- Prep Time
- 30 min
- Cook Time
- 15 min
- Total Time
- 8 hr 45 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
Ingredients
- 6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, from the can
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce, from the can
- Juice of 1 mandarin orange, freshly squeezed
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed
- 60g rice bran oil (or any neutral oil)
- 2g salt, plus more for dusting after grilling
- 3 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Blend the marinade: Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, mandarin juice, garlic, rice bran oil, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down as needed. The sauce should be thick, smoky, and glossy.
- Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken thighs in a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over and massage to coat every piece. Refrigerate overnight (8-24 hours).
- Bring to room temp: Pull the chicken from the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly.
- Cook the chicken: Grill over the hottest part of the grill at 500-525°F. About 5 minutes per side until 175°F internal — the adobo-rich sauce will char and bloom but won't burn the way a sugar-loaded marinade would.
- Rest, dust, and serve: Let the thighs rest 5 minutes, then dust with flaky or kosher salt while still hot so it sticks to the char. Slice and serve with rice, charred tortillas, slaw, or pickled onions.
Notes
- Save the leftover chipotle peppers in adobo in a small container in the fridge or freeze in tablespoon portions.
- Save the extra adobo sauce from the can and spoon a little over the chicken after slicing if you want more smoke and heat.