Ancho Chili & Tequilia Glazed BBQ Chicken Thighs

Soak your wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes. Preheat your BBQ grill with all burners turned to high for 15 minutes before the meat hits the grill. Prep either a foil tray, or a tinfoil pouch for the wood chips by poking a few small holes through the bottom.

In a large bowl whisk together the chili powder, sugar, garlic powder, cumin, pepper, and salt. Add the chicken thighs and mix together with your hands to ensure even coverage. Pour in the olive oil and give it another quick mix with your hands. Set aside.

Into a medium pot, add the agave syrup, tequila, hot sauce, butter, and lime juice. Bring to a boil, and continue boiling for 3 or 4 minutes, until slightly thickened and reduced to about ½ a cup. Remove from heat.

Turn off the burners on one side of the grill. Place your chicken, skin side down, over the cool side of the grill. Place your foil tray or pouch, now full of the drained wood chips, directly over the flames. Baste the chicken with the tequila glaze. Close the lid and let chicken cook for twenty minutes.

Check to see that the skin is brown and crisp on the bottom side. If it isn’t, continue cooking for another five minutes. You can turn the burner onto low to speed this up, but do not walk away from the grill, and turn the burner off before flipping over the chicken. When the skin is crisp on the bottom side, flip the chicken over. Baste the skin side, close the lid, and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the meat registers 165℉ on an instant read thermometer. Remove chicken from grill to a clean platter.

Serve with fresh lime slices.

Recipe adapted from: Cooking Light, July 2012.