This post is sponsored by Foster Farms Air-Chilled Chicken but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
If you are a subscriber to Better Homes & Gardens, you might have noticed that I came up with a whole slew of cherry recipes for the July 2020 issue. I think there’s like 11 or 12 recipes, but behind-the-scenes there were so many more that didn’t make the cut. This Sticky Jalapeno and Cherry Grilled Chicken is one of them and now that the issue is on newsstands I get to share it with you here, for free!
It’s summer, which means I’d rather be outside grilling than anywhere else.
The smoky flavor, the charred edges, it just doesn’t compare, in my opinion, to any other kind of cooking.
When Foster Farms asked if I could come up with a recipe for their Simply Raised Air Chilled Chicken, it was this cherry chicken recipe I’ve had swimming in my head forever that came to mind.
What Is Air Chilled Chicken?
Air-Chilling is a method for cooling chicken during processing. The benefits include better taste and texture, and faster cooking time.
Since excess water is not absorbed during air-chilling (in comparison to water-chilled chicken,) the natural juices in air-chilled chicken are not diluted and the texture is unaltered, which leads to more flavorful and tender pieces of meat.
Because air-chilled chicken doesn’t absorb excess water, it tends to cook faster than when chicken is water- chilled.
Plus Foster Farms Air Chilled Chicken is always raised free range with no antibiotics or added hormones and 100% vegetarian diet.
What Kind Of Chicken To Use
Foster Farms Air Chilled Chicken is available in many different cuts. I used the boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they cook quickly and are juicier than chicken breasts.
You can choose whichever kind of chicken your family likes best. The marinade works on any of them, but the cooking time may vary depending on what type you use.
The chicken thighs took about 15 minutes total to cook and I assume grilling chicken breasts would take about the same amount of time.
The best way to be sure your chicken is cooked all the way through is to use an instant read thermometer.
Insert it in the meatiest part, but without touching the bone, (if you are cooking bone-in chicken). When it reaches 165°F, you know it is ready.
The Best Way To Season Chicken For The Grill
The nice thing about this Jalapeno Chicken is that the marinade does all the work.
You simply blend all the ingredients in the blender, pour it over the chicken and let it do it’s thing.
A good rule of thumb for cooking any kind of meat however, is to use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat.
This recipe has that amount in the marinade, but it’s a good kitchen tip to keep in mind and one I use for everything from meatballs to pan-seared steaks.
As far as how long to marinate the jalapeno chicken I cooked one batch after only 30 minutes and one batch after 24 hours and honestly, couldn’t tell much of a difference.
So if you want to plan ahead and give it a long marinade time that’s fine but you can also just let it marinate while you get the grill ready and it will be equally delicious.
This Jalapeno Chicken….How Spicy Is It?
The next thing everyone always wants to know when jalapeños are involved, is how spicy is it going to be.
Well, let’s take a look, first of all, at how hot jalapeños are in Scoville units. Scoville units are a measure of spiciness of a chili. The more units there are, the spicier the chili is.
A jalapeno can be anywhere from 2,500 units to 10,000 which may seem like a lot but the scale goes all the way up to 3,000,000 so in comparison, not that spicy.
How spicy this sticky chicken is really depends on how hot your jalapeños are and your tolerance level.
I will say I don’t think the jalapenos I used were very spicy. My kids ate this chicken two days in a row with no complaints of their mouths being on fire.
Final verdict: This Jalapeño Chicken is not that spicy.
More Jalapeño Recipes To Try
If you do love the spice or have jalapenos growing in your garden and are looking for ways to use them. Here are some of my other favorite jalapeño recipes:
- How To Pickle Jalapenos
- Jalapeño Pretzel Bagels with Charred Scallion Cream Cheese
- The Best Spicy Lime Jalapeno Chicken Soup
- Spicy Raspberry Jalapeño Margarita
Grill, Baby, Grill!
I hope you’re as crazy about this Sticky Jalapeno and Cherry Grilled Chicken as I am! If you make it, let me know! Snap a photo of your sticky sweet cherry chicken and tag me on Instagram using @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno. Happy eating!
Sticky Jalapeno and Cherry Grilled Chicken
Sticky Jalapeno and Cherry Grilled Chicken is a low-stress, utterly simple dinner recipe you MUST make this summer with a killer spicy-sweet marinade.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Foster Farms Air Chilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Juice of 1 lime (about ¼ cup)
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted (about 6 ounces)
- 2 jalapeños, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Blend up the marinade: Combine lime juice, honey, olive oil, cherries, jalapenos, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Marinate the chicken: Place chicken in a shallow dish and pour marinade over chicken thigh, turn to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate while you heat the grill. Marinate at least 15 minutes or up to overnight.
Grill the chicken: Heat grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into the dish. Grill chicken thighs until cooked through completely, turning once, about 15 minutes total.
To Serve: Serve immediately with rice and a green salad.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
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Thank you for the recipe. I needed a guide to making a cherry jalapeno based marinade since I had so many cherries. I added some stuff: a Serrano for more heat, fresh garlic, powdered onion, black pepper, a little soy sauce, and a little fish sauce. I cooked down the remaining marinade for use as a sauce. So good!
Love all those additions. Sounds so good!