Mango-Habanero BBQ Chicken Recipe

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.

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.

BOOM!

Not much else to say other than -- let's get cooking!

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.

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?

How to Make Mike's Mango-Habanero BBQ Chicken Recipe

First, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. The ingredients include the following:

• 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

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.

While the chicken is marinating, make the bbq sauce.

How to Make the Mango-Habanero BBQ Sauce

Gather up the following ingredients:

• 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
• 2 tablespoons spicy chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• ½ cup brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Making the BBQ Sauce:

• 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.

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.

Print

Mango-Habanero BBQ Chicken Recipe

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.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: barbecue, bbq, chicken, grilled chicken, recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Marinating Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 50 minutes

Calories: 682kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 4 chicken breasts

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4.80 from 5 votes

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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
• 2 tablespoons spicy chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 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

Heat Factor: Medium-Hot. You'll get some good heat with the barbecue sauce, but the habanero heat is somewhat tempered by the mango. Include more habanero peppers to up the heat factor.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 682kcal   Carbohydrates: 77g   Protein: 24g   Fat: 33g   Saturated Fat: 4g   Cholesterol: 54mg   Sodium: 1399mg   Potassium: 1417mg   Fiber: 7g   Sugar: 60g   Vitamin A: 4570IU   Vitamin C: 64.6mg   Calcium: 140mg   Iron: 6.2mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.