Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Grilled Chicken with Sweet & Spicy Peach BBQ Sauce

If you are a reader of this blog, or a friend of mine, you've probably noticed that I don't like chicken very much.  Bland, dry, blah, bleh!  However, after years of people trying to force me to act like an adult, I've learned that if I cook it myself, and add lots of spices, it's not that bad.  I guess the other option is to order it from an expensive restaurant, but why would I do that?  If that's where I happen to be, I have no choice but to order the biggest steak on the menu.

Having said that, this was a simple recipe that added a sweet, smoky kick to the chicken.  I froze the leftover BBQ sauce and later used it on drumsticks, and that was good too.  Maybe I won't die of a beef induced heart attack after all...


Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Peach BBQ Sauce:
8 ripe peaches, peeled and diced
2 cups ketchup
3 tbsp adobo sauce (from canned chipotles in adobo)
2 tbsp Thai Garlic Chili sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp white sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions:
Combine peaches, ketchup, lemon juice, and adobo sauce in a small saucepan.  Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until peaches are very soft; about ten minutes.  Remove pan from heat and let cool.
Next, using a food processor or immersion blender, puree peach mixture until smooth.  If you don't have either, or are too lazy to plug anything in, the mixture should be soft enough to smash with a potato masher.  Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Taste, and add additional seasoning if necessary.  Place about half the sauce in a bowl, add chicken and mix to coat.  Marinate for 20 minutes or up to 8 hours.  Refrigerate remaining sauce for grilling/serving (and if it seems like too much, stash some in the freezer for another meal).
When ready to grill, remove chicken and bring to room temperature.  Preheat grill to medium high and grill chicken 6-8 minutes per side, glazing once on each side with some of the reserved BBQ sauce.  Serve with remaining sauce.
No, I am not under the impression that these mashed potatoes will help prevent heart disease. But you can't deny they make a great side dish!
Tips:  I have to be honest - the original recipe that I found called for using bottled BBQ sauce, frozen peaches, and less spices.  It just didn't seem that difficult to make it from scratch, and make it tastier, so that's what I did.  But, if you want to cut out some steps on a busy weeknight, I won't hold it against you!  Just don't forget the adobo and thai chili garlic sauce, because that's what makes this sauce - the combo of spicy and sweet.  Enjoy!

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