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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Hi Jenn, I have bone-in chicken thighs. How should I adjust the cooking time?
Hi Donna, I’d bake them for 50 minutes at 400°F, then brush on the glaze and broil it as the recipe instructs. Hope you enjoy!
Okay to leave the skin on the thighs?
Sure, that should be fine. Enjoy!
Do I broil on Hi or Low?
High – whenever I have broiling in my recipe – it always refers to the high setting. Enjoy!
My husband and our daily brilliant cook hurt his back and I had to take over the cooking (long ago I was a great cook too!). I made this recipe tonight (without his supervision! lol) and it was easy and so delicious. The family loved it in spite of its “heat.” I served it with white rice leftover from last night which cooled down the heat. Thank you!!
I’ve made this several times now and it’s a hit every time. Delicious and easy – just the way I like my recipes!
Thanks, Jen!
This is so delicious. My husband is so proud that he can make this and it comes out so well. Super easy
Easy to make and delicious. Broiling was longer than in your recipe though to get to that nice color. Chicken stayed moist though
So delicious, Jenn! The chicken was juicy and so flavorful. Easy and quick to prepare, too.
I only had one pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs, but used the same amounts of seasonings and honey glaze. After I tossed the chicken in the spices and oil, I put it in the fridge for a few hours until I was ready to broil. I think the marinating time helped.
I served it with your black bean and corn salad with chipotle vinaigrette and simple roasted baby potatoes. Such a great meal!
Jen, this is THE best way to make chicken! My family loves it!!! I have been asked to bring it to a Hawaiian party. What can I do to make it fit the genre? Add ginger maybe? Or coconut milk? Please advise! I hate to tweet it as it is so perfect but I want to be part of my friend’s theme. Thanks!!
Glad you like it! Adding a little ginger would be nice and perhaps serving it with a mango or pineapple salsa would be a good way to go.
Just made this chicken tonight and it was fantastic! I did use 2 TBS of Hot Honey and 3 TBS of regular honey, but it was moist, so flavorful and bone-sucking good! (I had thighs and legs and removed the skin). Thanks for this recipe!
Another delicious recipe. It was so quick & easy to make. Moist & flavourful.