Hot and Sweet Orange BBQ Chicken

I am not a fan of heat for the sake of heat, but I do love layering sweet and tangy and hot together. The different flavors here are so good. Also, you can make extra of this sauce and use it for dipping chicken nuggets or even as a sandwich spread.

Ingredients:

Brine:

4 cups water

1/3 cup kosher salt

¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed

Chicken:

2 ½ pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces

3 cups ice

Sauce:

1 orange

1 ½ cups prepared or homemade barbecue sauce

¼ cup hot sauce (I like Frank’s®)—more or less, depending on how hot you want it

2 Tablespoons honey

Directions: For the brine: Bring the water, salt and brown sugar to boil in a saucepan. Cook until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Place the chicken in a large zip top bag and pour the brine over it. Add the ice, close the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

For the sauce: Cut the orange into eights and remove any seeds. Place the orange pieces in a food processor (yes, rind and all) and pulse until it is pureed. Put the orange puree into a mixing bowl and add the hot sauce and honey. Save about a cup of the sauce in a small bowl for dipping the chicken later, if you wish.

To cook the chicken: Heat your grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Place the chicken on the grill and cook, turning often, until the juices just start to run clear. Reduce the heat to low. Brush the sauce on one side of the chicken and then flip and coat the other side. Let cook 5 minutes. Repeat until the chicken registers 165 degrees F and the sauce is glazed and caramelized.