Description
Fireball Chicken is a sweet and spicy grilled chicken recipe featuring a unique sauce made with Fireball cinnamon whisky, jalapeño jelly, and spices. The chicken is marinated to absorb the rich flavors, then grilled to perfection with a sticky, flavorful glaze that balances smoky, sweet, and spicy notes.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness (approximately 1 1/2-2 pounds, about 3/4 inch thickness)
Fireball Sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup jalapeño pepper jelly
- 1/4 cup Fireball cinnamon whisky
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Place your boneless skinless chicken breasts into a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- Make Fireball Sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine ketchup, jalapeño pepper jelly, Fireball cinnamon whisky, unsalted butter, light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and ground cinnamon. Stir to mix well.
- Simmer Sauce: Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened but still pourable. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Marinate Chicken: Reserve ½ cup of the sauce in a separate bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken breasts. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight for best flavor.
- Preheat Grill: Remove chicken from the refrigerator. Preheat an outdoor gas grill to 425°F.
- Grill Chicken: Grill the chicken breasts for 7-9 minutes on the first side, then flip and grill for another 7-9 minutes on the second side, cooking through based on thickness.
- Glaze with Reserved Sauce: Using a heat-safe pastry brush, brush the reserved Fireball sauce onto each side of the chicken. Grill for an additional 1 minute per side to warm and glaze the chicken.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer to a serving platter. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow juices to redistribute.
Notes
- Pounding the chicken to an even thickness ensures even cooking and juicy results.
- Marinate overnight for deeper flavor absorption.
- Adjust grilling time based on your grill’s heat output and chicken breast thickness.
- Use a heat-safe brush to apply reserved sauce so it doesn’t burn on the grill.
- Leftover sauce can be warmed and served as a dipping sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
