These BBQ Glazed Chicken Thighs are marinated in a dry rub of delicious spices and then based twice in the oven with a sweet, savory and completely addicting glaze. Grill them outside or in the oven for a quick and easy but incredibly delicious dinner.
My family loves chicken wether its grilled, sautéed or baked. Nothing brings my husband more joy than to grill on the barbecue on a hot summer night. During the winter we start to miss that wonderful char flavor we get from grilling so I wanted to see if I could recreate it while using the oven. This recipe is definitely one we are saving for grilling season as well. The flavors were amazing and I can't wait to make these BBQ Glazed Chicken Thighs again.
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Dry Rub
We start by marinating the chicken thighs with a dry rub. While you can skip the step of letting the chicken marinate for a few hours I highly recommend following through with this step. The dry rub truly infuses the meat with such an incredible flavor. To make the dry rub, combine garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle over both sides of the chicken thighs coating them evenly. Next, transfer to an airtight container and let marinate in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.
The Glaze
The glaze is a wonderful sticky delicious mixture that gets basted onto the chicken while it cooks. Simply combine, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, bbq sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl. Cooking the brown sugar at such a high heat gives it that charred texture that we normally get from grilling. This sweet and savory glaze is completely addicting and you will want to start putting it on everything!
The Method
To bake the chicken, line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place an oven safe wire rack on top. The wire rack ensures the chicken gets even heat from the oven and that the fat and excess glaze can drip off. Next, place the chicken on the wire rack and brush the tops with the glaze. Bake on the upper middle rack at 450 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Finally, remove from the oven, brush with the glaze again and continue baking for 8-9 more minutes until slightly charred and the chicken reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit with an internal thermometer.
Using chicken thighs instead of breasts ensures the chicken will not dry out as this recipe would be difficult to accomplish if using chicken breasts. Chicken thighs have a much higher fat content and therefore will not dry out as easily. Baking the chicken at 450 degrees creates the beautiful and delicious char on the edges of the chicken we were longing for. I hope you love these glazed chicken thighs as much as we do!
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BBQ Glazed Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Dry Rub
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cayanne Pepper
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp Black Pepper
Glaze
- 2 tbsp BBQ Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Ketchup
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.
- Sprinkle over chicken thighs evenly. Cover in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top.
- In a small bowl combine BBQ sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
- Next, place the chicken on the wire rack and brush the tops with the glaze with a pastry brush. Bake on the upper middle rack at 450 degrees for 8-9 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, brush with the glaze again and continue baking for 8-9 more minutes until slightly charred and the chicken reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit with an internal thermometer.
Gina says
Thanks for a great recipe! Can you provide us with a lemon chicken thigh recipe?