With this juicy bbq chicken recipe, we marinate the chicken to infuse it with flavor, then grill it and slather it in a homemade spicy mango-habanero bbq sauce. Perfection.
Mango-Habanero BBQ Chicken Recipe
Fire up the grill, my spicy food loving friends. I have the perfect grilled chicken for you. The recipe includes a super flavorful marinade, easy instructions for grilling up your chicken, and a recipe for a zesty, spicy mango-habanero bbq sauce that brings the perfect combination of sweet and heat.
I love this recipe! Talk about flavor!
The Marinade
I'm using my Spicy BBQ Chicken Marinade to make the chicken as awesome as it can be. You can use any cut of chicken you'd like, but for now, we're using chicken breast here. Chicken breast can turn out a bit dry on the grill, but not with this marinade.
We're using a lot of flavor-building ingredients. I've included the ingredients and steps in the recipe below.
Mango-Habanero BBQ Chicken - The Recipe Method
First, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl.
Marinade Ingredients
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Malt Vinegar.
- Worcestershire Sauce.
- Habanero Hot Sauce.
- Dried Basil.
- Smoked Paprika.
- Onion Powder.
- Garlic Powder.
- Salt.
- Black Pepper.
Next, add the chicken breasts and cover with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight. If you’re in a hurry, marinade for 1 hour minimum, though you won’t get as much flavor penetration.
How Long Should I Marinate My Chicken?
It is best to marinate your chicken for grilling or barbecuing for at least 8 hours to get the most flavor infusion. I like to marinate it overnight, or get it going in the morning so the chicken will be ready when I am ready for cooking in the evening. If you're in a hurry, you can marinate for one hour, but you won't get as much flavor penetration or marinade benefits.
Let's talk about how we make this recipe, shall we?
While the chicken is marinating, make the bbq sauce.
Mango-Habanero BBQ Sauce Ingredients
- Olive Oil.
- Onion. Chopped.
- Habanero Peppers. Diced.
- Garlic. Chopped.
- Mango. Chopped.
- Tomato Paste.
- Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Honey.
- Stone Ground Mustard.
- Spicy Chili Flakes.
- Smoked Paprika.
- Mustard Powder.
- Ground Ginger.
- Brown Sugar.
- Salt and Pepper.
First, heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add olive oil with onion and peppers. Cook about 5 minutes, or until everything softens.
Add the garlic and cook another minute, until garlic becomes fragrant.
Add remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 20-30 minutes.
Process until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a ½ cup of water or more and continue to process to your preferred consistency.
Serve the sauce right away, or let it sit awhile to allow the flavors to more fully develop.
Looks great, doesn't it? Check out my Mango-Habanero BBQ Sauce Recipe for more tips and instructions on how you can play with the recipe.
How to Make BBQ Chicken on the Grill
Grilling up chicken breast on the grill is simple. First, heat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken 5 minutes per side to get a nice sear.
Baste on a few spoonfuls of the barbecue sauce and continue to grill until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer.
I like to use my Thermapen meat thermometer from ThermoWorks (I'm an affiliate). Works great! Almost there!
Remove your chicken from the heat and let it rest a couple minutes.
Serve it up with a bit of extra bbq sauce.
BOOM! Done! Easy enough, right? Hey, while you're at it, toss a few jalapeno peppers and some extra habanero peppers onto the grill while you're at it. Bring on the heat!
Alternate Cooking Methods
If you're unable to grill, you can cook up chicken breast the same way in a hot pan on the stove top. Sear the marinated chicken in an oil pan over medium-high heat, 5 minutes per side. Then, cover and reduce the heat and cook until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10-15 minutes or so.
Or, instead of covering, add the pan to the oven and bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees F, until you reach the same internal temperature.
Baste with more mango-habanero bbq sauce and serve them up!
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Let me know how it turns out for you! I'd love to hear it.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- I'm using my Spicy BBQ Chicken Marinade to make the chicken as awesome as it can be. You can use any cut of chicken you'd like, but for now, we're using chicken breast here.
- I like to marinate it overnight, or get it going in the morning so the chicken will be ready when I am ready for cooking in the evening.
- It is best to marinate your chicken for grilling or barbecuing for at least 8 hours to get the most flavor infusion. If you're in a hurry, you can marinate for one hour, but you won't get as much flavor penetration or marinade benefits.
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Mango-Habanero BBQ Chicken in an airtight container in the fridge may allow to keep it for up to 3-4 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate the chicken promptly and reheat properly.
Check Out Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Nashville Hot Chicken
- Honey-Sriracha Chicken
- Blackened Chicken
- Korean Fried Chicken
- Ancho BBQ Chicken Wings
- Grilled Jerk Chicken Wings
- Crispy Grilled Ghost Pepper Wings
- Chicken Drumsticks with Pumpkin Seed Sauce (Pipian Rojo)
- Spicy Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Smoked Gouda and Habanero Hot Sauce
- Grilled Pork Chops with Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
- Grilled Shrimp Po'boys
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Mango-Habanero BBQ Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE MARINADE
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup malt vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons habanero hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE MANGO-HABANERO BBQ SAUCE
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 4 habanero peppers diced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2-3 cups chopped mango I used 2 cups for this recipe, but you can use more as desired
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard (or use spicy brown mustard)
- 2 tablespoons spicy chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon mustard powder
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- ½ cup brown sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
FOR GRILLING
- 4 8- ounce chicken breasts
Instructions
FOR THE MARINADE
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts and cover with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight. If you’re in a hurry, marinade for 1 hour minimum, though you won’t get as much flavor penetration.
FOR THE MANGO-HABANERO BBQ SAUCE
- Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add olive oil with onion and peppers. Cook about 5 minutes, or until everything softens.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute, until garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 20-30 minutes.
- Process until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a ½ cup of water or more and continue to process to your preferred consistency. Serve the sauce right away, or let it sit awhile to allow the flavors to more fully develop.
FOR THE CHICKEN
- Heat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken 5 minutes per side to get a nice sear.
- Baste on a few spoonsful of the barbecue sauce and continue to grill until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer.
- Remove from heat and let rest a couple minutes.
- Serve with extra bbq sauce.
Notes
Nutrition Information
M says
By ground mustard, did you mean stone ground mustard along with the mustard powder?
Mike Hultquist says
M: I am amending my comment. It is stone ground mustard (or you can use spicy brown mustard). I'll update the recipe to make that clearer. I apologize, this is one my older recipes that I needed to more closely review. I need to update it with new photos!
M says
Ok, thanks. Just know that you have it listed twice.
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, please see my amended comment. Long day!
Matt says
Did you use deseed the habaneros?
Mike H. says
Matt, it totally depends on your heat tolerance and preference. You can enjoy them either way.
Boo says
So-So-oooo Yummy! i made twice as much sauce to pour over, dip and dip and dip (going to try and make as chicken wings) the guys loved them, had ice cold Tecate Beer, this is a KEEPER for this summer, all summer, can make on stove top as well. Now I know to always make twice or even more sauce for any of your bad boy recipes. Platter was wiped clean off, no left overs, make again. Thanks Mike, can always count on your tasty recipes. Grill, it, bake, stove top,nice to have the options. BOOM
Mike Hultquist says
Yes! Boom, indeed! Thanks for sharing this. I love to hear it.
Louise says
Hi, I love the bbq sauce, thank you for sharing the recipe. I put too much mango in it for us, is there a way to correct it? ❤
Louise
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Louise. You can add in more of the other ingredients and combine them to make a larger batch, or at least add in some more tomato paste, then simmer. It will probably thicken, so thin with a bit of water or stock. I hope this helps.
Jeremie says
This was just AWESOME! This is the best BBQ sauce ever, and the marinated chicken was juicy and full of flavors! (I used chicken thighs). With plain potatoes cooked on the grill, then filled with cream, blue cheese and chives! a pure delight. Thanks Mike!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great to hear, Jeremie! Glad you enjoyed this one! Grilling season is here!!
Halima says
I was reading through the comments on the Arabiatta/ competition page to see if you had a winner and saw someone mentioned this post.... How Have I not seen this yet!!.
I'm going to Braai (BBQ) me some breasts this weekend and have over a nice fresh salad... Cant wait for the weekend !! Yummy Thanks
Halima from over the sea
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Halima! Yep, the winners have been chosen. I appreciate the comments!