Are you a Chilihead? Are you one of those freaks that can’t get enough heat in your meals? Do you have a “holster” to carry your hot sauce with you?

If you’ve answered yes to any of the above, you’ll appreciate this recipe.

Introducing: Arsonist Chicken

Arsonist Chicken Recipe

Now, since I created this recipe, I have stepped it up a notch. I’m now using Ghost Pepper Sauce and I am doing other experiments to increase the heat of each tasty bite. Until I perfect my new (much hotter) recipe, this one will make the majority of you sweat when you eat it; and that is the whole point, right?

You want to start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I usually make about 5lbs worth and eat it over the next few days. It can run you $5.99 a pound, but search for the big chain supermarket sales or the club stores, where you can get it for about $1.99 per pound.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Start with a generous amount of chili pepper flakes. I don’t need to tell you how many to add. There is no such thing as too much. If you put too little in there, you can add more later. We want the sauce to adhere to the chicken from start to finish, and these will help.

Crushed Chili Pepper Flakes

Add a generous helping of chili powder.

Chili Powder

Add a decent amount of black pepper.

Black Pepper

A small about of garlic salt helps. I use about a teaspoon. If you really have to measure everything though, you probably have no business being in the kitchen!

Garlic Salt

I like to add a bit of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. It may sound weird, but I think gives a flavor boost to just about everything.

Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Next, spice it up with some spicy marinade. I found “Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Sauce & Marinade – Louisiana Red Pepper.” If you can’t find it, there are many spicy alternatives out there. I have even used teriyaki marinade before, and it turned out just fine.

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Sauce & Marinade - Louisiana Red Pepper

Add some Habanero sauce. Shake that baby and get a lot in there. You wanted your chicken to have a bite to it, right? So do it.

For you seasoned Chiliheads out there, use Ghost Pepper sauce… you’re welcome!

Hababero Hot Sauce

Clean the chicken well. Use a sharp knife, but be careful; raw chicken is slippery and, well, blood doesn’t taste very good in your chicken. The better you trim off all of the fat and other junk, the better your dining experience will be, so don’t skip this step!

Clean your chicken

Roll your chicken breasts around in the marinade. Cover every inch of it.

Optional: I use a meat injector to get hot sauce into the chicken, so there is heat in every bite! If you don’t have one, pierce the chicken with a knife and drip hot sauce into the holes you make.

Habanero Chicken Marinade

If you are leaving your chicken to soak in the marinade overnight, make sure you cover it up so that it doesn’t contaminate other stuff in your refrigerator. Salmonella is serious business and you can never be too careful when handling food. Personally, I usually don’t wait to cook my chicken and I put it in the oven right after the marinade goes on, but it’s entirely up to you.

Cover your chicken

Bake your masterpiece at 350 degrees for AT LEAST 30 minutes. DO NOT go by time. If you are using large chicken breasts, it may take over 40 minutes. This part is tricky, so don’t go by time; use a meat thermometer.

350 degrees for at least 30 minutes

Here is how I do it:

Put it in for 20 minutes. After 20, flip it and add some more habanero sauce.

Put it back in for another 10 minutes. After 10, test the temperature of a few of the breasts. Temperature varies from breast-to-breast, but it is not technically safe to eat until the temperature is at least 160-165 Fahrenheit.

If you are showing only 145 or 150, put it back in for 4 minutes. Test it again… not there yet? Repeat.

Caution: You have a small window of time to cook it to the optimal temperature. Once I cooked it until it got over 175 degrees, and the chicken was too dry. Once your thermometer hits 160-165, you’re done!

Temperature - OOPS! 174 is too high! This will be too dry! Remove it after 160-165 degrees.

While your chicken is cooking, it is a great time to clean up and sanitize your workspace. Unless you’re are a complete idiot, you probably don’t want raw chicken juice to taint your salads and cereals, am I right?

Clean up your chicken trash

Let your chicken cool down for a bit before you serve it up. I put some on a plate immediately, and the rest in Ziplock bags so I can take them to work for lunch. If you don’t let them cool, you can melt the bags, even in the refrigerator.

Arsonist Chicken - with Habanero Marinade

Now sit down and enjoy your spicy feast! You’ve earned it. If you’ve paid attention and removed it at the perfect time, you will be able to slice through this tender moist chicken with your fork!

Bon Appétit!