Grilled Sour Orange & Garlic Mojo Chicken


Ingredients: 

For the Marinade:
3 oranges
3 lemons
2 limes
2 large bulbs of garlic, minced
3 serrano peppers, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted cumin seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons Mexican oregano, crushed
1/2 tablespoon jalapeño powder, optional
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
1 cup olive or canola oil

For the Chicken:
4 to 4 1/2 pound whole chicken, butterflied or splatchcocked (see below)
3 to 4 cups wood chips,apple, cherry or hickory
*The apple and cherry are much milder for smoking than the hickory. We used hickory, but if you are not comfortable with or don't like smoked meats, just skip this step.
Tips~ If you would like to grill a whole chicken, carefully cut out the back bone and flatten. This will help the chicken cook more evenly. This method is called splatchcock. I like to prepare my own sour orange marinade using fresh oranges, lemons and limes.
Tips~ Once I understood that smoking meat with indirect heat on the grill was like slow roasting in the oven, it made the task less intimidating! When I refer to indirect heat, I am referring to the cool side of the grill. You would light or build your fire on one side only. 
Directions:

1. In a large bowl, juice the oranges, lemons and limes. Add all of the remaining ingredients to make the mojo. I took advantage of the fresh cilantro in my garden and included it in my marinade. Season to taste with salt. Pour all of the marinade over chicken so it's completely covered. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

2. Remove chicken from refrigerator 40 minutes before cooking. Carefully take it out of the marinade and place it skin down onto baking sheet. Transfer the leftover marinade into a sauce pan and heat on medium/low, making sure it boils gently for a few minutes.

3. Soak your wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes. Prepare your grill for indirect cooking to medium/high heat. After 30 minutes, drain wood chips and add close to heat source. I like to layer them directly near the hot coals. Close the lid for 5 minutes.

4. Once chicken has had time to come to room temperature and your grill is hot and beginning to smoke, place chicken on direct heat (hot side) for 5 to 7 minutes just to brown and crisp the skin. Flip chicken over onto indirect heat (cool side). Close lid, open bottom vent on hot side halfway. Then open top vent, on cool side halfway.

5. This whole chicken cooked for about 2 hours at a temperature of 250ºF to 275ºF. I basted it generously with the mojo marinade that I cooked on the stove top every 30 minutes. I also rotated the chicken halfway through the cooking time to make sure it cooked evenly. Leave it skin side up. Look for an internal temperature on the legs of 165ºF to 170ºF to make sure it's done. (I use an instant-read digital thermometer when I grill.) Remove from heat, tent loosely, and let it set for 10 minutes before slicing. Pour any remaining marinade over the top before serving. 

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