My Glazed Pork Chops recipe has been viral for several years because it’s ridiculously easy, super tasty, and the sweet and spicy glaze helps keep the pork chops nice and moist. While I’ve often told people that the glaze works just as well on chicken, I had yet to showcase that particular combo on the blog. Until now. And honestly, I might even like these Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs better than the pork chops because they’re inherently even more tender and juicy, which means they reheat well and are absolutely perfect for meal prep. ;)
Can I Make the Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs Less Spicy?
Yep, if you want just a little heat, reduce the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp. If you want a completely non-spicy version, leave the cayenne pepper out and swap the regular paprika for smoked paprika to add complexity.
Can I Use Chicken Breast?
Yes, BUT you will need to use boneless breasts and pound the meat out to an even 1/2-inch thickness so they cook quickly. Otherwise the glaze will overcook and burn before your chicken breast cooks through.
Can I Use Bone-In Thighs?
I don’t suggest bone-in thighs for this recipe because they take much longer to cook and a longer cook time will likely cause the glaze to burn. This recipe cooks quick and needs a quick-cooking meat to match.
What to Serve with Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken
These Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs pair well with: Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (shown), Oven Roasted Frozen Broccoli, steamed green beans (shown), roasted or mashed sweet potatoes, or potato salad.
Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.12)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp paprika ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4-5 pieces) ($4.49)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
- Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the chicken, coating both sides liberally.
- Heat a large skillet over medium. Once hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the coated chicken and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and the brown sugar has turned into a deep brown glaze. Serve hot.
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Nutrition
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This has seriously become one of my go-to weeknight dinners! It goes so good with EVERYTHING.
How to Make Glazed Chicken Thighs – Step by Step Photos
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
Pat 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the chicken, coating both sides liberally.
Heat a large skillet (large enough to fit all the meat in a single layer) over medium. Once hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the chicken and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through and the brown sugar has turned into a deep brown glaze.
Cooking time can vary with the side of your chicken thighs, type of cookware, or even the nuances of your range. So, watch the chicken closely, spin the skillet if your burner has hot spots, and make sure the heat isn’t too high or the glaze will burn before the chicken cooks through.
Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs – making “meat and potatoes” a little more exciting. ;)
This recipe is now part of my regular rotation. It is so easy and so yummy. Thanks for making me look like a good cook.
10/10 this is honestly my favorite way I’ve ever cooked chicken. Paired it with some potatoes and green beans I threw in the air fryer.
Can’t wait to try your recipe! This particular combination of spices seems similar to what I use for Sweet & Spicy Pecans during the holidays, except I think it calls for butter rather than olive oil, and the measurements might be different. Will have to look and see how they compare. Love your IG and website – share it often with others.
I made this last night for dinner. All I can say is fabulous. I boned and skinned my own, made a little stock to deglaze the pan, so I had more delicious sauce for the rice. I also had broccoli. It has just enough spice and sweetness. We loved it. Thank you. Note to the person that was going to do pork chops. May I suggest using nice slices of Pork Butt (shoulder) They will come out tender and juicy. If you get a nice pink one, it’ll be better than pork chops. That is what I am making next. I had enough leftover rice and chicken, I am making a fried rice with it and I stuff it into egg rolls with home made spicy plum sauce. It’ll be great. My husband loves my egg rolls This recipe is a real keeper.
I am going to try it with Hamburgers with a pineapple chutney and sweet onion on a toasted onion bun. Beth I’m very excited about the possibilities Thanks again…6/6/19
I can’t express how glad i am to have found this recipe.. i had bought a few packs of boneless skinless thighs on BOGO but the other half never cared for what he called “gamy” dark meat.. until tonite when i served him this.. he said he could’ve eaten the entire platter all by himself and still wanted more.. said by all means put this in the rotation.. SO CHEAP, SO EASY, but above all, SO INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS.. i cannot thank you enough for this amazing recipe: )
That’s so awesome!! I’m glad it was such a hit! :)
I made it, and it was a winner at dinner. I served it with mashed potatoes and Mac n cheese. I allowed my chicken to marinate overnight tho. I will definitely be cooking this again in the near future.
I made this recipe specifically for the chicken and let me tell you it was delicious. I made it with a side of brown rice and it tasted great. Definitely going to be making again, thanks!
This was delicious! I made with chicken breast instead of thighs. I doubled the recipe for glaze. I think this would be really good on shrimp too! Paired this dish with mashed cauliflower.
Can you cook these or keep them warm by Crock pot?
Unfortunately I’m not sure how these would hold up while being kept warm in a slow cooker. It’s a bit too hard to guess without testing it.
So did you try them in a slow cooker? If so, how did they turn out?
This was absolutely fantastic! Cooked this for some friends, and were amazed at the depth of flavor. Great underlying heat without being too spicy. Was pleasantly surprised how much “sauce” the rub created, from the brown sugar. All around really fantastic, tremendously simple, and very flavorful. Highly recommend!!
Great flavor, tender and juicy, so easy too. Thank you for the recipe.
Is there a way to make a sauce out of the glaze left stuck on the pan? A) sauce is always good b) it helps create less effort for cleaning! ;)
You may be able to add a little chicken broth to dissolve it off the bottom.
Tempted to try this with thin sliced pork chops and wondering if that would work?
The only risk is that they will cook extremely fast and you may end up over cooking them, resulting in a very tough pork chop.
My family cleaned their plates. Soooo good.
Saw this on your Instagram and I’m so excited to try it! I’m curious: are you using a 10in or 12in pan in this recipe to fit the chicken? I am trying to narrow down a new cookware purchase and I’m eyeing the OXO set you have.
Hmmm, I don’t remember for sure, but I’m thinking it was the 10″. I rarely use the 12″. I only use it for super big (volume) recipes. :)