Grilled Mango Habanero Chicken With Citrus Marinade
When I lived in Southern California, you could always find great grilled chicken—juicy, smoky, and packed with citrus flavor. This recipe builds from my Citrus Marinated Chicken base in Easy BBQ, using pineapple, orange, and lime to brighten up bone-in thighs and legs. Then it gets a fresh mango and habanero glaze that hits with sweetness up front and a slow-building heat on the back end. The sauce gets brushed on at the grill to caramelize, then again before serving so every bite is loaded with flavor.
Grilled Mango Habanero Chicken
4
15 minutes
5 hours
520
American
Main Dish
This grilled mango habanero chicken starts with my Citrus Marinated Chicken base from my cookbook Easy BBQ. The mix of pineapple, orange, and lime juices works its way deep into the meat, keeping the thighs and legs juicy and full of bright flavor. Once the chicken is almost done, it gets brushed with a mango and habanero glaze that caramelizes over the heat, adding a shiny, slightly charred layer of sweet heat. A second coat after it comes off the grill locks in the sauce so every bite delivers citrus, smoke, and just enough chili kick to keep things interesting.
Ingredients
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- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup no pulp orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
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- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
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- 1 cup diced fresh mango (about 1 large mango)
- 1 fresh habanero pepper, seeded and minced
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup pineapple juice
Directions
- Make The Marinade: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, light brown sugar, kosher salt, white vinegar, chili powder, Mexican oregano, black pepper, cayenne, and granulated garlic until well combined.
- Marinate The Chicken: Place the chicken thighs and legs in a large resealable bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure each piece is coated. Seal or cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to overnight, turning occasionally.
- Make The Mango Habanero Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine mango, habanero, honey, rice vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, salt, and pineapple juice. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mango is softened. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Return the sauce to the saucepan and simmer 5 more minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside.
- Preheat The Grill: Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium heat (about 350°F to 375°F) with a two-zone setup for direct and indirect cooking. Oil the grates lightly to prevent sticking.
- Grill The Chicken: Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Place chicken skin side down over indirect heat. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F in the thighs.
- Glaze On The Grill: Move chicken over direct heat and brush with mango habanero sauce. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side, brushing again as needed, until the skin is slightly charred and the sauce is set, and the internal temperature reaches 175°F for thighs and 170°F for legs.
- Rest And Finish: Transfer chicken to a platter and let rest 5 minutes. Brush generously with more mango habanero sauce before serving.
- Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes (15 minutes prep, 4 hours marinate, 1 hour cook, 15 minutes sauce cooling/rest)
