recipe: habanero and honey chicken

dinner last night, inspired by the monster chicken breasts thawed in the fridge & small bag of habaneros sitting on my counter. i never know how spicy things are going to be when i add spicy peppers so i usually cook cautiously, but this could have handled another pepper (or few) for a lil extra kick. that said, it was still pretty yum, and easy for a week night dinner since i had prepped the marinade the night prior. boom!





- 2 large bone-in chicken breasts, split
- 3 habaneros, seeded & deveined (mine were very small)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup mango peach juice (orange would work too - this was all I had on hand)
- 1/4 cup & 2 tbsp honey, divided
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar 
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp garlic oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- cayenne pepper to taste

add all ingredients except the chicken, 2 tbsp honey, and cayenne pepper to a food processor and blend until smooth. add this marinade & chicken to a large zip lock and marinate a minimum of 3-4 hours. 

when ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F degrees. sear chicken on a hot grill pan for 2 minutes per side, then place in a prepared baking dish. bake for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F degrees. during the last few minutes of cooking, brush with 2 tbsp honey and sprinkle with a few dashes of cayenne for a lil extra sweet & spicy.