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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Comments
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8 thighs could be anywhere from 1.5 pounds to 4 pounds. Could you tell us the approximate weight for the chicken in this recipe? Thank you.
Yes Cathie, it can vary based on the weight of the thighs. You would do best with about 2 pounds of chicken give or take a bit. Hope you enjoy!
My son who says he hates chicken loved this. He said it was the best dinner ever. My husband and my son were fighting over the last piece! This will be in heavy rotation in my house. thanks Jenn
I think I would like this recipe but the ads make it too difficult to read. Trying to close the ads is also a pain. I would subscribe but it’s too frustrating to work my way to where I can just read the recipe.
Janet, Thanks for your very honest input about the frustration you’re experiencing trying to navigate the site. I recently started working with a new ad network and am in the process of working out some of the glitches. I am hoping that I can get these issues ironed out quickly. Perhaps you can subscribe at some point in the future. Thanks again for your feedback!
I have made this recipe so many times that I couldn’t even count them. I just prepared them again for tonight’s dinner. Delicious! This is a recipe my husband and I never tire of. I have made it for friends and family. Always a hit!
How would these work cold for a buffet?
Sure, that would work!
Delicious chicken! An easy recipe that seems like it took hours to cook–I loved the crispiness of the chicken! I had it with your zucchini-tomato basil recipe and the whole dinner was amazing!
This was AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much!!!
I don’t know how I bumped into this recipe but it changed our life, well.. we really enjoy cooking & eating dinner so much more these days & it sure makes me look like a great cook!
I immediately started trying one after the other of your recipes & I haven’t found one that we didn’t say, WOW! I’m in my 60’s & have cooked chicken every way possible, so I thought. I have used the combination of spices in this recipe for other things..even in some roasted veggies.!
Thank you, thank you Jenn?
I’ve made these several times and my whole family LOVES them. This has to be one of my all time favorite recipes.
I’m making this for dinner tonight, but I am using skin on bone in thighs. Should I broil on medium or high?
Hi Chelsea, I’d broil on medium as they will take longer to cook. Hope you enjoy!
Hey! So I NEVER give reviews on recipes, but I just had to make an exception for this one. This recipe was so yummy! I didn’t have the chili powder or the smoked paprika and it still came out awesome. My husband is from Nepal, so its hard to impress him when it comes to flavor and spices. He loved it. Thank you! 🙂
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.
I made this last night – fantastic! Fun and easy to make and simply delicious! My bf thinks I’m a great cook thanks to you 🙂
I love this recipe. I like the dark meat and this was easy and so delicious. I added a little more olive oil and marinated the thighs for about a half hour. The end result was a very tender, very tasty lunch served with cole slaw. Can you tell me the calories per serving? I had two pieces.
Hi Ginny, Glad you enjoyed this! I just added the nutritional information (immediately below the recipe).
Love this recipe. Have also used this for chicken wings and was tremendous. I just let them bake away, stirred now and again, and super simple, and yummy!
This recipe is delicious! I have never tried cooking with chicken thighs and this dish has easily won me over. The chicken was moist and flavorful while the sauce was just the right amount of sweet. Definitely add this to your recipe book!
These chicken thighs were fab!! I didn’t quite get the same colouring that you did but I will certainly be making these again, just the right amount of spicy and sweet.
I never had chicken thighs before making this recipe – I make these once a week now and my whole family loves them! So easy to make!
Beautiful tasty recipe for chicken! I served with a crunchy salad and potato salad! Yummy!!!
Made this last Saturday and it was so good! Thanks Jenn!
We loved your Spicy Chicken Thighs with Sweet & Tangy Honey Glaze.Can’t wait to make these for company with a green salad with lemon vinaigrette.
Yum! Simple and delicious. I marinated chicken for two days, doubling smoked paprika and omitting regular papeika.
My teenage son gave reviewes roo.
Yum! I discovered your website over the summer and have been tearing through the recipes ever since. This is one of my favorites. Just the right amount of spice and sweetness and, even better, it’s quick and easy, too. Thank you, Jen, for providing so many delicious recipes. You’ve made cooking dinner fun again. 🙂
Looks amazing! Since it’s just me and the hubby for now, I was just wondering: Does this freeze well?
Hi Suzanne, Yes it freezes well. Enjoy!
The Broiled Spicey Chicken Thighs with Sweet and Tangy Glaze are delicious with tremendous depth of flavor! Another “keeper” per my husband. I went light on the cayenne. Can’t wait to make these for company with the suggested quinoa salad which was also delicious and a perfect pairing.
Very Good! Family really liked it. I had some pickled red onions already, and so, made the quinoa salad. We liked that too.
My chicken was not nearly as red as your pictures show. Was is just the difference in spices? I used Ancho chili powder, cumin ground from seeds, garlic powder, cayenne, “Budapest’s Best” Hungarian paprika and Badia smoked paprika. I know it is just aesthetic, but I was a bit envious of the color of your end product. I wouldn’t want to add food color. Do you think a bit of annato paste would work to redden it?
Hi Gary, Honestly, it’s probably just the lighting.
Hello! I am trying this recipe with chicken breasts tonight and would love to know if it’s better to: broil, bake, or grill since the meat is different, and if so at what temps/for how long? Many thanks in advance!!
Hi Allison, I would pound the chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness, then broil for 3-4 minutes per side. Then you can add the glaze and finish cooking as directed. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much Jenn! As always, your quickness, flexibility and helpfulness are beyond compare! The breasts came out perfectly and hit the spot for this 39-week pregnant lady craving tons of FLAVOR!
I plan on making this tonight. I have boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets (I’m not sure if fillets are different from what the recipe calls for). Anyways, I only have 5 chicken thighs. Should I cut the rest of the ingredients in half and adjust the cooking time? Thanks. This looks delicious.
Hi Gina, Yes cut the other ingredients in half but the cooking time will be the same. Hope you enjoy!
Hi,
Can this dish be served at room temperature? (I imagine it’s much better hot and fresh, but just want to confirm that it’s still good at room temp).
Thanks!
J
Hi Jacob, Yes, I think it’d be good at room temp 🙂
After all the rave reviews, we gave this recipe a try – so happy we did! My oven broiler is broken at the moment so we decided to grill the thighs. Turned out beautifully. After grilling, we just let them sit on a platter lightly covered with foil. The side dish Jenn pictured in her photo looked appealing so we made that, too. It seemed like an odd combination of ingredients – peaches, tomatoes and pickled onions – but this recipe is also great. The pickled onions were easy to make and the salad made a very nice complement to the sweet and spicy chicken thighs.
Out-flipping-standing!!! Haha, the chicken thighs shrunk up into smaller roundish shapes while they were cooking, and now my husband calls these “chicken balls.” I could definitely do without that name, but we both loved them.
LOL
Thank you for a great recipe! I made this last night and my wife and I both enjoyed it. Just a terrific combination of flavors! This is probably the most spices that I have ever put in to one dish. Thanks again!
Hi just a quick question can I use apple cider vinegar or just vinegar as I can’t find at the shops cider vinegar.
Hi Aneta, Yes it’s the same thing (apple cider vinegar).
Followed the recipe as written. This was delicious and easy. Great recipe, thank you.
I made this dish last night and the flavours were GREAT! However, I found it way too salty and will decrease the salt by half next time. Thanks for another great recipe!!
I make this all the time now. It is freaking amazing! Thanks for sharing!!!!
Hi Jenn! I just found your website and am in love with all the recipes!! So simple and easy and delicious for this mom of 4! Quick question on the spice mix: I just made this dish and it turned out delicious but I struggled a bit with getting all the chicken coated. Shall I mix spices, then add oil, and then put chicken in? Or drizzle spice mix on top? Seems basic I realize but I felt so clumsy with it. Thanks and keep the great recipes coming!!!
Hi Emily, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I mix the spices and oil in a large bowl, then add the chicken and toss to coat. Hope that helps!
Made these again and they were great!! I love this spice mix so much – do you think it could be used as a marinade (combined with olive oil similar to the way the marinade for the Morrocan Chicken – also a favorite – is made?) Just curious because I love it and wanting to use it for more! Thanks!
Hi Emily, Yes, absolutely. Please let me know how it turns out.
Just a follow up: made this tonight using the dry spices plus 1/4 cup olive oil as a marinade; used it on chicked breasts and then grilled them. AMAZING! This will be a our go-to for cookouts this summer as the flavor was bold but not too spicy; and it was very authentic tasting. LOVE!
I hate dark meat and your recipe converted me! Absolutely delicious!! Thank you.
New to this site, 2nd recipe made – the BBQ short ribs earlier this week (amazing!) and tonight this chicken. The other reviews don’t lie, this is my new favorite chicken recipe and will make often. I followed recipe and cooking instructions exactly; served with roasted veggies and pita bread. Soooo good – Quick, easy, healthy and delicious. Excited to try more recipes from this site. Thank you for another winner!
So good! I appreciated the note about using 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper for young kids…the spice-lovers of the family were satisfied, as were the younger ones who don’t prefer heat. The chicken thighs were so tender and the seasoning was delicious.
DELICIOUS!! Just tried tonight for the first time. This is for sure going to be my new “go to” chicken recipe. So easy and quick to make and still can’t get over how delicious it was! I love spice and this was just perfect.
I just found your website recently and am so so so happy with it! I’ve only tried a few recipes so far but they’ve all been absolutely amazing!!
I served this for a girls luncheon. I tripled the recipe, but didn’t add cayenne. It was a huge hit! I followed the cooking times precisely and I had no problem with the thighs being done thoroughly. Any longer and the thighs would be dry. I will definitely be making these again and will add a pinch of cayenne.