Ingredients
Equipment
Prep Time: 25 minutes (plus at least 30 minutes to marinate) Cook Time: about 45 to 60 minutes Serves: 4
Jalapeño poppers, but make it dinner. Dan marinates boneless chicken thighs in SuckleBusters Chipotle Pepper Sauce, stuffs them with a lime and Cotija cream cheese filling and fresh jalapeño, wraps each one in bacon, dusts them with Clucker Dust and glazes them with Chipotle BBQ Sauce on the grill. They’re called Texas Thunder Thighs, and they’re a lot easier than they look.
The Insider Secret: Cut the Jalapeño Around the Seeds
Dan doesn't core his jalapeños. He starts a cut on the side, follows the pepper around and stays outside the seeds, so he's left with clean slices of jalapeño meat and the seeds stay behind on the core. You get the flavor without the surprise heat, and it works every time.
Ingredients
The Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- About half a bottle of SuckleBusters Chipotle Pepper Sauce
The Cheese Filling
- Cream cheese and grated Cotija cheese, about equal amounts
- A small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
To Wrap and Finish
- 2 to 3 jalapeños, sliced off the core with no seeds
- About 12 strips of bacon (3 per thigh)
- Toothpicks
- SuckleBusters Clucker Dust
- SuckleBusters Chipotle BBQ Sauce for glazing
Equipment
- Grill or pellet grill
- Gallon zip-top bag
- Mixing bowl
- Zester
- Sharp knife
- Pan or tray with a rack to catch drippings
- Basting brush
- Instant-read thermometer
Instructions
1. Marinate the Chicken Put the chicken thighs in a zip-top bag and spread them out flat. Pour in about half a bottle of Chipotle Pepper Sauce, leave a little air in the bag and roll them around until every thigh is coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to an hour, or overnight.
2. Make the Cheese Filling In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and Cotija with the chopped parsley and the zest of one lime. Then cut the lime and squeeze the juice in too. Stir it together and put it in the fridge. The firmer it gets, the easier it is to stuff.
3. Slice the Jalapeños Start a cut on the side of the pepper, then follow it around, staying outside the seeds. Toss the core and seeds and keep the slices.
4. Lay It Out Lay 3 strips of bacon side by side and set a marinated thigh on top. Add a little of the cheese mixture. Don't overdo it or it will squeeze out the sides. Lay a jalapeño slice on either side.
5. Roll, Fold, Toothpick Roll the chicken up around the filling, fold the bacon over the top and pin it with a toothpick or two. Roll it, fold it, toothpick it, and you're good to go. Move it to the pan and do the next one.
6. Season Set the thighs on a rack in a pan to catch the drippings. Give them a thin, even coat of Clucker Dust right down the middle.
7. Grill and Glaze Cook over medium heat, around 350°F, brushing on Chipotle BBQ Sauce as they cook. They usually take about 45 minutes to an hour, but go by the thermometer: the chicken is done at 165°F inside.
8. Rest and Slice Move them to a rack to rest for a few minutes, pull the toothpicks, then slice them open and eat them up.
Dan's Tip: Chill the cheese filling before you build them. Cold, firm cheese stays inside the chicken, and soft cheese ends up on the grill. And cook them in a pan with a rack so the drippings don't hit the fire.
Round It Out: Chipotle Pepper Sauce, Clucker Dust and Chipotle BBQ Sauce are the three SuckleBusters products in this cook. Want less heat on the glaze? Original BBQ Sauce works too. Restocking? Build your own bundle and save. For more chicken, try Texas Bourbon Molasses Chicken Drumsticks, Smoked Mac and Cheese Bacon Cups or the Bacon Jalapeño Burger.
The Verdict: Smoky chipotle chicken, cool lime cream cheese, a little jalapeño bite and crispy bacon on the outside. Dan's word for it after the first bite: “Now that is fire.”
Watch the video
Watch Dan cook it start to finish: