Grilled Chicken Thighs w/ Peach Habanero BBQ Sauce

Just in time for Father’s Day! Grilled Chicken Thighs w/ Peach Habanero BBQ Sauce for your Sunday grilling. Brandyn is using our Sea Salt Butter in the sauce, but if you have our Honey Habanero Seasonal Butter, we think that would be amazing in this recipe. And of course, it’s Peach Season, so get your hands on some fresh local peaches to grill and serve on the side!

Recipe Title: Grilled Chicken Thighs w/ Peach Habanero BBQ Sauce
Total Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4-5 servings
Level of Difficulty: 4
(Levels 1-5, with 5 being the most difficult)

Recipe by Brandyn Baker @blackdog_bbq

Ingredients:
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
BBQ rub of choice (I used Bad Byron’s Butt Rub seasoning)
Olive oil as needed
1 sweet onion, diced
3 T Sea Salt Banner Butter
1 T minced garlic
1 T ginger, chopped
2 habanero peppers, diced & deseeded
2 C frozen peach slices
1 ½ C ketchup
½ C peach preserves
3 T apple cider vinegar
Green onions, chopped to garnish

For the Peach Habanero BBQ Sauce:
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. Once the butter melts, add the onions and sauté until tender, 3-5 minutes.
Pour in the garlic, ginger, and habanero peppers with the sauteed onions and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant. Next, reduce the heat low medium-low and add the ketchup, peaches, and peach preserves. Cook until all the ingredients are well combined, stirring as needed.
Turn off the heat source, transfer the sauce into a food processor (or blender), and puree until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet and stir in the apple cider vinegar. This will help add flavor and thin out the BBQ sauce.
Set the sauce aside until it reaches room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Chicken Thighs:
Preheat the grill to 500 degrees (or high setting). Meanwhile, trim the chicken of any excess fat, discarding it as needed. Next, apply olive oil as a binder, then liberally coat the chicken thigh with BBQ rub. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken thighs.
Once the grill has preheated, add the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook for 5 minutes. This will help develop a nice, crispy skin. After 5 minutes, flip the chicken and continue cooking.
Once the thighs register about 150 degrees, slather on the peach habanero BBQ sauce using a basting brush, making sure to coat each thigh well. Continue cooking the chicken until the sauce has set and the internal temperature registers at least 165 degrees. Once this has occurred, transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and turn off the grill.
To finish:
Garnish the chicken thighs with green onions (if desired) and serve with sides of choice. Enjoy!