Tequila-Lime Glazed Chicken Thighs

Ease of Preparation: Medium
Time of Preparation: 1 hour, plus 2 hours marinating time
Yield: 4 servings

Flavorful chicken thighs are marinated and then glazed with all the flavors of smooth tequila, tart lime, spicy chipotle, and sweet agave before getting a smoky grilling and being paired with a refreshing salad of jicama and cucumber.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

• 2 pounds (907 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (16 thighs)
• ½ cup (120 ml) lime juice
• ½ cup (120 ml) gold tequila
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sriracha
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) dried oregano
• ½ cup (120 ml) agave syrup
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cumin
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup (120 ml) chopped cilantro

Glaze:

• 1 cup (120 ml) agave
• ¾ cup (180 ml) tequila
• 8 limes, juice
• 2 tablespoons (10 ml) chipotle sauce
• Salt

Jicama Cucumber Ribbon Salad:

• 1 large English cucumber, peeled and seeded
• ½ jicama bulb, peeled
• ½ small red onion, cut into thin strips
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 2 limes, juice
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) chili flakes

Special Equipment:

• 8 12-inch (32.5 cm) metal skewers

Method:

For the Chicken:

In a large, resealable bag, combine the chicken, lime juice, tequila, sriracha, oregano, agave syrup, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and cilantro.

Seal tightly and shake the bag to make sure the marinade is well distributed.

Marinate, refrigerated, for 2 hours to overnight.

For the Glaze:

In a small pot, combine agave syrup, tequila, lime juice, and chipotle and cook until the mixture reaches a simmer.

Simmer for 25-30 minutes until the glaze reduces by half and becomes slightly thick.

Season with salt and set aside.

For the Jicama Cucumber Ribbon Salad:

Peel jicama, and slice into long 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide flat sections.

Use a mandolin to slice long, even ribbons of cucumber, jicama, and carrot.

Place the ribbons in a mixing bowl, add red onion, and toss to combine.

About 10-15 minutes before serving, drizzle the veggies with the olive oil and lime juice and season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper.

Toss to combine evenly and let sit for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.

To Finish:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and skewer onto two parallel skewers. There should be 4 chicken thighs per skewer pair.

Drizzle skewered chicken with olive oil and place on grill.

Cook the chicken on one side for 3 minutes and then flip onto the uncooked side.

Brush the chicken with the reserved Glaze.

Flip and apply glaze to the chicken 6 more times, cooking for about 20-25 minutes, until deeply brown.

Remove from grill and let rest, loosely tented with foil, for 5 minutes.

Transfer the Jicama Cucumber Ribbon Salad to a serving platter (or individual dishes) and serve the hot skewers alongside.