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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I made this recipe last night, and it was delicious served it with sautéed sweet onion, red/orange bell pepper slices and mashed potatoes.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Wowza! Great recipe and easy! I nervously made this recipe for first time for guests, and it came out a crowd pleaser! I followed the recipe as is except I did marinate chicken overnight. Tasty, moist and delicious! Another great one!
Our family loves this recipe! I like to let the chicken sit in the spices in the fridge all day and then it cooks up so quickly at meal time. Only thing I do is differently is use about 1/2 the amount of honey recommended. Served with salad and roasted potatoes made in the air fryer, it’s such a delicious and quick weeknight meal.
This chicken *smacks*, can’t believe i have lived my life this long without it….
I was also a little hesitant to broil these chicken thighs but after reading the reviews I decided to try it. Pleasantly surprised and very well received. Another great recipe…thank you Jenn.
I made the carrots roasted with thyme as suggested along with some rice and air fried cauliflower. A huge hit!
This recipe is soooo good! It’s so simple and easy to throw together on a weeknight but packed with flavor. I have made it 3 or 4 times now and it’s a crowd pleaser. I added a little chili garlic sauce to the honey/vinegar mix last time – the recipe is easily customized. If you’re worried about broiling , don’t be! As long as you keep an eye on the chicken you can avoid any burning and broiling really lets the sauce caramelize and keeps the chicken so juicy. I personally like to serve it with broccoli and rice and next time I will double the sauce because it’s really that tasty 🙂
I’ve always been terrified of using the broiler, but recipes on this website have tended to work for me, so I took a deep breath and tried it. Wow. The chicken came out tender and juicy, right at 170 F. I used the times in the recipe (5 min, turn, 5 min, brush, 1 min, turn and brush, 2 min), with a sheet pan on the top rack, with the broiler at the default of 500 F.
I’ll definitely be doing this again, and now that I have this technique figured out, I can experiment with other flavors too. I think the glaze is a nice touch but is not strictly necessary for a good simple meal.
As with Jenn’s other recipes, this dish is the perfect intersection of great tasting, easy to make, and easy to clean up.
This was a big hit with the family. I served it with warm bread to soak up all the goodness of the sauce and Jenn’s roasted carrots and arugula salad (with shaved parmesan, olive oil, salt, and pepper). The savory flavor of the salad was a nice balance to the sweetness of the chicken.
I was actually surprised at how good it tastes. The only recommendation I have after broiling it for 5 minutes on each side and pouring the vinegar and honey mixture over the chicken, I put the chicken at 350 F for 30 minutes turns out great. 👍
For those of us who insist on using boneless, skinless chicken breasts even though you say not to…can you please suggest the best cooking method? The ingredients sound great and I’ve loved many of your other recipes but thighs just aren’t my thing.
Hi Rebecca, If you want to use boneless breasts here, I’d pound them out to 1/2-inch thickness so they cook quickly and evenly. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try it!
I made these but baked them at 425 for 35 minutes like you mentioned in another post – they were so easy to make and so delicious! I love your recipes!