Cherry Bomb Chicken

Ingredients

• cold water (1 quart)
• white sugar (0.5 cup)
• kosher salt (0.333 cup)
• whole chicken (1 (4 pound))
• cherry tomatoes (1 pint)
• habanero peppers (3 )
• garlic (4 cloves)
• ground allspice (0.5 teaspoon)
• vegetable oil (1 tablespoon)
• dried thyme (0.5 teaspoon)
• ground cumin (0.25 teaspoon)
• ground black pepper (0.25 teaspoon)
• cayenne pepper (0.25 teaspoon)
• prepared Thai sweet chili sauce (2 tablespoons)

Instructions

1. Combine water, sugar, and kosher salt in a saucepan over low heat; cook until sugar and salt dissolve, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Score skin side of chicken pieces 2 to 3 times, about 1/8-inch deep; place in a large bowl or lidded container.
3. Combine cherry tomatoes, habanero peppers, garlic, and allspice with sugar and salt mixture in a blender; blend until smooth.
4. Pour tomato brine over chicken pieces, making sure all pieces are covered. Cover bowl or container; refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
5. Transfer chicken pieces from brine to a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels, shaking off excess. Pat chicken pieces dry with more paper towels. Discard brine.
6. Preheat an outdoor grill for high, indirect heat and lightly oil the grate.
7. Combine oil, thyme, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl; brush onto chicken pieces.
8. Cook chicken, skin sides down, on the preheated grill for 1 to 2 minutes; flip chicken and move to indirect heat. Cook until well-browned and meat is no longer pink in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
9. Brush chicken pieces with chili sauce; transfer to a plate and rest 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

(*Nutrition data is approximate and may vary depending on the brand and type of ingredients used.)

• kcal: 490
• fat: 25 g
• sats: 7 g
• carbs: 23 g
• fibre: 1 g
• protein: 42 g
• salt: 5.252 g