Tequila-Orange Chicken
Submitted by pattyme
Grilled chicken glazed with a sticky tequila-orange sauce spiked with jalapeño and fresh orange zest. A sweet, smoky, spicy showpiece that’s equal parts backyard cookout and fiesta.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsThis is the kind of grilled chicken that makes the whole neighborhood lean over the fence to ask what you’re cooking.
A sauce of fresh orange juice, tequila, jalapeño and grated orange zest gets reduced by half until it’s concentrated and glossy, then mixed with gravy for body.
Chicken breasts grill skin-side up over medium coals for a full hour, getting brushed with that sticky, citrusy glaze during the last 30 minutes so it caramelizes into a burnished, lacquered crust.
The result is sweet, smoky and just spicy enough to keep you reaching for another piece.
Chef Tips
- Reduce the sauce by a full half before adding the gravy. This concentrates the tequila-orange flavor so it doesn’t just slide off the chicken.
- Brush the sauce on only during the last 30 minutes of grilling. Too early and the sugars from the OJ will burn.
- If broiling instead of grilling, keep the chicken 6 inches from the heat and turn more frequently to avoid scorching the glaze.
- Split chicken breasts with the bone in and skin on give you the juiciest results and the skin crisps up beautifully under that glaze.
Ingredients
Directions
To make sauce: In 1 quart saucepan, combine juice, tequila, peppers and peel.
Over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low.
Simmer, uncovered 10 minutes or until mixture is reduced by half.
Add gravy, heat through, stirring constantly.
On grill rack, place chicken, skin side up, directly above medium coals.
Grill uncovered 1 hour or until tender and juices run clear, turning and brushing with sauce during the last 30 minutes.
To broil, arrange chicken, skin side up, on rack in broiler pan.
Broil 6 inches from heat 40 minutes or until tender and juices run clear, turning and brushing often with sauce during the last 20 minutes.
Comments
