BBQ-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Tangy Honey Glaze
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These BBQ-spiced chicken thighs are weeknight gold—big flavor, minimal effort, and a tangy-sweet glaze that keeps everyone coming back for more.
Inspired by one of the most popular Cooking Light recipes, these BBQ-spiced chicken thighs are a family favorite and so easy to make. The chicken gets a simple Southwestern rub, broils for about 10 minutes, then is brushed with an apple cider-honey glaze and broiled again until caramelized and juicy.
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, succotash, spoon bread, cornbread, or corn salad, to name just a few.
“Super Easy! Super Quick! Super Yummy! A winner on all fronts! Thank you!rnrn”
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
Step 1: Make the spice rub. To begin, combine the olive oil and spices in a large bowl and whisk well to combine.
Step 2: Season the chicken. Add the chicken thighs and toss with the spice rub to coat evenly.
Step 3: Prepare to broil. Arrange the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up.
Step 4: Broil the chicken. Slide the pan under the broiler for about 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Step 5: Make the glaze. While the chicken cooks, combine the honey and cider vinegar in a small bowl.
Step 6: Glaze the chicken and finish cooking. 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.
Step 7: Serve. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining cider vinegar and serve with the pan sauces. Enjoy!
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BBQ-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Tangy Honey Glaze
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 to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2½ lbs or 1 kg), 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
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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This is my absolute go to chicken recipe! My husband asks me to make it all the time too! It is so quick, easy and delicious. Perfect for a weeknight or when entertaining!
These chicken thighs were so juicy and tender I am making them again this week. Really easy and quick recipe
This is so delicious. We made it two nights in a row. I paired it with the Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing. 😋
My family loves this recipe. It’s really quick to make make and very flavourful!
Made this with bone in thighs. Takes a little longer cook but taste fabulous!
I generally feel like something that is quick and easy can’t also be amazing. But this chicken is juicy, super flavorful, kid-friendly, incredibly quick and easy, and uses ingredients that I have on-hand. It’s like a miracle food for any cook!
Adore these chicken thighs! I bake them at 425 for 35 minutes as Jenn suggested in one of the questions below. They turn out fabulous every time!
These were so easy to make, really juicy and flavourful chicken that pairs well with nearly anything!
Great recipe and a great meal! I am a novice cook and I am so happy I found this website. The instructions are easy to follow and the pictures help me as well! I only had skin-on, bone-in thighs, so I quickly learned how to remove the bone from YouTube. The chicken was so juicy and flavorful!
I served this with the quinoa salad and my husband was so impressed! The salad paired perfect with the chicken. Delicious!
I needed a quick easy recipe to use up some chicken thighs from a previous meal. I have never broiled my dinner before and I admit I was skeptical. Boy, was I wrong! So good! This recipe is going to replace the meal I had originally bought the chicken thighs for. LOL The whole family loved it. Thanks for a great meal!
Can these be made with bone-in thighs? If so, what modifications do I need? Thank you
Hi Mary, I haven’t tried this with bone-in thighs. I think they may just need a few extra minutes in the oven. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!