Macha Agave Chicken

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Sticky, spicy-sweet chicken covered in a glossy chile-agave glaze. This recipe layers smoky salsa macha, dark raw agave, and fresh lime into a rustic dish that’s packed with flavor.

Salsa macha has deep roots in Mexican cooking, traditionally made with dried chiles, nuts, and seeds steeped in oil. Here, that classic condiment gets transformed into a sticky glaze for grilled chicken, creating a modern California-Mexican mashup that’s fiery, nutty, and just sweet enough.

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The chicken starts with a simple marinade that locks in moisture and sets up a savory backbone. The real magic comes from the sauce: homemade salsa macha blended with agave, butter, and lime, then tossed with charred chicken until glossy and sticky. The result is spicy, sweet, smoky, and balanced with a bright citrus lift.

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WHAT YOU'LL NEED (scroll to full ingredient list)

• Knife

• Skillet or Deep pan

• Saucepan

• Mixing Bowl

• Microplane/Zester

• Blender or Hand Blender

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DIRECTIONS

STEP 1: MARINATE

• In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice and zest, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and brown sugar. Add chicken thighs and toss to coat. Cover and marinate 2–4 hours in the fridge.

STEP 2: MACHA SALSA

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium. Toast arbol, ancho, and pasilla chiles until fragrant and darkened, 1–2 minutes. Add garlic, peanuts, sesame seeds, and salt. Cook 30–45 seconds more. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Transfer everything to a blender or food processor and pulse until coarse and spoonable. This makes about 1/2 cup.

STEP 3: GRILL

• Grill the chicken over medium heat for 12–15 minutes, flipping occasionally. Alternatively, the chicken can be cooked at 400°F in the air fryer for 25 minutes or the oven for about 30 minutes with a flip halfway through. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 170°F.

STEP 4: SAUCE

• In a skillet, heat a small splash of olive oil over medium-low. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Quickly add butter and lime juice so the garlic doesn’t burn. Then add lime zest, pepper, and agave. Stir until bubbling. Remove from heat and stir in the macha salsa.

STEP 5: FINISH

• Add cooked chicken to the skillet and toss until fully coated and glossy. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with lime wedges.

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INGREDIENTS

Makes 4-5 servings

MARINADE

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (or 3 lbs wings)

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• Juice of 1 lime + zest of 1/2 lime

• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp brown sugar

MACHA SALSA

• 1/3 cup avocado oil or other neutral, high-heat oil

• 12–15 arbol chiles (about 1/3 cup), destemmed

• 1/3 ancho chile, deseeded and roughly chopped

• 1/3 pasilla chile, deseeded and roughly chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

• 1 tsp sesame seeds

• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

SAUCE

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup dark raw agave syrup

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter

• Juice and zest of 1/2 lime

• Black pepper, to taste

• Macha salsa (from above)

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