BBQ-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Tangy Honey Glaze
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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!
More Easy Chicken Recipes You May Like
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.
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
The only thing I didn’t like is the fact that it doesn’t mention what temperature to broil on. I have an oven that requires me to add a temperature. I started at 300 but after 10 minutes it didn’t look at all cooked. So, I upped it to 400. Otherwise, super easy and very yummy. I am going to try this on the grill next time for added BBQ flavor. Great recipe!
Enjoyed this recipe. Used Aleppo pepper instead of cayenne, and cooked on gas grill. The honey burns fast, so best to keep your eye on it. Will try broiler next time!
Just made this and it was a huge hit. I was not in the mood to make dinner and I saw the email with the link to this recipe so I decided to make it. Simply put, it is easy and fantastic! Will 100% make again!
I’ve always wondered something about boneless, skinless thighs. They typically have a large amount of excess fat on them which I usually try to trim. If I don’t trim them, will the fat burn off on the bbq or under the broiler or will I be left with big clumps of cooked fat?
Hi Lynda, Some of it may burn off, but much of it remains. Hope you enjoy the chicken if you make it!
Definitely a 5star recipe love it! things I did differently:
I halved the chili powder (I can eat extremely hot/spicy foods but the original amount of chili powder was far too hot for me).
halved apple cider/vinegar
used smoked paprika instead
omit the cumin and cayenne
mixed all the ingredients incl vinegar and oil together
brushed the mixture onto the chicken, baked 150degrees Celsius for 30 mins, during the 10 minute mark I took the chicken out and re-brushed then did that again at the 20 min mark.
you did not make the recipe, so why did you give it 5 stars?
Just an fyi…the link to the side dish salad to serve with this is not working.
Hi Susan, That’s strange as it’s working for me! Here’s a link to it. Hope that helps!
I’ve made this several times now, each time barbequing the chicken rather than broiling in the oven. I like to “marinate” the chicken in the spice mixture for at least a few hours. Takes about 10 minutes per side on the bbq. Glaze after turning once. It’s a real winner at my house.
It was fantastic!! It tasted just like I made it on a grill! I live in a condo this is the first ever recipe that tasted just like it was grilled! I followed the recipe exactly (except 4 thighs turned at 4 minutes a side). The seasoning was spot on delicious. I’ll be making this often!
OMG I can not stress how amazing this was. As an avid cook I was a bit skeptical on the cooking method and time but always follow a recipe the first time and am so glad I did. My teenage kids couldn’t get enough and asked me to make it again tonight (for context I only made it last night). Do not hesitate
This is one of my favorite Cooking Light recipes that I used to make all the time. I had forgotten about it. Looking forward to making these again!
Outstanding! I had to add an extra 5 minutes at the end on low broil. Will definitely make again. Thank you for your wonderful recipes!