This is everything a summer cookout chicken should be: smoky, a little spicy from chipotle peppers in adobo, and brushed with a sticky-sweet glaze that caramelizes into charred, lacquered edges right on the grill. You blend the whole marinade in one go, pour it over boneless thighs, and let it sit while you fire up the grill, so most of the work is hands-off. This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version — every bit of conventional sweetener is swapped for Jaca (100% pure allulose) at double the amount: 2/3 cup granular Jaca in place of 1/3 cup honey, and 1/2 cup in place of 1/4 cup brown sugar, so you get the same sweet-heat, sticky glaze with no added sugar and no aftertaste. Because allulose is only about 70% as sweet as sugar, doubling it keeps the sweetness right where it should be — and since allulose caramelizes faster than sugar, keep the chicken over medium heat and watch for flare-ups so the glaze chars but doesn't burn. Adapted from Averie Cooks.
Prep: 15 min (plus marinating) · Cook: 10 min · Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- 3 medium chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce (use 1 for mild, up to 5 for fiery)
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from the chipotle can)
- 2–3 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot, peeled
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
- 2/3 cup granular Jaca (allulose) — replaces 1/3 cup honey at the 2x ratio
- 1/2 cup granular Jaca (allulose) — replaces 1/4 cup brown sugar at the 2x ratio
- 3–4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons ketchup (look for no-sugar-added)
- 1 lime, juiced (3–4 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium recommended)
- 1–2 tablespoons water (to help the marinade blend smooth in place of the liquid honey)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 pounds boneless chicken thighs
Instructions:
- Make the marinade: in a blender, combine the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, shallot, cilantro, 2/3 cup granular Jaca, 1/2 cup granular Jaca, olive oil, ketchup, lime juice, soy sauce, water, salt, and black pepper. Blend until completely smooth. The Jaca dissolves right into the marinade in place of the honey and brown sugar, so you get the same sweet glaze with no added sugar.
- Reserve about 1/4 of the marinade in a small covered bowl in the fridge for brushing later. Pour the rest over the chicken thighs in a zip-top bag or bowl, coat thoroughly, and refrigerate at least 30–60 minutes, ideally 2 hours (up to 4–6 hours).
- Oil the grill grates well and preheat to medium. Lay the chicken flat-side down and grill about 5 minutes, undisturbed, until grill marks form.
- Flip the chicken, brush with some of the reserved marinade, and grill 4–5 minutes more. Because Jaca caramelizes faster than sugar, watch for flare-ups and slide the chicken to a cooler part of the grill if the glaze is charring too quickly.
- Flip once more, brush with the remaining reserved marinade, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (it will climb to a safe 165°F as it rests).
- Rest the chicken 5–10 minutes so the juices settle, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve.
