Yucatán Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut-Red Chile BBQ Sauce

Mexican/Southwestern lettuce wraps

Category
Dinner
Cuisine
Southwestern
Serves
4
Time
45 minutes
From
Bobby Flay

chickenslawpeanutbbq

Adapted from Bobby Flay: Chapter One

This is a great party dish-it looks fabulous on the plate, it's full of flavor, and it's interactive. Have your guests pile chicken, slaw, barbecue sauce, and fresh mint into crisp lettuce leaves, for a handheld wrap inspired by Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.

Ingredients

Chicken Skewers

  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or canola
  • 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
  • 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Red Cabbage Slaw

  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • ¼ cup neutral oil, such as avocado or canola
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ head red cabbage, finely shredded 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Serve

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Peanut-Red Chile BBQ Sauce (recipe follows)
  • 1 small head butter lettuce, leaves separated
  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves

Peanut-Red Chile BBQ Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado or canola
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 1½ cups Mesa BBQ Sauce
  • 2 cups chicken stock (see page 304)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Chicken

  1. Before you begin, soak 12 wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes; drain before using.
  2. Make the chicken skewers: In a large, shallow baking dish, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, chile powder, and garlic.
  3. Skewer each chicken thigh with 2 skewers running lengthwise through the chicken so the chicken lies flat.
  4. Put the chicken thighs in the baking dish and turn to coat with the marinade.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Heat a grill to high (about 450°F). Remove the thighs from the marinade and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill for about 4 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then remove the skewers and cut the thighs in half lengthwise.

  1. Transfer the thighs to a serving platter alongside the cabbage slaw, BBQ sauce, lettuce, and mint leaves.
  2. Encourage everyone to assemble their own wraps at the table.

Cabbage Slaw

  1. in a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, oil, and honey. Add the cabbage, onion, and cilantro, season with sait and pepper, and toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour before serving.

Peanut-Red Chile BBQ Sauce

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ginger and cook until soft, 1 to 2 minute Increase the heat to high, add the BBQ sauce and stock, and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Whisk in the soy sauce a peanut butter. Reduce the heat to medium and cool until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from thi heat, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cool room temperature.
  2. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator fo to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

  • don't like cilantro? Use parsley instead
  • if you don't want to make the BBQ sauce, just add some chopped chipotle to a store bought sauce