This Chipotle Peach BBQ Chicken is made with a sweet and smoky barbecue sauce- it is the epitome of summertime grilling goodness!
I’m trying not to bum myself out too much over the fact that summer is coming to an end. It always seems to fly by and it feels like I’ve barely even noticed it’s summer before- POOF- it’s gone!
Summer is such a busy time for me that I hardly have time to enjoy it anyway. The number of events I cater is always ramped up during the summer months on top of my usual workload and I wind up in a crazed/workaholic mode while everyone else is sipping on Mai Tais in St. Barths or whatever.
But alas, this is the life I chose. Also, I live in Santa Barbara which is basically like being on summer vacation all year long…shame on me for whining at all!
I do try to soak in the season any way I can though, especially as it’s winding down and I’m left with feelings of nostalgia for another summer gone by mixed with butterflies-in-the-stomach anticipation for the approaching autumn/winter/holiday seasons. Don’t even get me started on how much I look forward to that time of year, and you know what? It probably has something to do with the fact that my work pace slows back down to a level that is actually somewhat manageable and I am able to stop, breathe, and just be in the moment of pumpkin spice everything coziness…
But I digress. Let’s get back to this moment, and these last days of summer. This Chipotle Peach BBQ Chicken recipe is a full on celebration of the end of the season because a.) peaches and b.) BBQ. And that’s really all I need to feel like I didn’t miss out on everything this summer.
And maybe some ice cream too.
So even if I worked my tush off and made it to the beach WAY fewer times than I care to admit, I will always have this Chipotle Peach BBQ Chicken recipe to look back on the Summer of ’15 and say, yeah, it was a pretty kick-ass summer.
Chipotle Peach BBQ Chicken
This Chipotle Peach BBQ Chicken is made with a sweet and smoky barbecue sauce- it is the epitome of summertime grilling goodness!
Ingredients
- For the BBQ sauce:
- 1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup peach preserves
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons dried chipotle chiles
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- For the chicken:
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- Canola oil for grilling
Instructions
In a medium sized saucepan, combine tomatoes, sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and dried chipotle. Stir to combine and simmer over medium heat until thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.
- Remove sauce from heat and let cool slightly. Puree sauce with an immersion blender. Stir in peach preserves and salt. Let stand for 5 minutes and stir again. Let cool completely.
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat (about 350 degrees) on one side only, leaving the other side off. Brush both sides of the chicken leg quarters with the canola oil and season with salt and pepper.
- When grill is hot, rub grates with oil using a paper towel and a pair of tongs. Place the chicken directly over the heat side and grill with the lid open for about 3 minutes per side. Move chicken to indirect heat and cook with the lid closed for another 35-40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the chicken leg quarter registers 170 degrees. While chicken is cooking baste each side with BBQ sauce and flip occasionally. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
This recipe also works with apricot preserves.
Products I recommend for this recipe:
That glaze sounds amazing! Chipotle and fruity peaches is a genius combination!