BBQ-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Tangy Honey Glaze
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You can make these flavor-packed, BBQ-spiced chicken thighs in under 30 minutes!
Inspired by one of the most popular Cooking Light recipes, these BBQ-spiced chicken thighs are a huge family pleaser and super-easy to prepare. The chicken is seasoned with a Southwestern rub, broiled for 10 minutes, brushed with an apple cider vinegar-honey glaze, and then flashed under the broiler again until caramelized and juicy. Finally, the chicken is doused with a bit more vinegar to balance the sweetness of the honey and also create a delicious pan sauce.
Start to finish, the recipe takes under 30 minutes! (In case you’re wondering, this recipe will work on the grill, but you’ll definitely miss those tasty pan juices for spooning over the chicken.) Serve the chicken thighs with any simple corn dish: corn on the cob, spoon bread, cornbread, or corn salad, to name just a few.
Table of Contents
“Super Easy! Super Quick! Super Yummy! A winner on all fronts! Thank you!”
What You’ll Need To Make BBQ-Spiced Chicken Thighs With Tangy Honey Glaze
It’s important to use boneless, skinless thighs as opposed to chicken breasts. They stand up better to the bold seasonings, are more flavorful, and won’t dry out. Just be sure to trim off most of the fat; I like to use kitchen shears as opposed to a knife, as it’s much easier.
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, combine the olive oil and spices in a large bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Add the chicken thighs and toss with the spice rub to coat evenly.
Arrange the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up.
Broil for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Meanwhile, combine the honey and cider vinegar in a small bowl to make the glaze.
Brush the cooked chicken with half the glaze, then broil for 1 to 2 minutes.
Flip the chicken over, brush with the remaining glaze, and broil for a few minutes more until the chicken is nicely caramelized.
Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining cider vinegar and serve with the pan sauces.
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BBQ-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Tangy Honey Glaze
You can make these flavor-packed, BBQ-spiced chicken thighs in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2½ lbs), trimmed of fat
For the Tangy Honey Glaze
- 5 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, divided
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the top position and preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper (if using). Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat evenly. Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking sheet.
- Broil the chicken for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- While the chicken is in the oven, prepare the glaze: In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk the honey with 1 tablespoon of the vinegar.
- Remove the pan from the oven and brush half of the glaze on the chicken; broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the chicken thighs over; brush with the remaining honey glaze and broil for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the exterior of the chicken is caramelized. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Transfer the chicken and pan juices to a platter and serve.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: 2 thighs
- Calories: 321
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Sugar: 26g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 28g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Cholesterol: 130mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Have you ever tried the recipe with bone-in chicken pieces?
Hi Sharon, I haven’t made this with bone-in chicken but a number of readers have commented that they have and have been happy with the results. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I bought the wrong chicken- I bought bone-in rather than boneless. This recipe (one of our family’s favorites) came out great anyways. Took maybe 1-2 minutes longer to cook. No difference in taste 🙂
Hi Jen, can you recommend a different side to the quinoa with peaches? I’m not a big fan of fruit with meat/chicken…. PS EVERY recipe I have tried of yours is fabulous – thank you for the inspiration!
Hi Alison, Glad you like the recipe! 🙂 You could go with simple couscous here as the chicken is full of flavor. If you want a veggie too, these French Green Beans with Shallots would be nice. Hope that helps!
I am allergic to paprika unfortunately, because I love the flavor. Could I just leave it out and use Cayenne instead? I am cooking my way through your blog and cook book and can’t wait to try this one!
Hi Tegan, You can omit the paprika. If you LOVE heat, then you can up the cayenne pepper, but a little of that goes a long way! You may have better luck replacing the paprika with more chili powder. Hope you enjoy!
After a first bite, husband asked me if I saved the recipes and will be able to make it again!!! This one is one of favorite
I finally tried this recipe and everyone is correct. OMG it’s so yummy. I usually avoid recipes that mention a “glaze”. I’m not big on my meal being sweet. This had a really nice balance of flavors. I prepped the chicken about 90 minutes before broiling so it had good flavor. I used a natural , raw honey which isn’t as sweet so that may have helped but either way, we will definitely eat this many more times. I served it with a squash/apple slaw dish I saw on the Today show. Thank you so much!!!!
Amazing!! I’ve love every single recipe I’ve tried but this is one of my favourites 🤤
This is a regular weeknight meal in my home, so quick and easy. Very rich in flavor. I liked the smoked paprika but my girlfriend doesn’t so it’s no longer included. Also, it’s a quick clean up as long as you put foil on your baking sheet.
How do you get the chicken to have such a red color? I’ve made this recipe at least 15 times now and every time I make it the spices/color runs. 🙁
Hi Nick, That’s a really old picture and I think it’s probably just poor photography as the chicken is not that deep red that you see there. (I’ll likely be reshooting that one soon.) 🙂
My broiler doesn’t work so i set the oven to max at 550 degrees but did not get crispy. I used skinless thighs. However, they were good.
So, you remove two stars in your review just because YOUR broiler doesn’t work???
I don’t think it’s fair.
I’ve made this recipe so many times now. The combo of spices makes the chicken very tasty, and the honey and vinegar are an added bonus. An easy, no fail recipe that you can pair with anything really!