Chipotle Honey Chicken Thighs (Printable)
Smoky-sweet chipotle-honey glazed chicken thighs topped with melted smoked Gouda, brightened with lime and cilantro.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
→ Marinade and Sauce
02 - 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
03 - 3 tablespoons honey
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Cheese
10 - 4 oz smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
→ Garnish
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
12 - Lime wedges
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the chipotle peppers, honey, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
03 - Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Brush the chipotle honey sauce generously over each chicken thigh, ensuring even coating. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the sauce for glazing later.
05 - Bake the chicken thighs for 30 minutes, until the juices run clear and the skin is golden brown.
06 - Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Brush the chicken with the reserved sauce and sprinkle shredded smoked Gouda evenly over each thigh.
07 - Return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
08 - Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sweet and smoky glaze soaks into the chicken skin and creates this sticky, lacquered crust that is genuinely hard to stop eating.
- It looks like you spent all day cooking but the oven does almost all the work for you.
- Melted smoked Gouda draped over spiced chicken is the kind of flavor pairing that makes people close their eyes at the dinner table.
02 -
- Dry your chicken thoroughly before glazing because even a little moisture on the skin will make it steam instead of roast and you will lose all that crispiness.
- Reserve some marinade before it touches the raw chicken for glazing later, otherwise you are brushing raw chicken juices onto finished food.
03 -
- Let the chicken rest for three to four minutes after it comes out of the oven so the juices redistribute instead of running out onto the plate.
- If your broiler is weak, turn it on for the last two minutes to get those gorgeous browned cheese spots that make everyone reach for their phone to take a picture.