So, I got a really excellent deal on chicken thighs this week – $0.99 / lb. Ironically, the regular 2 lb. package was the same price as the large, 5 lb. “value pack.” No sale or anything! Sometimes you just need to look a little closer!
Obviously, not every store will have this fantastic deal on chicken thighs, but this recipe will probably be pretty inexpensive either way. The other ingredients required are also fairly inexpensive.
I used 8 of the 10 chicken thighs in the package and froze the other two for later use. The thighs were pretty big, so I am costing it out at one thigh per serving. Also, I experimented with skin-on and skin-removed thighs and, I have to say, the skin-off was much better!
If you’re not into spicy, you can leave out the cayenne and this recipe will still be excellent! The seasoning glaze is a great mix of sweet, smokey, and garlicky. The cayenne just gives it an extra kick.
This recipe is super easy to prepare and requires little attention, so you can use the extra time to prepare a salad or whatever side dishes you want!
Honey Spice Chicken Thighs
Servings 8Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs (about 4 lbs) ($4.16)
- 1/3 cup honey ($0.59)
- 1 Tbsp cider vinegar ($0.06)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.15)
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder ($0.08)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine everything except the chicken thighs (honey, cider vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin, and salt). Stir until combined.
- Remove the skin from the chicken thighs if desired. Place the chicken thighs either on a roasting pan or a baking sheet covered with foil. A roasting pan can be simulated by placing wire cooling racks over a baking sheet to allow juices to fall below the chicken. Brush the honey spice mixture over the surface of the chicken thighs, using about half of the total honey mixture.
- Place the chicken thighs in the fully preheated oven. Roast for about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and use the remaining honey spice mixture to brush on a second coat. Return the chicken to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes. Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
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Step By Step Photos
This is the chicken that I bought. I think I stared at the prices at the store for a good 2-3 minutes in disbelief. It was seriously the same price for a 2lb. package of four chicken thighs. Ha! I used 8 of the 10 and froze the other two.
I made my own roasting pan by placing two wire cooling racks over a baking sheet. I used the foil for easy cleanup. You can also cook them directly on the baking sheet if you don’t have the wire racks. I experimented with skin on and skin off. The skin off was definitely better and more flavorful. The honey does a great job of keeping the chicken moist even without the skin there.
The honey spice mixture includes: honey, cider vinegar, chili powder (not spicy), garlic powder, cumin, cayenne (spicy), smoked paprika, and salt.
Stir everything together.
Brush about half of the honey spice mixture onto the chicken. Place it in a fully preheated, 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, take the chicken out and use the rest of the honey spice mixture to brush on a second coat.
After you’ve fully coated the chicken with the rest of the honey spice mixture, put it back in the oven and let it roast for another 20 minutes.
And then it looks like this and tastes delicious! Serve hot.
YUM.
This recipe came out amazing…another winner from BB!! Everything on here is absolutely amazing; BB has never failed me! I used a little extra maple syrup in addition to the honey (I like it extra sweet!) and it came out great.
This recipe sounds excellent! I love cooking Chicken Thighs in the broiler…about 7 minutes on each side and they are DONE! Easy!!!!
Yum!!! I used chicken breasts and cooked them 10 minutes, brushed them, then another 15, and they were perfect. I didn’t realize I was out of cayenne so we left that out, but it was still delicious!
Anon – You’ll definitely want to thaw them first.
Can these be made with frozen breast, or do they need to be thawed? If so, how long do you cook the frozen breast for?
Anon – they were bone in thighs, but I’m sure it would work with boneless as well.
Are these boneless thighs? I can’t quite tell from the pics.
Great Recipe! Made it tonight and LOVED it.
This is an excellent recipe. We like things “thai hot” so we tripled the amounts on the spicy stuff, and it still came out great.
And it was great! Even better than expected. I loved it with the maple syrup instead of honey.
Oh and I also made the “loaded baked potato fries” that is served with this recipe and they both go very well together, boyfriend and I loved it!! and so did our dog :)
this was so delicious, i could still taste the flavor in my mouth after hours of eating it. My and my boyfriend loved it, ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Thank you so much for having an amazing blog and being an amazing cook/chef!! Its official, this is where i’m picking my everyday meals :)
Anon – Sorry I didn’t respond to your vinegar questions in time!! I would probably use the red wine vinegar… or, actually, I think I’d try lemon juice before the red wine vinegar. I hope yours turned out well!
Cooking it now…with real maple syrup, since I’d run out of honey. Can’t wait – it smells great.
Trying this recipe tonight. It looks great. What other types of vinegar can I substitute for the cider vinegar. I have red wine, white wine and balsamic.