Smokey Chipotle Chicken

Name: Smokey Chipotle Chicken
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H20M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT3H15M0.000S
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: One 7-ounce can chipotles in adobo; 1 white onion, chopped; 1/2 small jalapeno, seeded and chopped, or more to taste; 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more whole leaves, for garnish; Juice of 4 limes plus 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving; Kosher salt; 2 to 3 cups mayonnaise; 2 chickens, cut into pieces or 8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on

Getting reviews...

Level: Easy

Total: 3 hr 15 min (includes marinating and resting times)
Active: 20 min

Yield: 8 servings

Level: Easy

Total: 3 hr 15 min (includes marinating and resting times)
Active: 20 min

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Deselect All

One 7-ounce can chipotles in adobo

1 white onion, chopped

1/2 small jalapeno, seeded and chopped, or more to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more whole leaves, for garnish

Juice of 4 limes plus 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Kosher salt

2 to 3 cups mayonnaise

2 chickens, cut into pieces or 8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

In a blender, combine the chipotles in adobo sauce, white onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. Add a pinch of salt and pulse until combined. Remove to a large non-reactive bowl. Fold in 2 cups of mayonnaise. Taste and adjust seasonings. If it is too hot, add more mayonnaise. Reserve about 1/2 cup marinade for serving.
Add the chicken pieces to the remaining marinade, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight, turning occasionally.
Preheat half of a grill to medium-high heat.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place the chicken, bone-side down, in the center of the cooking grate. You do not need to turn the chicken pieces as they cook. Grill, with the grill cover down, until the breast meat near the bone registers 165 degrees F and the thigh meat registers 180 degrees F, about 45 minutes. If you don't have a meat thermometer, cook until no longer pink and the juices run clear.
Remove the chicken from the grill using tongs and a spatula to preserve the crust on top. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes before garnishing with whole cilantro leaves and serving with the reserved marinade and lime wedges alongside.

Cook’s Note

You can also cook this chicken in the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and place the chicken on a rack set into a sheet pan. The rack allows the air to rotate around the chicken, giving each piece a nice crust. Cook until the breast meat near the bone registers 165 degrees F and the thigh meat registers 180 degrees F, about 45 minutes.