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
I just found this site and this recipe sounds great. I’ve been making something very similar for quite a while with a similar spice blend but instead of honey for the glaze I mix some peach jam with a can of chipotle chiles in adobo (we like it kinda spicy and actually add more heat to it) but we pulse it in the blender for a few seconds or sometimes just warm it up a bit on the stove. I reserve the leftover glaze in the jam container and it will make 2-3 meals. Sometimes my husband likes the warm glaze to dip the chicken into.
I will have to try it with honey and vinegar. It sounds right up our alley!
We stumbled upon your site and think we are going to have to make this recipe as it sounds delicious!!! We are going to try it on chicken wings instead of thighs or breasts as we are in the process of reviewing various recipes on the internet for wings. We will post a full review once we are done http://wingsaucereview.com and provide a link back !!
Keep up the great work..
K
Holy amazing! My husband found this link pulled up on the computer and has been begging me to make it for weeks. Since I don’t usually buy thighs I had to make a special trip to the store. Man was it worth it! We made this for dinner last night and it was so good my husband insisted we have it again tonight. We made a whole new batch with a couple breasts this time. You’re right- the thighs are better (and this is coming from a woman who hates picking my meat off bones!)
We also modified and did it in the oven since our grill is dead. We baked them in a Pyrex covered in foil to keep the moisture in, then took the foil off and broiled for a few minutes on each side to crisp them up. Amazing. Being added to the regular meal rotation.
I just made this chicken last night! Rave reviews all around. The chipotle powder made the skin a little too spicy for my 9-year-old, and we had to broil it because we had some bad weather, so it looked burnt, BUT, thankfully, did not taste that way. All in all, we were all impressed, and I will be making this chicken again.
I am writing about the chicken today on my own blog, and plan on giving you a shout-out. This is a heads-up to let you know that you will, hopefully, be getting a little more chatter coming your direction.
Thanks for a fantastic recipe. I can’t wait to make it on the grill!!
Patty
Hey there, I was just wondering if you had any suggestions on what to serve this with?? I am totally bored with the whole chicken and rice/roasted vegeteables thing so I was just wondreing if you had any creative suggestions????
So i just came across this…don’t know how I missed it and planned on making it this week. One thing though…how important is the chipotle chili powder? I can’t find it anywhere! I could just use more regular chili powder?
when choosing to broil it, do you place the glazed chicken on the rack or would it be acceptable to use foil or something?
(little experience in the kitchen.. can ya tell? lol)
Yep, you could put it on foil, or a rack and just turn it half way through. Enjoy!
Hey Sara saw the recipe and loved it. Just wanted to know if it can be served cold with the salad and if so will it have the same taste?
this is by far the best chicken recipe I have ever made, I trade the chipotle chili pepper and the regular chili pepper (2t chipotle, 1/2t regular) and it is super spicy and amazing. I also make this with a rice dish I either made up or found somewhere and I drizzle the honey glaze over the chicken and the rice. I make this at least once every other week. Also I use chicken breasts, bake it and put the glaze on at the end and it’s super delicious.
Hello….how long do you bake the chicken for?!
it was great but i don’t think 3-5 min. on each side is long enough to cook the chicken thoroughly. i looked it up and at least 25-30 min. was the average time recommended. am i missing something here?……. did you mean 13-15 min on each side?………..i loved it but i did cook it 35 min.
It just depends on the size of your chicken thighs, the best way to be sure is just to cook it to temperature. Cooking times will vary according to a lot of variables.