by Judy Kim
Sweet Chili Peach Glazed BBQ Chicken with Grilled Peaches, Scallions and Onions
Yield: 4 Servings
Summer solstice may have already passed but it's prime time BBQ'ing season. I want to start by saying I do not pretend to be an expert in the BBQ arena, in fact this has been a fun time to try to conquer my BBQ fears. Cooking and outdoor grilling are completely different animals. Funny fact, my cousin once wrote a story about what NOT to do when Grilling and apparently I had a leading role. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but let's just say there were a lot of burnt/inedible BBQ ribs and photos of other similar situations. Lesson learned: Don't overheat the entire grilling surface of the BBQ, especially on a charcoal grill. Don't put a glaze on at the raw meat stage, unless you want a burnt exterior and otherwise raw meat. I keep BBQ methods simple now. Have a range of different temperature heat across the grill area for better control. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then massage with a bit of olive oil and finish the last few minutes of grilling with a thick glaze that will leave you with the perfect crispy char.
This BBQ chicken recipe follows those same principles. The twist is a blend of sweet chili sauce with ripe peaches and lime, which turns into a great simple glaze. But the heroes, in my opinion, are the grilled sides: peaches, scallions and red onion. I can't get enough of them!
INGREDIENTS
6 to 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water
5 peaches, sliced in half and pitted
½ cup sweet chili sauce
1 lime, zested and juiced
8 scallions
2 red onions, sliced ¾-inch rings
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds chicken thighs with skin, bone-in
DIRECTIONS
In a blender add 1 peach roughly chopped, sweet chili sauce, zest and juice of 1 lime; pulse and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. In a rimmed sheet pan place remaining peaches cut side up with scallions. Skewer onions through center and place on sheet pan. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat BBQ on medium--high. Meanwhile, rinse chicken and pat dry thoroughly. In a separate rimmed sheet pan place chicken and drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
Place chicken on BBQ grill and cook covered for 10 minutes. Flip chicken and add peaches, scallions and onions to grill. Cover for 5 minutes and flip peaches and vegetables. When chicken reaches 150 to 155°F internal temperature brush glaze on chicken. Flip chicken until glazed and browned on both sides and internal temperature is 165°F; total cooking time for chicken is approximately 25 minutes. Peaches and vegetables should have dark grill marks and be slightly charred: cooking time is about 5 to 10 minutes.
Transfer to a large platter and serve with small bowl of remaining glaze.
Adapted recipe from "Insanely Easy Weeknight Dinners" on Delish.com.