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Friday, January 6, 2012

Red Chili Grilled Chicken

I have a confession to make:  My friend Ruben taught me how to make tamales.  (hehehe) Oh, I know that might not float a lot of boats...but I think it was truly one of the most wonderful experiences I have had in the kitchen :)  I will share that recipe.. or at least the technique.. with you, but it's going to have to wait a bit.  Talk about a labor intensive project! Whew...  Anyway, my real reasoning for going to his house and helping him with tamales was completely selfish- I wanted his red chili recipe!!  Oh, don't be so appalled, he totally knew that was my reason!!

Let me just say.. his red chili was fantastic!  Not only did he give me a little of the leftover product, he also gave me a bit of the red chili sauce - which is actually very simple to make!!

Here's what you do:  take some dried chilis, hot or mild, stem and seeds removed.  Throw them in a pot and cover with water - add 1 whole peeled garlic clove - bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Allow to cool a bit.  Add chilis to a blender and pulse - add enough of the boil water or broth to make a nice thick sauce.  Viola!

Now, jazz it up a bit and marinate some chicken.. and you have a fantastic week night meal.  And isn't the color just incredible????  Oh, and you know I just HAD to have a little creamy sauce to go with it... mmmmmmmmm!!!

Red Chili Grilled Chicken
Created by Jenn's Food Journey (with help from Rube, of course)
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/2 cup red chili sauce (dried red chilis, cover with water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, blend with boiled water or broth)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup mayonnaise (optional)

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together the chili sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oregano.  Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the sauce (if making sauce).  Place the chicken in a resealable bag and pour the remaining sauce over it.  Seal and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Meanwhile, mix reserved sauce with mayonnaise until well combined.  Taste for seasoning (I added just a tad bit of cayenne just to give it a bit more kick and a drop of lemon juice).  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees F and oil the grill grates.  Remove chicken from marinade and place directly over the fire.  Grill 5-10 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove and allow to rest for 3 minutes.  Serve with sauce if desired.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Chickamauga Chicken
Two Years Ago:  Beef Empanadas

11 comments:

Mary said...

This sounds fantastic! I have plans to make tamales with a friend this year. I've never done them before. I am so looking forward to it. Definitely labor intensive though!

Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

Tamales are AWESOME aren't they?? A friend and I made them last year and they were SO good. When you come out here (hint hint!!) we'll have to make them too :) Ruben's red chili is VERY similar to our enchilada sauce we make at Christmas. Very authentic and therefore delicious!! Great idea to slather some chicken in that red goodness. YUM!

Cranberry Morning said...

Yes, this is amazing! And I just happen to have an entire basketful of red chilis from my garden that are dried and sitting on the cookstove, waiting for their moment on stage. I'll get on this!

Jean | Delightful Repast said...

Love it! And you KNOW I'm with you on the optional creamy sauce! This and some of my Mexican rice sounds like just the thing I'd like right this minute--for breakfast! Why not have a margarita while I'm at it?

Big Dude said...

Sounds really good and the red sauce sounds too easy.

Yenta Mary said...

I've never made my own tamales, but would love to try! It's not a solitary project though, and I don't know anyone else who'd be willing to throw themselves into the fray ... :(

StephenC said...

Yet another sauce for your book. Oops, am I letting a cat out of the bag?

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a lovely sauce. I have never made tamales and I really should remedy that. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Candace said...

What a great idea to marinate chicken in red chili! It looks delicious! I will be looking forward to the tamales. Love them!

Chris said...

Totally doing this tomorrow with pork tenderloin. What a great idea and I have tons of dried red chiles. I think I'll do a blend of red cayenne, chipolte and pasilla for a blend.

Pam said...

Oh, yeah! This sounds great and is a must make! Great with your tamales but don't think I'm quite that adventurous! What a friend you have in Ruben!