table salt in 1 cup of water, stirring until the salt is completely dissolved.
2
Place the 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs into the brine and soak for about 1 hour.
3
Prepare the red chile adobo: blanch 4 cloves of garlic in the microwave with water for 1 minute to reduce the raw garlic intensity.
4
In a food processor, combine 2 oz of ground ancho chili with 2/3 cup of hot water and blend until mixed.
5
Add the blanched garlic to the food processor.
6
In a mortar, lightly grind small amounts of cumin and Mexican oregano, add a touch of ground cinnamon and ground black pepper, and transfer all these spices to the food processor.
7
Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth and paste-like.
8
Remove the chicken from the brine after about 1 hour and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
9
Divide the red chile adobo in half: use one half to coat and marinate the chicken pieces, and reserve the other half for the final glaze.
10
Wearing a glove, place the chicken pieces into the bowl with the red chile adobo and gently coat each piece with the marinade.
11
Prepare the potatoes for grilling: place potatoes in a bowl, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss together.
12
Cover the potatoes and microwave for 5 minutes to give them a head start before grilling.
13
Set up the grill with a two-zone fire: pile coals on one side for the hot zone and leave the other side without coals for the cool zone, heating to about 400°F.
14
Lightly spray the skin side of the chicken pieces with oil using a spray bottle, then place them skin-side down on the hot side of the grill.
15
Cover the grill and cook for about 10 minutes until the skin side develops beautiful brown grill marks.
16
Place a perforated grill pan on the cool side of the grill, add the potatoes to it, and flip the chicken pieces over to the cool side as well.
17
Allow the chicken and potatoes to continue cooking on the cool side for about 15 minutes, being careful not to move them too much to prevent sticking.
18
Prepare the glaze: mix the reserved red chile adobo with 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of oil until well combined.
19
About 10 minutes before the chicken is done, brush the glaze generously over the top and sides of each piece.
20
Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 160°F, approximately 5-7 more minutes, allowing the glaze to set on the surface.
21
Transfer the grilled chicken and potatoes to a serving platter, optionally cutting the chicken breasts in half.
22
For the final garnish, sprinkle Mexican queso fresco or Parmesan cheese over the potatoes and top with fresh cilantro leaves.
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