Smoked AND Grilled Mango Habenero Chicken

By nekmor

GREAT combination of brined, smoked and grilled chicken with a moist, tender, sweet kick! Recipe looks tough, but it's a simple griller!

Ingredients

• Basic
• 12-14 chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (skin on)
• rub (I like "B.R.I.T.U." (recipe below) but if you don't feel like mixing it,Tony Chachere's "more spice seasoning" works well and can be found in most supermarkets)
• sauce (your preference but since the finish is gonna be sweet I use Sweet Baby Rays)
• Large foil pan(s)
• 64 oz Mango juice (or juice mixture containing mango)
• 1/2 cup Kosher Salt
• Mango Habenero Sauce
• 1 cup of barbecue sauce
• 1 mango, cubed
• 1 habanero
• 1 cup of mango juice or juice mixture containing mango (we reserved from the 64oz)
• mix 1 cup of the sauce, 1 mango (about 1 cup of cubed mango goodness) and 3/4 cup of mango juice together.
• Simmer the sauce on low heat until the mango starts to soften and break up some.
• Add the mango sauce to a food processor with 1 habanero (seeds and veins removed) and pulse it until the mixture is fairly smooth.
• Best Rub In The Universe - 1/4 Batch
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup non-iodized table salt
• 1/8 cup brown sugar, dried
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon Accent (MSG)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Details

Preparation time 150mins
Cooking time 210mins

Preparation

Step 1

Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes including brining
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Smoker Temp: 225 F
Grill Temp: Medium High
Meat Finish Temp: 175 F
Recommended Wood: Hickory

1- Remove 8oz of the mango juice and set aside
2- Mix balance of the mango juice (or juice mixture) with 1/2 cup of kosher salt in a plastic or glass pitcher.
3-Stir until the salt dissolves.
4- Place chicken in VERY large zip bag, cover with brine and refrigerate for 2 hours
5- After 2 hours, remove the chicken from the fridge and rinse well under cold water.
6- Place chicken onto paper towels to drain and pat the top and sides with a paper towel to help dry them.
7- pull back the skin so we can get to the meat.
8- Dry the underside of the skin as well as the meat with a paper towel once it's pulled back.
9- Season the meat with the rub then pull the skin back up around the meat
10- Set up grill for indirect heat (turn on one burner and leave the others off) warm to 225f
11- get your grill top smoker going (if you don't have one this is good http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNTS)
12- Place chicken on the indirect side of the grill
13- Smoke for 3 hours (to 145f internal)
14- CRANK up grill (once its hot reduce to medium heat)
15- When chicken is sizzlin baste with sauce on one side and grill for 15 minutes
16- turn and baste, grill for 15 minutes
17- turn and final baste pull at internal 175f
18- let the juices settle for 5 minutes and SERVE