SIZZLE & SCORE
WHEN THE GAME IS ON THE LINE
S&S RECIPE

Hot Honey
Chicken Thighs

Crispy-skinned chicken thighs finished with a glossy Southern hot honey glaze. Sweet, spicy and a hell of a lot easier than it looks.

♨
Serves
2
◷
Prep Time
20 min
◷
Cook Time
35 min
★★☆☆☆
Difficulty
Easy

WHAT YOU NEED

Hot Honey Chicken Thighs
  • 4 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 1½–2 lb total
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp neutral oil, only if needed
Southern Hot Honey Glaze
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • ¼–½ tsp red chili flakes, optional

COOK IT

1

Season The Chicken.

Heat the oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken thighs really dry. Season both sides with kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika and garlic powder.

2

Start With A Cold Skillet.

Put the chicken skin-side down in a cold cast-iron or heavy oven-safe skillet. Turn the heat to medium and let the thighs cook for 10–12 minutes while the fat slowly renders and the skin gets deep golden and crispy. Don't keep lifting them to check. Leave them the hell alone.

3

Flip And Finish In The Oven.

Flip the thighs and cook another 2–3 minutes. Move the skillet into the 400°F oven. Start checking after about 10 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part without touching the bone. Aim for about 175°F. Pull the chicken and let it rest.

4

Make The Hot Honey.

Pour off most of the chicken fat, leaving about 1 tsp in the skillet. Put it over low heat and cook the minced garlic for 20–30 seconds. Add the honey, cayenne, apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. Stir for about 30 seconds, then turn the heat off and swirl in the butter until the glaze is smooth and glossy.

5

Want More Heat?

FOR THE SPICE FREAKS: Add ¼–½ tsp red chili flakes. Start at ¼ tsp unless you're trying to make your date sweat for reasons unrelated to dinner.

6

Glaze The Chicken.

Return the chicken to the skillet skin-side up and spoon the hot honey over the thighs. Glaze it. Don't drown it. We worked too damn hard for that crispy skin.

7

Plate It.

Place the chicken thighs on warm plates, skin-side up. Spoon a little extra hot honey around the chicken, keeping the crispy skin from getting soggy. Serve right away.

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