Spicy Chipotle Grilled Chicken

Fire up the barbeque because this is the best spicy chipotle grilled chicken you'll have all summer. More of a warm heat then spicy, this is a mixture of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (my favorite), garlic, paprika, cumin, chili and cilantro. It's one part southern, one part Mexican and 100 per cent summer grilling food.


You always know you're made a great meal when everyone at the table is eating in determined silence. No time between bites to talk 'cause every flavour is being savoured. And that's exactly how this dinner went down. You can find chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Mexican section of grocery stores.

A great accompaniment is Martha Stewart's recipe for Cuban-style roasted sweet potatoes. The sweet flavour of the potatoes and fresh lime juice is the perfect match for the heat of the grilled chipotle chicken. I used the recipe from the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, but it's the same as the one posted on Caroline's Favorite Vegan Recipes.

Spicy Chipotle Grilled Chicken (serves 4)
From Bon Appetit, July 2006

Ingredients
1/4 cup canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 chicken breasts

Directions
In a food processor, combine chipotles in adobo, olive oil and garlic cloves and puree until minced. Add chopped onion, chopped cilantro, paprika, ground cumin, chili powder, and salt and process until onion is finely chopped.

Arrange chicken breasts in a pan and spread chipotle mixture over both sides of the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight if you're planning ahead.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Grill chicken until cooked through, moving to cooler part of grill as needed to prevent burning and brushing with reserved marinade during last 5 minutes of grilling, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter and serve.

Alternatively, you can grill these on your stove top in a frying pan.