This Spicy Honey Chicken is one of my family’s favorite meals. Both kids and adults gobble it up every time I make it. I love the combo of a savory spice rub combined with a sweet, tangy honey glaze and it doesn’t hurt that it’s pretty quick and easy either! You don’t have to think ahead about marinating because you’re just throwing together a spice rub and, after the spices have grilled into the chicken, you just slather on a honey glaze. Even though it has the word spicy in the title, it’s actually pretty mild and you can always cut the chipotle in half if you’re worried about it.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Vegetable Oil
- Spice Rub
- Granulated garlic
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Coriander
- Kosher salt
- Cumin
- Chipotle chili powder
- Glaze
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
How to Make Spicy Honey Chicken
- This recipe starts with a simple spice mix of garlic, chili powder, onion powder, coriander, salt, cumin, and chipotle powder. Mix the spices all together in a bowl, then toss chicken with oil and spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there, then pop it on the grill!
- Next, mix up the glaze. While chicken is cooking, warm the honey in the microwave so it’s not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the honey glaze for serving. (In fact, the sweet, tangy honey glaze is so good that I usually double it to ensure plenty for drizzling on before serving!)
- Take the rest and brush on the chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling. I recommend a silicone basting brush like one of these that can withstand the high heat of the grill. I’m gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It’s sugar, and it’s gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It’s totally worth it once you taste this stuff.
Storage and Other Tips
- If you don’t have a BBQ, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!
- Store leftovers in the fridge and eat within 3-4 days for best results.
- Speaking of leftovers, my absolute favorite way to eat leftover Spicy Honey Chicken is in a salad! If you still have reserved glaze, drizzle a little over your favorite salad ingredients with some glaze and a touch of olive oil and toss it all together with your leftover chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
My family is very sensitive to spicy food. Can I just leave the chipotle out completely?
There are lots of spices here that will still be delicious if you decide to leave the chipotle out completely. It does bring a nice depth of flavor, though, so I’d recommend at least trying half of what’s called for!
Can I make this ahead of time?
This recipe is quick and easy. It is best made and eaten fresh if you are wanting warm chicken. Cold leftover chicken is great in salads and sandwiches!
Spicy Honey Chicken
The best chicken thighs! This recipe combines a savory spice rub with a sweet honey glaze for a crowd-pleasing favorite.
Servings people
Equipment
Ingredients
Thighs
- 8 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless about 2 pounds
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Rub
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Glaze
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Instructions
Rub
- Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.
Grill
- Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Using a digital thermometer, cook chicken until it is a minimum temperature of 165°. However, you’ll want to aim for between 170-175° for improved flavor and texture.
Glaze
- While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it’s not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2 tablespoons honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.
- Drizzle chicken with reserved glaze before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have a barbecue grill, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler.
- Be sure to use a silicon basting brush; a horsehair basting or pastry brush won’t hold up to heat on the grill.
Nutrition
Calories: 108kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 0.5g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 404mg, Potassium: 54mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 251IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 108kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
Best chicken I’ve ever made. Made my self stop eating it so I could take some for lunch tomorrow. What an amazing recipe.
Hey Sara there is no doubt its a super awesome stuff but i dont have a bbq or grill can i still cook it on a normal gas with a pan on it.
Yes, or even better yet, use your broiler.
I was so excited to try this recipe! I bought the thighs even though I have never used them.. The chicken was good but I could only taste the coriander and I can say I am not a huge fan! I will make this again and omit the coriander all together.. Other than that.. The glaze was Delish!!!!!
I don’t even have the words to describe how much my husband and I enjoyed this! I love all of your recipes- so much that I’ve almost quit my day job to become a chef. 🙂 They make me love to cook even more because I always know that my food will taste amazing!
Yum yum yum!! Delish! I didn’t have the chipotle chili powder so I added some chipotle Tabasco to the rub and it was great!
I served it with some steamed green beans with butter and cilatro and a squeeze of lime over the chicken..
Great recipe!
Made this tonight for dinner and it was amazing!! Everyone devoured it:) Will make this again. Thank you!!
This is an amazing recipe. I love the flavors in the chicken. I must say, this was my first time buying chicken thighs and they are a little too fatty for me. I like the fact that they are thinner than a chicken breast so you get more flavor so I think next time I will try a chicken cutlet (a chicken breast sliced in half to make it thinner) so you still get a lot of flavor and not as much fat. If granulated garlic is just garlic powder, could you just put garlic powder in the recipe? I am sur I wasn’t the only one who had never heard of granulated garlic. I served this with coconut rice, as you suggested in your cookbook and both dishes knocked the socks off of our guests. Thanks!
Since you are a culinary genius, would you mind suggesting a great side dish for this chicken? I love it in the salad but I am serving this to some meat and potatoes type of people who might sneer at a salad for dinner. Thanks!
I love it with coconut rice, or the lime-cilantro rice!
I’ve made this numerous times now and just love it. However, I’m writing to say that I’ve forgotten the glaze more than once (doh!), and the chicken is just about as yummy without it! Don’t get me wrong — I love the honey/vinegar, but I just thought I’d mention that the rub can stand on it’s own, too
After drooling over the picture for a few days I finally got around to making this. So good! My husband who usually hates chicken liked it. Even my kids ate it up. I can’t wait to make it again! I didn’t find it too spicy and I will probably add a litte more chipotle chili powder next time.