Grilled Chicken with Cherry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Made it,
Loved it.

Serving size 8

Prep Time 30MIN

Total Time 2HR45MIN

Ingredients

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed; see Tip) dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup cherry preserve
⅓ cup ketchup
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 ½ tsp minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or more to taste (see Ingredient Note)
1 ¼ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground allspice
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

Directions

1. Stir cherries, broth, preserves, ketchup, vinegar, chipotle peppers, thyme and allspice in a small deep bowl. Transfer to a shallow non-reactive dish (see Note) large enough to hold chicken. Add the chicken and turn to coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat grill to high. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Remove the chicken from the marinade. Transfer the marinade to a medium skillet.

3. Reduce the grill heat to medium and grill the chicken until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 7 to 9 minutes per side. Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by about half, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the chicken cool slightly; serve with the sauce.

Tips: Be sure to measure frozen cherries while still frozen, then thaw. (Drain juice before using.)

To pit a cherry: Halve it with a paring knife then pry out the pit with the tip of the knife or use a cherry pitter.

To oil a grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.

Ingredient Note: Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce are smoked jalapenos packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they'll keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Note: A nonreactive pan, stainless steel, enamel-coated or glass, is necessary when cooking acidic foods, such as lemon, to prevent the food from reacting with the pan. Reactive pans, such as aluminum and cast-iron, can impart an off color and/or off flavor in acidic foods.