Summertime is all about grilling out and enjoying good food with friends and family. This recipe for grilled honey glazed chicken is perfect for any summer barbecue! The chicken is juicy and flavorful, and the sweet honey glaze gives it a delicious coating.
Next time try this recipe for How to Grill Tri Tip - seriously amazing and perfect every time!
Jump to:
- What makes this recipe irresistible
- Ingredients you'll need
- Creative variations to try
- Step-by-step instructions
- Watch and learn: recipe video
- Essential tools for this recipe
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ's)
- Deb's tips for the perfect dish
- How to store leftovers
- More recipes you'll love
- Perfect pairings: what to serve with
- Grilled Honey Glazed Chicken
What makes this recipe irresistible
You'll love it because it's so easy and SO GOOD and you'll only need a few ingredients. That makes it perfect for a summer BBQ. The chicken is juicy and flavorful, making a delicious main course that the whole family will love.
Ingredients you'll need
Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- dark soy sauce - If you prefer low-sodium recipes, you can use low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Dijon mustard
- garlic salt, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper
- Honey - in a pinch, you could substitute brown sugar for the honey.
- Lemon juice, or for a different flavor, use apple cider vinegar, lime or a fresh orange.
- olive oil
- The recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. You can also use chicken breasts or chicken legs or wings.
Creative variations to try
- Add some heat to your marinade by adding red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce before you marinate the chicken.
- You can add more flavor to the sweet honey glaze by using some grated fresh ginger to the sauce.
- Instead of garlic powder and garlic salt, you can use minced garlic cloves for a fresh flavor.
Step-by-step instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For complete directions, scroll down to the bottom!
- Prepare marinade - in a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients - honey, soy sauce, dijon mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, and all spices, and set aside.
- Place chicken thighs in a 9x13 baking dish.
- Pour half the honey mixture over the chicken pieces. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Reserve the remaining marinade. Or place the chicken pieces and marinade in a ziplock bag to marinate.
- Preheat BBQ to 350 degrees. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Sear over direct heat. Transfer meat to indirect heat. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes with the cover closed.
- While grilling, brush chicken thighs with a generous layer of the reserved marinade. Grill until the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Watch and learn: recipe video
Check out the video to see how easy this is to make!
Essential tools for this recipe
- mixing bowl
- 9x13 casserole dish
- plastic wrap
- grill
- grilling brush
Frequently asked questions (FAQ's)
It will take about 10-15 minutes to grill chicken thighs over direct heat, and another 10-15 minutes over indirect heat. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F.
You can do a few things to prevent chicken thighs from drying out on the grill. Grill over indirect heat so that the chicken doesn't overcook. And, brush the chicken with a little bit of olive oil, butter or marinade.
I flip my chicken halfway through while it's on the grill. You can tell the chicken is ready to flip when it easily releases from the grill.
When the chicken is almost done cooking, you can place it over direct heat for a minute or two to crisp up the skin. Just be careful not to overcook the chicken.
I always grill chicken skin side down first, because it helps the chicken cook evenly.
Deb's tips for the perfect dish
The chicken can be marinated for up to 12 hours.
- Make sure that you chicken the internal temperature of the chicken in the center of the thickest part.
- If you're using boneless chicken breasts for this recipe, pound them out with a meat mallet first so they are the same thickness and cook evenly - that means juicy chicken!
- Sliced green onions can be added to the marinade for a deep flavor.
- You can grill this chicken on a gas grill or use a charcoal grill, over medium coals. Really any type of outdoor grill or even an indoor grill pan if you prefer.
How to store leftovers
Refrigerate - Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer - Freeze chicken thighs in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.
Reheat - Reheat chicken on the grill, in the oven at 350 degrees for five to ten minutes, or in the microwave.
More recipes you'll love
- Grilled Turkey Burgers is a great recipe to make if you are trying to stay on track with your health goals.
- Grilled Chili Lime Chicken is a fresh and flavorful chicken recipe perfect for busy weeknights.
- If you love a great spicy chicken tenders recipe, be sure to try this recipe next!
- An easy affordable recipe is my Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks - just season and toss them in the oven for a great addition to your meal!
Perfect pairings: what to serve with
- Grilled Foil Pack Vegetables is a staple grilling season side dish; your entire family will love it.
- Teriyaki Noodles - this easy pasta salad is perfect for a bbq, serve it alongside the bbq'd chicken.
- Make a big batch of crock pot baked beans - they are so good and perfect with grilled chicken!
- This Cracker Barrel Potato Casserole is perfect if you're feeding a crowd!
- Are you looking for a simple side dish to serve with this weeknight dinner? Serve with Deviled Egg Potato Salad or a Classic Macaroni Salad recipe.
- Mexican Fruit Salad is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy and is a delicious fresh side dish to serve with this chicken.
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Grilled Honey Glazed Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the marinade ingredients, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic salt, chili powder and smoked paprika. Give it a good whisk. Add honey, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, and ground pepper. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Remove chicken thighs from package, cut off excess skin. Place in 9x13 baking dish.
- Pour half the marinade over the chicken thighs. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate minimum 2 hours or overnight. Reserve remaining marinade for mopping the chicken during the grilling process.
- Preheat BBQ and bring up to temperature, 350 degrees. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Sear two minutes on both sides over direct heat. Transfer meat to indirect heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, cover closed.
- While grilling brush each chicken thighs with a generous layer of the reserved marinade. Grill until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Serve and Enjoy!
JD says
This is by far the best chicken marinade that I have ever had! So delicious! I’m going to try it on steak tips! 🙏👍
Debra Clark says
Right? SO good! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to came back to comment!! Let me know what you think of those steak tips. What a great idea!!!
Joanne says
Can this be baked instead of on the grill?
Bowl Me Over says
Of course Joanne! Be sure and baste them so they get a good glaze. I'd preheat the oven too 400 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 170. Pull them from the oven, cover with foil and rest for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!