Honey Chipotle Grilled Chicken with Jaca
This is everything a summer cookout chicken should be: smoky, a little spicy from chipotle peppers in adobo, and brushed with a sticky-sweet glaze that caramelizes into charred, lacquered edges right on the grill. You blend the whole marinade in one go — chipotles, garlic, shallot, lime, cilantro, and the sweetener — pour it over boneless thighs, and let it sit while you fire up the grill, so most of the work is hands-off. Our version swaps every bit of conventional sweetener for Jaca (100% pure allulose) at double the amount: 2/3 cup of granular Jaca in place of 1/3 cup honey, and 1/2 cup in place of 1/4 cup brown sugar, so you get the same sweet-heat, sticky glaze with no added sugar and no aftertaste. Because allulose is only about 70% as sweet as sugar, doubling it keeps the sweetness right where it should be — and since allulose caramelizes faster than sugar, keep the chicken over medium heat and watch for flare-ups so the glaze chars but doesn't burn. Adapted from Averie Cooks. This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version.
Ingredients
- 3 medium chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce (use 1 for mild, up to 5 for fiery)
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from the chipotle can)
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 whole shallot (peeled)
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro (plus extra for garnish)
- 2/3 cup Jaca (allulose), granular (replaces 1/3 cup honey at the 2x ratio — no added sugar, no aftertaste)
- 1/2 cup Jaca (allulose), granular (replaces 1/4 cup brown sugar at the 2x ratio; add 1 teaspoon molasses for a brown-sugar note if you like)
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons ketchup (look for a no-sugar-added ketchup to keep it fully sugar-free)
- 1 whole lime (juiced (3-4 tablespoons))
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium recommended)
- 1-2 tablespoons water (to help the marinade blend smooth in place of the liquid honey)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 pounds boneless chicken thighs (skinless or skin-on)
Sweetener Used
1 1/6 cups granular Jaca total (2/3 cup replacing honey + 1/2 cup replacing brown sugar) Allulose
Replaces: 1/3 cup honey + 1/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- 1
Make the marinade: in a blender, combine the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, shallot, cilantro, 2/3 cup granular Jaca, 1/2 cup granular Jaca, olive oil, ketchup, lime juice, soy sauce, water, salt, and black pepper. Blend until completely smooth. The Jaca dissolves right into the marinade in place of the honey and brown sugar, so you get the same sweet glaze with no added sugar.
- 2
Reserve about 1/4 of the marinade in a small covered bowl in the fridge for brushing later. Pour the rest over the chicken thighs in a zip-top bag or bowl, coat thoroughly, and refrigerate at least 30-60 minutes, ideally 2 hours (up to 4-6 hours).
- 3
Oil the grill grates well and preheat to medium. Lay the chicken flat-side down and grill about 5 minutes, undisturbed, until grill marks form.
- 4
Flip the chicken, brush with some of the reserved marinade, and grill 4-5 minutes more. Because Jaca caramelizes faster than sugar, watch for flare-ups and slide the chicken to a cooler part of the grill if the glaze is charring too quickly.
- 5
Flip once more, brush with the remaining reserved marinade, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (it will climb to a safe 165°F as it rests).
- 6
Rest the chicken 5-10 minutes so the juices settle, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve.
Pro Tips
- Set aside a portion of the marinade BEFORE it touches the raw chicken — that is your basting glaze, so you never brush raw-chicken marinade onto cooked meat.
- Start with 1 chipotle pepper if you are spice-shy; the heat builds, and you can always add more next time. Three peppers lands at a pleasant medium heat.
- Jaca is about 70% as sweet as sugar, which is exactly why we double it — you get the same sweet-heat glaze with no added sugar and no aftertaste.
- Allulose caramelizes faster than sugar, so keep the chicken over medium (not high) heat and watch for flare-ups so the glaze chars without burning.
- Boneless thighs stay juicy and forgiving on the grill; if you swap in breasts, pull them at 160°F so they do not dry out.
- For a deeper brown-sugar note, stir 1 teaspoon of molasses into the marinade — it mimics what the brown sugar would have added.