Chicken Loco

At Riot BBQ, former Top Chef contender Manny Barella teams up with pitmaster Patrick Klaiber to serve bold, border-crossing flavor with this chicken dish. And this two-day recipe is worth every minute.

Course Appetizer, Basics, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6 portions

Ingredients

1 gal. water
½ c. kosher salt
2 c. brown sugar
2 whole chickens (halved)
4 c. orange juice
4 c. pineapple juice
2½ c. lime juice
20 garlic cloves
13 tbsp. kosher salt
1½ tbsp. ground black pepper
4 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
3½ c. canola or avocado oil
1 tbsp. turmeric
corn tortillas
salsa of your choice

Directions

On the morning of day one, combine water, salt, and sugar in a pot to make the brine.
Heat until sugar and salt have dissolved, remove from heat and let cool.
Submerge chicken into the brine and refrigerate overnight, but no longer than 12 hours.
Remove and pat dry.
In the evening of day one, blend garlic, red pepper flakes, and fruit juices to create the marinade.
Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the remaining ingredients, ensuring everything is fully submerged.
Marinate overnight.
On day two, remove the chicken from the marinade and grill over high heat, turning every 2 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Residual heat will carry it to a safe 165 degrees.
Rest briefly, then shred and pile onto warm corn tortillas.
Serve with salsa.