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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Jenn, you never disappoint (no pressure!) 🙂 This was another lovely recipe.
I easily removed the skin from bone-in thighs and drums and simply skipped the cayenne due to spicy sensitivities in my party. Because of the bones, I baked the chicken pieces first for 15 mins. per side at 375 degrees and then I followed your broiling instructions.
My parents and my little girl all loved the chicken, as did I! So tasty.
And that salad pictured with the chicken may be the most gorgeous-looking salad I’ve ever seen. Mom and I cannot wait to try it once we get our hands on a decent peach.
Thanks for another brilliant recipe, Jenn! Your site is my go-to whenever I need a reliable, wow-worthy recipe.
Can you do this recipe with thighs and legs with skin? It’s one of the few chicken recipes of yours Jenn that I haven’t tried and rave reviews.
Hi Jen, sure you could do that. They will need to cook for longer though. I would start checking them at after about 7 – 8 minutes on each side. Let me know how they turn out!
Easy, fast and bursting with flavour!
Made this recipe exactly as stated and it was wonderful! Both my husband and my two year old had seconds, do you know this recipe is a keeper!
I made this recipe for the third or fourth time last night. Great flavor! Not to mention, you can’t put dinner on the table much faster than this. Chicken Thighs and a salad. Thanks again Jenn for another great recipe!!!
Really fast, easy and delicious. Temperature is very important in order to meet the times mentioned in the instructions. I broiled at 250 Celsius and added in total about 2-3 minutes per side. The chicken is really juicy that way too. I will definitely make it again!
We made this tonight with 6 boneless skinless organic chicken thighs. I would definitely recommend making the rub mixture in a small bowl then rubbing the chicken thighs. Stretching this rub to 8 thighs would have been skimping. We also grilled the chicken which added more flavor than broiling. The extra step to put on the additional 2 tbsp of vinegar seemed unnecessary. Flavor was nice.
I wanna say thank you for this recipe and all others you have posted.
Everyone at the dinner table went for seconds!
Hi Jenn,
I’d like to make this recipe soon. Here’s the thing- I am not confident with broiling, but I want to learn. When I select broil on my oven I have to choose a temperature. What temperature would you use? I want to be sure to get that right, since the cook time is so short. Thanks! =)
Hi Virginia, I would set the temperature to 500 degrees. Hope you enjoy!
I have to say this came out incredibly tasty. I will be making this time and time again.
Spicy Chicken Thighs with Sweet & Tangy Honey Glaze recipe is a keeper! Easy, inexpensive, fast, and delicious. This is a regular at our house.