Grilled Chicken Thighs with Honey Sesame Glaze
These Grilled Chicken Thighs are finger lickin’ good and one of my husband’s all-time favorites! They’re a little sweet, a little sticky, a little spicy, a little tangy and a whole lot of YUM! The sensational honey sesame glaze is made with pantry friendly ingredients of honey, soy sauce, ketchup, sesame oil and rice wine punctuated by zesty ginger, garlic and chili sauce. Best of all, the glaze doubles as the marinade so you can create effortlessly flavorful chicken in minutes without double the work! Come dinner time, just pop the chicken on the grill and serve with your favorite sides like coconut rice, grilled vegetables and fruit salad.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
CHICKEN
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Honey Sesame Marinade/Glaze
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (like vegetable or canola)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Asian sweet chili sauce (I use Mae Ploy)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 teaspoons Asian chili sauce (like Sambal Oelek)
- 1 tsp EACH garlic powder, ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp EACH onion powder, paprika
Instructions
- Whisk all of the marinade/glaze ingredients together in a large freezer bag or shallow dish (whatever you are going to marinate the chicken in). Remove 1/4 cup to use later as the Glaze. Add the chicken thighs to the remaining marinade in the bag/bowl and turn to coat. Seal/cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, up to overnight.
- When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and let rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
GRILL DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the grill to 375 degrees F with the lid closed. Clean, and generously grease the grill with vegetable oil.
- Grill chicken, covered, for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 170 degrees F for thighs, 160 F for breasts.) Brush chicken with reserved Glaze (that never touched the raw chicken) and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
OVEN DIRECTIONS
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Add the chicken thighs so they aren’t touching.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes (depending on size), until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F for thighs, 160 F for breasts. Brush chicken with reserved Glaze (that never touched the raw chicken) and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
SKILLET DIRECTIONS
- The chicken will char more due to the honey so I recommend using an indoor grill pan. Grease an indoor grill pan and heat to medium-high heat. If using a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over MEDIUM heat.
- Working in batches, remove chicken from the marinade and let excess drip off. Add chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, or until nicely browned on one side.
- Flip chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook approximately 3-5 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F for thighs, 160 F for breasts. Transfer chicken to a plate/cutting board. Brush chicken with reserved Glaze (that never touched the raw chicken) and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Aromatics: I use ground instead of fresh because I find them more pleasing in the glaze portion - but you may use fresh if you prefer.
- Use a meat thermometer: Always use a meat thermometer (my fav!) so you don’t undercook or overcook your chicken. A meat thermometer means perfectly grilled tender, juicy chicken thighs ever time.
- Prep ahead: The marinade can be refrigerated WITHOUT the chicken for up to 2 days ahead of time. You can also trim the chicken 48 hours ahead of time.
- Serving suggestions: See post for tasty side serving suggestions and fun ways to serve the chicken.
How to Store and Reheat
- Storage: Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze chicken in marinade: Add the chicken to the marinade in a freezer-safe bag, squeeze out excess air and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use, the chicken will marinate as you thaw the chicken in the refrigerator.
- Freeze cooked chicken thighs: Let the grilled chicken cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. If you want access to individual pieces of chicken without having to thaw all of the chicken, wrap each chicken thigh in plastic wrap before adding it to the freezer bag. Freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- To reheat in the microwave: Chop or slice the chicken so it reheats more evenly; heat for 30 seconds, then at 15-second intervals as needed.
- To reheat in the oven: Transfer chicken to an oven-proof dish. Cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or just until warmed through.