Spicy Chicken Thighs with Sweet & Tangy Honey Glaze
Inspired by one of the most popular Cooking Light chicken recipes, this dish is delicious, family-friendly (it’s not too spicy), and incredibly easy to prepare. The chicken is seasoned with garlic, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika and then broiled with a sweet and tangy honey glaze. The side dish is a Quinoa Salad with Peaches, Arugula & Pickled Red Onions from Bon Appétit — it’s wonderful with the chicken and so pretty too!
Before we get started, a few words about the chicken. It’s important to use skinless, boneless 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 so that they are pleasant to eat. I like to use kitchen shears as opposed to a knife; it’s much easier.
To begin, combine the trimmed chicken thighs with the olive oil and spices and mix until evenly coated.
Arrange the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up, and broil for five minutes on each side.
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 one minute. Flip the chicken over, brush with the remaining glaze, and broil for a few minutes more until chicken is nicely caramelized.
Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining cider vinegar and serve. Enjoy!
Notes:
– As the recipe was originally written in Cooking Light, I found it much too sweet. I increased the vinegar by a lot to get the right balance. I also added a bit of olive oil, more salt and some smoked paprika for a little smokiness (you can check out the original recipehere).
– You might be wondering how this recipe would work on the grill. I’d stick to broiling, as the pan collects the sauce, which would get lost on the grill.
– For young kids, use only 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or none at all).
Spicy Chicken Thighs with Sweet & Tangy Honey Glaze
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
For the Honey-Vinegar Glaze
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons + 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, divided
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the top position and preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat evenly. Arrange the chicken thighs on the prepared baking sheet.
- Prepare the glaze by combining the honey with 2 teaspoons of the vinegar in a small bowl; stir well.
- Broil the chicken for 5 minutes on each side (for a total of 10 minutes). Remove the chicken from the oven and brush half of the glaze on the chicken; broil for 1 minute. Remove the chicken from the oven and turn over; brush the chicken with the remaining honey mixture and broil for 1-2 minutes more, until the chicken is nicely browned. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Transfer the chicken and pan juices to a platter and serve.
