It’s getting warm outside, and this light and bright BBQ Grilled Chicken Breasts with Mango Pico de Gallo recipe is a perfect weeknight recipe for a warm Summer night!
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Injected for juicy breasts: Pushing marinade into the center of each breast and moving the needle as liquid comes back out keeps lean chicken moist through high heat.
- Rub that sets until wet: Waiting about 5 minutes until the Yardbird rub looks wet shows it has started to cling, so the seasoning sticks through grilling.
- Two-zone gas grill with GrillGrates: Running only half the burners gives a direct-heat side for grill marks and a cooler side for backup.
- Rum, pineapple, and honey glaze with fresh mango pico: A skillet glaze reduced on the side burner and a cold mango pico de gallo add sweet, tangy contrast to the grilled chicken.
BBQ Grilled Chicken Breasts with Mango Pico de Gallo
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Calories
414
Enjoy the warmth of summer with this light and fresh BBQ Grilled Chicken Breasts recipe with the added zing of Mango Pico de Gallo! Perfect for those weeknight dinners and truly an amazing taste sensation!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
-
Smoke on Wheels Pork Marinade & Injection
-
Plowboys BBQ Yardbird Rub
- 1 lb heirloom tomatoes, small dice
- 1 mango, diced
- 3/4 cup (4 oz) red onion, minced
- 3/4 cup cilantro, minced
- 1/2 cup jalapeño, minced
- 1/4 cup lime juice
-
Noble Saltworks Pecan Smoked Finishing Salt
- 1/4 cup rum
-
1/4 cup Firebug Grilling Sauce Mild
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
-
1/4 cup Reida Farm Wildflower Honey
For the Mango Pico de Gallo:
For the glaze:
Directions
- To make the Mango Pico de Gallo, simply combine all ingredients in a bowl or container and mix well. Store the refrigerator for up to one week.
Preheat your Napoleon P500 Gas Grill. Turn on half of the burners and set to high. Leave the remaining two burners off. Place two panels of (17.375”) GrillGrates on top of the Napoleon Grates, on the hot side of the grill.
- Inject the chicken breasts with the Smoke on Wheels Pork Marinade & Injection, inserting the needle into the center of the meat, poking around to create a small pocket, then pushing the plunger to inject the liquid. When the liquid starts to come back out, move the needle to a new location and repeat.
- Dab excess moisture from the surface of the meat with a towel. Season with Plowboys BBQ Yardbird Rub on all sides. Let the rub set up until the entire surface of the breasts is wet in appearance, about 5 minutes.
- Grill the breasts on the GrillGrates, over direct heat, until you have good grill marks. Flip and turn and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Remove from the grill and rest.
Just before removing the breasts from the grill, preheat a Lodge 8" Cast Iron Skillet on the side burner. Add the glaze ingredients to the skillet. Bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced and thickened to a glaze consistency. It should be thin enough to easily spread across the surface off the chicken, and just thick enough to cling to the meat, not just run off.
- Glaze the chicken breasts on all sides and serve topped with the Mango Pico de Gallo.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why inject the chicken breasts?
Boneless breasts are lean and can dry out over high heat. Injecting the marinade into the center adds seasoned moisture from the inside, and moving the needle once liquid starts to come back out spreads it through the meat.
Why dab the surface dry and wait for the rub to look wet?
Drying the surface lets the rub stick, and after about 5 minutes it turns wet in appearance, which shows it has started to dissolve and cling instead of falling off on the grill.
Why light only half the burners and use GrillGrates?
The hot side gives the breasts good grill marks over direct heat, while the unlit side gives you somewhere to move them if they brown faster than they cook through.
What internal temperature should the chicken reach?
Poultry is safe once it reaches 165°F. Check the thickest part of each breast with an instant-read thermometer, then rest it briefly before glazing.
Why make the glaze in a separate skillet?
Simmering the rum, barbecue sauce, pineapple juice, and honey in a skillet on the side burner reduces them to a glaze that clings to the chicken. Cooking it separately also means the finished glaze never touches raw chicken.
How do I know the glaze is ready?
It should be thin enough to spread easily across the chicken but thick enough to cling to the meat instead of running off.
How long does the mango pico de gallo keep?
Fresh tomato and mango break down as they sit. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and plan to use it within about 3-4 days for the best texture.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5. A hot grill pan or cast iron skillet cooks the injected breasts the same way, and the glaze and pico are stovetop and mixing-bowl steps.
Recipe Highlights
Injected breasts: Stay moist over high heat.
Wet-rub cue: Shows the seasoning has set.
Two-zone gas grill: Gives marks and a backup cool side.
Rum-pineapple glaze with mango pico: Adds sweet, tangy contrast.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 13.57 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 414
- Carbs
- 58 grams
- Protein
- 27 grams
- Fat
- 6 grams
- Sodium
- 2556 milligrams
