These mouthwatering mango jalapeno boneless chicken thighs make the perfect meal. This recipe is designed for the grill, but can also be cooked in the oven.

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are incredibly juicy and tender. When you add a simple BBQ rub and a deliciously sweet, fruity, and mildly spicy mango jalapeno barbecue sauce, it becomes pure perfection. What’s even better is that we use simple, budget-friendly ingredients for this grilled chicken thigh recipe.

What is the difference between chicken breasts and boneless chicken thighs?

Boneless chicken thighs are undeniably juicier and contain more fat compared to chicken breasts. Chicken breasts, being leaner, are more prone to drying out during cooking, a problem that boneless chicken thighs do not have.

How many boneless chicken thighs in a pound?

You can expect approximately 3 chicken thighs per pound; however, this can vary based on size. Large chicken thighs will yield 2 per pound, while small ones can yield up to 4 per pound.

How many boneless chicken thighs per person?

Typically, one chicken thigh will yield approximately 3 ounces of meat. For those with smaller appetites, plan on 1 thigh per person; for larger appetites, plan on 2 per person.

Mango Chicken Ingredients

• 4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 3 jalapeno peppers
• 2 ripe mangoes
• Cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
• Yellow onion
• Fresh limes
• Garlic
• Ketchup
• Dark brown sugar
• Olive oil
• Soy sauce
• Ginger powder
• Salt and black pepper

Tips:

• Fuel: Make sure to have enough fuel to get you through a 90-minute cooking time. Of course, these times may vary from grill to grill, so planning ahead is key.
• Doneness temp: While chicken thighs are technically done at 165 degrees F, we recommend leaving them on until they reach an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F. 
• Smoke: Do you want smokier chicken thighs? Add some apple, peach, or cherry wood
• Extras: A reliable instant-read thermometer is your best friend when cooking low and slow meats.

How to make mango jalapeno BBQ sauce

• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, add onions and diced jalapenos to the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Next, add the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
• Add mangoes, ketchup, brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, and 1/2 cup of water. Let the sauce simmer for 12 minutes. Stir as needed and watch for burning; reduce heat as needed.
• Transfer to a blender or food processor, and puree the sauce.
• Return it to the saucepan over low heat, and season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes
• If the sauce is too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water to thin it out.
• Remove BBQ sauce from the heat, cover, and keep warm.
• If you are not too keen on tomato-based sauces? Try our mango-jalapeno rib glaze on this chicken instead!

Grill Set up

Set up your grill for an indirect cooking temperature of 300 degrees F.

• Charcoal grill: bank all of the hot coals to one side to form a two-zone set up. See image above for guidance.
• Gas grill: for a 2-burner unit. Set one to medium heat, and leave the other burner off. For a 3-burner unit, set the two outside burners to medium heat, and leave the middle burner off.
• Pellet Grill: Preheat your grill to 300 degrees F. Us apple, cherry, or pecan wood pellets for this recipe.

How to make mango-jalapeno chicken thighs

• Trim off any loose pieces of meat or fat from the chicken thighs—season with salt first. Combine black pepper with ginger powder and finish seasoning chicken thighs.
• Place chicken thighs on the indirect cooking portion of the grill, close the lid and cook. After 45 minutes, check the temperature of the chicken. Keep a close eye on your grill temperature and adjust accordingly.

• Once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 155 degrees F, it’s time to apply the BBQ sauce.
• Brush boneless chicken thighs with sauce every few minutes until the internal temperature reaches 170-175 degrees F.
• Remove chicken thighs from the grill, and place them onto a serving platter. Garnish with mango, jalapeno, and cilantro, and serve.
• Store leftover chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

Oven method

• Follow the above prep instructions for the chicken thighs and sauce.
• Bake the chicken thighs at 300 degrees F, brushing with BBQ sauce after the first 45 minutes of cooking time. As always, check the temperature of the thighs before applying the sauce. It should read 155 degrees F. Apply the sauce 2-3 times until the chicken registers 170 degrees F.

Recommended side dishes

Typically, these mango jalapeno boneless chicken thighs are served over rice, but you can serve it with a variety of sides. Here are some of our recommendations.

• Hawaiian Potato Salad
• Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
• Grilled Corn on the Cob (4 Ways)
• Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Chicken Breast

Print

Mango Jalapeno Boneless Chicken Thighs

Delicious slow-grilled boneless chicken thighs slathered with a flavorful mango-jalapeno BBQ sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, American BBQ

Keyword bbq chicken, BBQ chicken thighs, mango-jalapeno chicken

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 516kcal

Author Sabrina Baksh

Ingredients

• 4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 3 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno garnish
• 1/2 cup diced ripe mango garnish
• 1/2 cup cilantro or flat-leaf parsley garnish
• Sauce:
• 1 cup diced ripe mango
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 jalapenos seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, add onions and diced jalapenos to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Next, add the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
• Add mangoes, ketchup, brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, and 1/2 cup of water. Let the sauce simmer for 12 minutes. Stir as needed and watch for burning; reduce heat as needed.
• Transfer to a blender or food processor, and puree the sauce.
• Return it to the saucepan over low heat, and season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes
• If the sauce is too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water to thin it out.
• Remove BBQ sauce from the heat, cover, and keep warm.
• Set up your grill for an indirect cooking temperature of 300 degrees F.
• Charcoal grill: bank all of the hot coals to one side.
• Gas grill: for a 2-burner unit. Set one to medium heat, and leave the other burner off. For a 3 burner unit, set the two outside burners to medium heat, and leave the middle burner off.
• Pellet Grill: Preheat your grill to 300 degrees F.
• Trim off any loose pieces of meat or fat from the chicken thighs—season with salt first. Combine black pepper with ginger powder and finish seasoning chicken thighs.
• Place chicken thighs on the indirect cooking portion of the grill, close the lid and cook. After 6 minutes, turn the chicken and continue cooking.
• Once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 155 degrees F, it’s time to apply the BBQ sauce.
• Brush boneless chicken thighs with sauce every few minutes until the internal temperature reaches 170-175 degrees F.
• Remove chicken thighs from the grill, and place them onto a serving platter. Garnish with mango, jalapeno, and cilantro, and serve.
• *see notes section for oven method.

Notes

Oven method

Follow the above prep instructions for the chicken thighs and sauce.
Bake the chicken thighs at 300 degrees F, brushing with BBQ sauce after the first 45 minutes of cooking time. As always, check the temperature of the thighs before applying the sauce. It should read 155 degrees F. Apply the sauce 2-3 times until the chicken registers 170 degrees F.

Nutrition

Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 287mg | Sodium: 2065mg | Potassium: 1010mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 900IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3mg

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