Adobo Chili & Honey-Lime Chicken Thighs

Cut by lime and fragrant with cilantro, these smoky, fiery chicken thighs are amazing no matter how you serve them – on a toasted brioche bun, in taco form with pickled red onions, or just by themselves.

Ingredients

1. 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1½ – 2lbs)
2. 1 can chiles in adobo (You’ll only need the following; freeze the rest for later)
   • 3 chiles, finely minced
   • 3 tablespoons sauce from the can
3. 2 tablespoons achiote powder
4. Zest of 2 limes
5. 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
6. 6 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane
7. 1/3 cup Kewpie Japanese Mayo (try to get the real stuff from Japan, not the American knock-off… this stuff is BOMB. But any mayo will do just fine).
8. 2 tablespoons honey
9. Healthy pinch Kosher salt
10. For serving:
    • Lime wedges
    • Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
    • Quick pickled red onions (if going the taco route)
    • Dill pickle chips (if going the bun route)
    • Whatever else makes you happy (grilled corn, or an ice-flecked Mexican lager, perhaps?)

Instructions

1. Whisk ingredients 2 – 9 (everything except the chicken thighs) together; then add the chicken thighs and stir to coat well (I like to just do the whole thing in a 1 gallon ziploc bag). Marinate for at least an hour – or up to overnight (the longer the better).
2. Set up your grill for 2 zone cooking. Grill chicken thighs over high heat until nicely colored and charred in spots. Transfer to cooler side of grill as needed – you’re looking for an internal temp of around 175°F
3. Let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.