BBQ-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Tangy Honey Glaze
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
LOVE this method. I only had chicken breasts, and needed a quick way to add lots of flavor- and this was it. Spicy, tangy, sweet- delicious. I will use this again and again, with breasts or thighs.
I make this chicken every week – It is so easy and delicious – I never used chicken thighs before but now prefer them – Thank you for another great recipe!
These were delicious. Definitely a bit too spicy for a toddler, though….so leave out the spice if you are cooking for children. But for my husband and me, the spice was perfect. I just started cooking more with organic chicken thighs…so much cheaper and really juicy and flavorful. I like this recipe a lot.
Very good. I overcooked a little – well because it’s chicken. Next time I’ll trust the recipe and cook only as long as the recipe states.
Fixed these for dinner one night, really tasty with a nice kick. BF liked them too. Tasted better the second day but needed to be reheated in the toaster over to get crispy again.
I too have made this recipe more than a few times. We love chicken so I am happy Jennifer has great recipes. That are step by step and anyone can make them. So hope everyone trys her recipes.
Can I throw these on the grill instead of broiler?
I’ve had this recipe before and loved it but it causes my oven to get smokey and the fire alarms go off! My husband doesn’t mind because he knows he’s getting your spicy chicken
Hi Tori, Yes, absolutely!
Made them on the grill. Was delicious! I covered them and put them on warm in my oven. While I finished up my sides. There were plenty of lovely juices
Tori, I had to laugh when I read your review. Although I didn’t mention it in my review, my smoke alarms went off too. I asked my husbsnd to wave a dishtowel to stop the noise. The alarm in our apartment buzzes at the slightest whiff of smoke, so I don’t broil too often. However, this recipe is so good, it’s worth chancing the Fire Department dropping in!
Thank you! I just made this fo dinner and it was delicious! I left the last step off (sprinkling the vinegar on it at the end) (because hubby isn’t fond of vinegar) and it was delish!
An absolute masterpiec of a recipe. A wonderful technique to make chicken thighs beyond amazing! I served mine with some naan bread and a side of quiona pilaf. Thanks for another great addition to the week night meals.
I made this recipe once following the instructions exactly. It was delicious. My family loved it. The next day they wanted it again but I didn’t have enough time to broil-flip-glaze so I put it in the Actifry. For the first 15 minutes I just put the chicken in with the spices and then the last 10 I put the honey glaze. It was just as good.