Sweet and Spicy Chicken and More Fun Grilling

Two years ago I threw my husband a luau-themed birthday celebration.

It was kind of, well, amazing.

It wasn't big or anything, just wonderful family that came to visit- but it was a bit of a milestone birthday and I wanted to make sure that we did something special to celebrate.

I was, however, at a loss.

I seriously had no idea how to make this big day special for him in a way that he would like.

I don't know exactly when the Hawaiian theme idea struck me, but it was after months and months of stressing over what I was going to do.  I'm not good at this stuff.  I really wish I was, it seems like one of those things most women are born with.

All I know is, somewhere along the line as his big day approached the idea struck me, I deemed it brilliant, and I ran with it.

I pretty much bought Party City out of tropical decor.

I bought him a grass skirt, Hawaiian shirt, and coconut bra (yes, you read that correctly).

I made a very beach-y playlist on Apple Music.

I created a super tropical menu.

I didn't know how this was going to go down...but by this point I was very invested in this theme.

The Saturday of his birthday weekend I locked myself away in our bedroom, laid out all of the many, many pieces of decor I'd purchased.  Inflated the beach balls and inflatable flamingos.  Assembled the "photo booth" type accessories.

Then the grown-ups took him to the brewery for an hour or so (I was totally just along for the ride- not at all a beer girl) while my teenage niece and kiddos decorated the house.

Can I just say how AMAZING they are?

Honestly, our house would have been so tacky if I'd been left to decorate.

Yet in our absence they transformed our home- my niece is a miracle worker.

Everything was perfect- they even greeted us at the door with leis when we arrived home.

He was so happy- which of course made me happy.

The celebration was memorable and full of love and laughter- as well as delicious tropical-themed food and drink.  While I did have a drink dispenser of Mai-Tai's mixed up for those of age I also had a cooler full of cans of tropical fruit juices and nectars- and that is when my daughter fell in love with mango nectar.

That child drank a lot of mango nectar for quite a while there- my fridge was always full of it.

Have you ever been on a food jag (I sure have- baked sweet potato fries anyone?) where you can't get enough of something and then suddenly you're just...done?

That's exactly what she did.  I was left with quite a bit of mango nectar.  While I completely understood how she felt having been in similar situations on more than one occasion I also was staring down several cans of mango nectar that no one in the house wanted to drink and I didn't want to throw away.

I searched for a recipe that might put them to use and I came across this recipe for Grilled Chicken with Spicy Mango Glaze and knew it would definitely be a winner with our family.  I really left it as-written with the exception of using chicken breast instead of leg quarters since that's what I had on hand.

They loved it.

Sometimes I'm afraid to try out recipes that seem a little out there with my family, but this one went over fabulously!  The dry rub is spicy, the glaze is thick and sweet- what's not to love?

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Mango Glaze

From Allrecipes.com

4 chicken leg quarters

1 Tbsp New Mexico chile powder

1 tsp ancho chile powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 (12.5 fl oz) can mango nectar

1/4 C dark rum

1/4 C orange juice

1 lime, juiced

1 Tbsp honey

2 tsp chile paste

1. Cut chicken leg quarters at the joint without cutting all the way through. Arrange chicken on a baking dish.

2. Mix New Mexico chile powder, ancho chile powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub chile powder mixture over chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Coat chicken with olive oil.
Bake in preheated oven until browned, about 45 minutes. Chicken will not be cooked through.
Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.

4. Heat mango nectar, rum, orange juice, lime juice, honey, and chile paste in a skillet over medium-high heat. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Brush mango glaze over chicken legs.

5. Grill chicken on preheated grill until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 10 to 15 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).