Mojito barbecued chicken

4
Points®
Total Time
2 hr 50 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
The bright, cooling flavors of fresh lime and mint give this chicken a flavor-packed punch. Mojitos are a traditional Cuban cocktail that pairs lime, mint, and sugar with rum for a sweet, citrusy, herby blend of flavors. Here, we’ve used those same flavors in this dish as both a marinade and as a dressing to serve with the finished chicken. Buying a whole chicken already cut up is worth it for the convenience and time saved—the whole pieces are a nice change from skinless boneless chicken breasts. When choosing mint, note than peppermint has a stronger, more pungent, almost spicy flavor than milder-tasting spearmint.

Ingredients

Lime zest

2 Tbsp, grated

Fresh lime juice

¼ cup(s)

Orange juice

¼ cup(s)

Fresh mint leaves

2 Tbsp, chopped

Honey

1 Tbsp

Garlic

2 clove(s), minced

Olive oil

2 tsp

Ground cumin

1 tsp

Table salt

¾ tsp

Black pepper

¼ tsp

Raw skinless boneless light and dark meat chicken

1¾ pound(s), (1 whole cut up chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds)

Cooking spray

1 spray(s)

Lime

1 item(s), cut into wedges

Instructions

  1. To make marinade, whisk together lime zest and juice, orange juice, mint, honey, garlic, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Transfer half of lime mixture to covered container and refrigerate. Transfer remaining lime mixture into large zip-close plastic bag and add chicken. Squeeze out air and seal bag; turn to coat chicken. Refrigerate, turning bag occasionally, at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Remove chicken from marinade; scrape off and discard excess marinade.
  2. Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat grill to medium or prepare medium fire.
  3. Place chicken on grill rack and grill, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 30–35 minutes.
  4. Transfer chicken to platter and spoon reserved lime mixture on top. Serve with lime wedges. Remove skin before eating.
  5. Serving size: 1/6 of chicken and 1 tablespoon lime mixture