Hot Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs
Hot Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs features tender chicken coated with a mixture of spices, then brushed with a spicy honey glaze.
A week or two ago, my 10-year-old son asked if he could help me make dinner. I had already taken out a package of chicken thighs, but wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them yet. He requested “spicy” chicken, so we decided to come up with a recipe.
We made a spice rub, then decided to make a glaze with the giant bucket of honey that’s in our pantry. We grilled the chicken, then brushed the glaze on during the final minutes of cooking.
The Hot Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs that we ended up with turned out to be a huge hit with the family. Everyone enjoyed them, and I liked how quick and easy they were to make. I have since made them again, cooking them under the broiler this time. This recipe is going to become a regular for my family – you should try it too.
How to Make Hot Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs
I’ve provided two different methods to cook this sweet and spicy chicken – grilling and broiling. While my family vastly preferred the chicken when it was grilled, let’s face it: grilling isn’t always practical. Use the broiling method in the winter or if you don’t have access to a grill.
Regardless of which method you choose, you will prep the chicken the same way. Start by mixing up the spice rub by stirring the spices together with some oil in a medium bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss everything together until all of the chicken is evenly coated with the spices.
Then prep the hot honey glaze by stirring the honey together with some apple cider vinegar and red pepper flakes. Set this aside for now.
Grilling Method
Light the grill and heat it on high. Once it’s hot, clean the grates with a bristle-free grill brush. Reduce the heat to medium and place the chicken on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip.
Cook for an additional 5 minutes, then brush the top of the chicken with half of the hot honey glaze. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip the chicken and brush the remaining glaze on the chicken. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, then transfer the chicken to a clean plate to serve.
Broiler Method
Move an oven rack to the top position and turn the broiler on (use the high setting if your oven has one). Prep a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and setting a wire rack into the sheet (alternatively, the chicken can be placed directly onto the foil). Place the chicken on the wire rack and place the baking sheet on the top rack of the oven.
Broil the chicken for 5 minutes, then flip the chicken. Broil for an additional 5 minutes. Brush half of the hot honey mixture onto the tops of the chicken thighs, then broil for 2-3 minutes. Flip the chicken and brush the remaining glaze over the chicken. Broil for an additional 1-3 minutes. Note that I strongly recommend keeping a close eye on your food whenever using the broiler, as it can be easy for the food to burn, and it can happen very quickly.
Hot Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs Ingredients
- Canola oil or another neutral-flavored cooking oil
- Kosher salt or MSG-salt
- Garlic powder – using garlic powder instead of fresh garlic when cooking over direct, high heat, like the grill or broiler, avoids the potential for bitter, burnt garlic.
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika – I highly recommend using the more flavorful smoked paprika here, but if you only have regular (hot or sweet) paprika, you can use that instead.
- Ground cumin
- Cayenne – If you want your chicken to be mild, feel free to cut back on or skip the cayenne.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – While chicken thighs are easier to cook and tend to turn out juicier and more flavorful, you can use chicken breasts instead.
- Liquid honey – If your honey is not in a liquid state (eg. if it’s crystallized or if it started as creamed honey), simply warm it in a small saucepan (either directly or in a bowl over simmering water) or the microwave for a few seconds until it melts into liquid.
- Apple cider vinegar – I prefer the tangy flavor of apple cider vinegar, and it’s what I tend to keep in my pantry, but you can use red or white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or lemon juice instead.
- Red pepper flakes – Use fewer red pepper flakes for milder chicken, more for spicier chicken.
Want more chicken thigh recipes?
Hot Honey Glazed Barbecue Chicken Thighs Nutrition Notes
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for ¼ of the recipe, about 2 chicken thighs. If your portion is larger (or smaller) than this, the nutrition information will vary accordingly.
This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free as written.
Serve your chicken with a green salad or cooked vegetable side, and cooked grains, potatoes, or bread to make a complete meal.
Hot Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together 1 Tablespoon canola oil or another neutral-flavored cooking oil, 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne.
- Pat 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry with clean paper towel. Place them in the bowl with the seasoning mixture and toss to coat.
- In a small bowl, stir together ¼ cup liquid honey, 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and ½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Light the grill and turn all of the burners on high.
- Use a bristle-free grill brush to scrape the grill clean. Reduce the temperature of all the burners to medium. Place the seasoned chicken thighs on the grill and close the lid. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottom of the chicken is well-browned.
- Flip the chicken and brush the tops (the side that has already been cooked) with half of the hot honey mixture. Close the lid and cook for about 5 more minutes, until the second side is well-browned.
- Flip the chicken again, and brush the second side with the remaining hot honey mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip the chicken one more time, and cook for 1-2 more minutes just to brown the glaze on the second side. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that the thickest part of the chicken is at least 165°F. Remove the chicken from the grill onto a clean plate and serve.
- Move an oven rack to the top position and turn the broiler on (use the high setting if your oven has two settings).
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and fitting it with a wire rack (note that using a wire rack is optional, but recommended). Place the spice-rubbed chicken thighs on the wire rack and place the baking sheet on the top rack of the oven.
- Broil the chicken for 5 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the chicken thighs. Broil for an additional 5 minutes.
- Use a silicone brush to brush half of the hot honey mixture over the tops of the chicken thighs. Return the baking sheet to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, until the glaze is bubbling and starting to char.
- Flip the chicken thighs one more time, and brush the remaining glaze on the chicken. Return to the broiler for 1-3 more minutes until the glaze is bubbling and beginning to char again. Note: always keep a close eye on your food when using the broiler because it can be easy for it to burn very quickly.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven and serve the chicken immediately with a green salad or other vegetable sides and cooked grains, potatoes, or bread to make a complete meal.
Nutrition
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