Grilled Chicken with Cherry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

From EatingWell: June/July 2006 — Subscribe Now!

Chopped cherries combine with cherry preserves and smoky, hot chipotle peppers for an unusual marinade and sauce for grilled chicken. Recipe by Nancy Baggett.

Grilled Chicken with Cherry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce Recipe

8 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 3/4 hours (including 2 hours marinating time)

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped (see Tips)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup cherry preserves
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, (see Note), or more to taste
1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

Preparation

Stir cherries, broth, preserves, ketchup, vinegar, chipotle peppers, thyme and allspice in a small deep bowl. Transfer to a shallow nonreactive dish (see Note) large enough to hold chicken. Add chicken and turn to coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat grill to high. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Remove the chicken from the marinade. Transfer the marinade to a medium skillet.
Bring the marinade to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by about half, 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, reduce the grill heat to medium and grill the chicken until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 7 to 9 minutes per side. Let the chicken cool slightly; serve with the sauce.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 1. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Tips: Be sure to measure frozen cherries while still frozen, then thaw. (Drain juice before using.)
To pit a cherry, halve it with a paring knife then pry out the pit with the tip of the knife, or use a cherry pitter.
To oil the grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to spray the food with cooking spray before placing it on the grill.
Notes: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they'll keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
A nonreactive pan—stainless steel, enamel-coated or glass—is best for acidic foods, such as lemon, to prevent the food from reacting with the pan. Reactive pans, such as aluminum and cast-iron, can impart an off color and/or off flavor in acidic foods.

Nutrition

Per serving: 180 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 63 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 1 g fiber; 179 mg sodium; 272 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (29% daily value)

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 3 very lean meat