Caribbean Firecracker Chicken for Date Night Dinner

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Caribbean Firecracker Chicken will add sparks to your date night, in and out of the kitchen. You will love this quick and easy dinner recipe that is perfect for date night!

Oh. My. Goodness! I have been working on a grrrreat dinner recipe for date night that would not only be a huge hit, with my hubby and of course rock our taste buds, but also be something SO simple to make that it didn’t take our entire date night to make. Call me crazy but I would like to spend some time doing other things with my sweetie on date night. {Wink}

So without further adieu, I am here to share this sweet, spicy and even a little salty recipe with you for your OWN date night dinner time. Not only is this SO quick and easy but the way you enjoy it is super versatile! You can enjoy it over a bowl of hot rice or noodles, you can enjoy it plain with a baked potato and your favorite veggie on the side, or you can enjoy it shredded over nachos! Okay, okay. I am sure you get the picture by now. The ways to enjoy this Caribbean Firecracker Chicken are endless!

Now my personal favorite (at least right now) is to enjoy it shredded over a big, yummy salad packed full of all sorts of good-for-us vegetables. I mean, I need all of that energy to stay up after my bedtime on date night, amiright?!  I like to add pico, guacamole, black beans and tortilla strips and make it a fiesta-style salad! *Hint: I like to use the El Yucateco® Caribbean Habanero for added zip!

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No need to marinate or slave over the stove all day. Yes, this recipe just keeps getting better! Want to know another way this recipe is so versatile and is sure to knock your socks off? And I am not talking about the spice! You have three options to cook it! That’s right, you can bake this in the oven, cook it in the slow cooker or try it out in the increasingly popular Instant Pot!

The ingredients in this recipe are really simple, which is ALWAYS a win in my book! Especially when trying out a new recipe. I figure the fewer ingredients, the fewer chances of me messing something up! It consists of El Yucateco® Caribbean Habanero Hot Sauce, minced garlic,  brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, and some red pepper flakes (if you want to turn up some extra heat)! I recommend using El Yucateco® Caribbean Habanero.

El Yucateco®’s ingredients come from Field to Bottle. It includes no artificial colors, but the same great taste that makes it the King of Flavor since 1968!

Next, we just add the ingredients into a saucepan and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes.

It’s just 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) with a little salt and pepper and a quick sear on the skillet for just a few minutes on each side. We will brush the chicken breasts with the sauce before it ba

kes in the oven and then we will drizzle it on the chicken again when it comes out of the oven. You can pour the extra firecracker sauce over hot rice, noodles or potatoes. Or you can let it cool and add it to your salad as a zippy dressing!

If your husband is like mine, he LOVES extra spice and always adds an extra drizzle of hot sauce (or four) to every dish. He seriously brings along his El Yucateco® Hot Sauce to the beach or any picnics, thank goodness it’s so portable! Hot and spicy is DEFINITELY the way to his heart! So grab these simple ingredients (many of them you probably have already), whip this soon-to-be favorite up, and tell your hubby it’s time for a spicy night, both in and out of the kitchen! {Wink}

 Spicy Firecracker Chicken

(In The Oven)

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

FIRECRACKER SAUCE:

• 2 tablespoons El Yucateco® Caribbean Habanero Hot Sauce 
• 2 tablespoons El Yucateco® Hot Sauce (if you want to turn up the flavor)
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
  
• 3 tablespoons water

CHICKEN:

• 2 lbs. or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions

FIRECRACKER SAUCE:

1. In a saucepan, combine the El Yucateco® Hot Sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic, and red pepper flakes over medium-high heat.
2. Allow to come to a boil, reduce the heat so it simmers.
3. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes (if you plan on making this sauce ahead of time) or for 12-15 minutes if you’re serving immediately.
4. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools so don’t worry if it looks thin.

CHICKEN:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, set aside.
3. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
4. Heat a skillet with the oil over high heat.
5. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts and allow to cook for just 1-2 minute per side.
6. Just sear the very outside of the chicken.
7. Place the chicken breast on the prepared baking sheet and bake the chicken for 5 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven, baste each chicken breast with 1-2 tablespoons of firecracker sauce.
9. You will have extra sauce leftover to serve with the chicken.
10. Put the chicken back into the oven and continue to bake for another 11-15 minutes or until the chicken feels firm to the touch, is cooked through, or registers 165ºF on a thermometer.
11. Serve the firecracker chicken any way you want!

Spicy Firecracker Chicken

(In The Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker)

Serves: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Instructions

1. Prepare the skinless boneless chicken thighs by cutting them into large pieces.
2. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix together well.
3. Reserve ¼ cup of sauce.
4. Add the chicken to the inner pot of your Instant Pot or pressure cooker, along with the marinade.
5. Lock the lid, turn the steam release vent to ‘sealing’ and using the manual setting, adjust it to cook for ONE minute at High Pressure.
6. When the cook time is up, allow the unit to reduce pressure on its own without opening the steam release vent (Natural Pressure Release, or NPR) for about 6-7 minutes, then you can gently release the rest of the pressure by opening the vent.
7. Add the reserved sauce into the pot and cook (use saute function) for 1 minute.
8. Serve any way you want!

Spicy Firecracker Chicken

(In The Slow Cooker)

Serves: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4-6 hours on low 

Instructions

1. Prepare the skinless boneless chicken thighs by cutting them into large pieces.
2. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix together well.
3. Reserve ¼ cup of sauce.
4. Add the chicken to the slow cooker, along with the marinade.
5. Cover and cook on low.
6. 30 minutes before the cook time is up, add the reserved sauce to the slow cooker.
7. Re-cover and continue cooking for the remainder of the time (total 4-6 hours).
8. Serve any way you want!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do! And remember you can pick up El Yucateco® Caribbean Habanero in any grocery store. I get mine at my local Publix in the international aisle!