Honey Sriracha Chicken Thighs
These Honey Sriracha Chicken Thighs are the perfect balance between sweet and spicy and are super quick to make. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal or double the batch for a great freezer meal prep idea.
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Having a recipe that is super quick like this honey sriracha chicken is so important to me as I often get overwhelmed when I am done with work and am faced with dinner decisions. There is only so much thinking I can do in a day sometimes and planning dinner is not my favorite pastime.
I have actually started planning my meals for the week on Sunday before I go grocery shopping and this has really helped. I write up the recipes I plan to make each day and post them on the fridge so my picky teenagers can see what is on the menu. Don’t like it… they’re on their own. Luncheon meat is in the fridge.
This recipe, though, has been well received by my family. It is full of Asian-inspired flavors with a hint of spiciness, but nothing too exotic. Honey sriracha is a flavor everyone enjoys and this sriracha grilled chicken has stood the test of time on my recipe rotation for years now.
Two other chicken recipes that they love and are Healthy Chicken Parmesan and Sweet and Spicy Baked Chicken.
what makes this Sriracha Honey Chicken Recipe So great?
- Simple ingredients – It uses simple Asian ingredients that are easily found in any grocery store.
- Versatile – Can be grilled or baked so it is great for any time of the year.
- Perfect for meal prep – This sriracha grilled chicken makes a great freezer meal. Double or triple the recipe and freeze for another day so dinner is ready to just cook.
- No long marinating time – I love this recipe because it does not need a long time to marinade. 15 minutes to a half-hour is all you need.
- Adjustable spice level – Turn on the heat if you like spicy by adding more sriracha.
Ingredients For Honey Sriracha Chicken
- Chicken thighs – Bone-in or boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can make this recipe using skin-on chicken thighs but I find fat from them tends to cause the grill to flare up making them more difficult to cook without burning. I also personally like when the marinade coats the actual chicken vs the skin alone. I just find the flavor to be better overall.
- Garlic – Because garlic is like my hot sauce… I put it in almost everything that is not a dessert or baked good.
- Ginger – Adds great flavor. Make sure to be using fresh ginger and not powder.
- Hoisin sauce – an ingredient popular in Southern Chinese cuisine. Thick like molasses but with a unique sweet and salty flavor.
- Sriracha – A tangy hot sauce with Thai origins.
- Honey – Add sweetness to balance the salty heat from the other ingredients.
- Soy Sauce – Works to thin out the sauce and add a bit of umami to Asian dishes. If you are gluten-free Tamari is a great substitute.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
How To Make Sriracha Honey Chicken Thighs
- For the grilled chicken thighs marinade, add the minced garlic and ginger, hoisin, sriracha, honey, and soy sauce to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Use a fork to poke holes all over the chicken. This will allow the marinade to work its way inside the chicken flesh and give flavor throughout.
- Add the chicken to a resealable plastic bag or large dish and then pour in the marinade. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Grill over medium heat for about 10 minutes per side. If using bone-in chicken thighs you may need to grill a few minutes longer.
Tips
- Massage the meat – If using a resealable bag to marinate the honey sriracha chicken, seal it up tightly and then use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken. If you chose to marinate in a large bowl, use your hands to massage the marinaded into the chicken and then be sure to wash your hands before covering and putting the dish or bag in the fridge.
- Marinate longer for maximum flavor – While the recipe only requires 15 minutes of marinating, you can marinate the chicken thighs for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator for even more pronounced flavor.
- Cook to the proper temperature – Usually, the grilled bone-in chicken thighs take about 10-12 minutes per side to reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. Use a meat thermometer to test that the boneless grilled chicken thighs have reached this temperature before eating.
Storage
Store: Cooked chicken thighs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freeze: To freeze, let the cooked chicken thighs cool completely, then place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat: To reheat from frozen, place the chicken thighs in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until heated through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave in 1-2 minute intervals until warmed.
Honey Sriracha Chicken FAQs
I prefer to use bone-in skinless chicken thighs because bone-in chicken of any kind breast or thigh is always more flavorful. Sure, they take a little longer to cook with the bone in, but I find they are less likely to dry out and again… the flavor is better.
I love crispy chicken skin as much as anyone, but for this recipe I prefer to go with skinless chicken thighs. Honey heats quickly and burns quickly, so when you combine it with the the melting fat from the chicken skin over an open flame and… poof! Blazing inferno.
Also, I find the marinade itself all ends up attached to the chicken skin so after a bite or two all the flavor is gone and you end up with naked chicken underneath. Using skinless chicken thighs allows the marinade to coat all of the chicken giving it flavor in every bite.
Sriracha is a hot sauce that originated in Thailand named after the city where it originated over 80 years ago – Si Racha. It is made of chili peppers, sugar, garlic, distilled vinegar, and salt and has a similar consistency to ketchup but may be a little thinner.
It tastes spicy of course, but it is also a little tangy and sweet with a hint of garlic. You can use it to spice up soups, marinades, rice dishes. Like other hot sauces, my husband puts this Sh*t on everything and even adds it to his burger instead of ketchup.
Have you ever tried to flip chicken on the grill and it sticks and starts tearing? Well, that is the chicken’s way of telling you to leave it alone. Let it continue to cook and after another two minutes try again. When chicken is ready to be flipped it will easily lift off the grill without sticking or tearing. And you get nice looking grill marks to impress your friends with or for the Instagram photo you know you are gonna take.
What goes well with Grilled chicken thighs?
- Healthy No-Mayo Coleslaw
- Orange & Frisee Salad
- Garden Herb & White Bean Salad
- Easy & Zesty Quinoa Salad
- German Potato Salad
- Asian Cucumber Salad
More grilled Recipes
- Grilled Greek Halloumi Kebabs
- Garlic & Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops
- Drunken Grilled Pineapple Slices
- Grilled Kofta kebabs
Honey Sriracha Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Barbecue
- Chopping Knife
- Small Bowl
- Spoon
- Measuring Spoons
- Large bowl or resealable plastic bag
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken thighs about 8 chicken thighs
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ tsp ginger peeled and finely minced
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine garlic, ginger, hoisin sauce, sriracha, honey and soy sauce.
- Place chicken thighs in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over. Massage the marinade into the chicken. Let sit refrigerated for at least 15 minutes.
- Grill on medium heat for about 10 minutes per side or until inside of chicken thighs are no longer pink and are cooked thoroughly to 165 F. Remove from grill and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Miz Helen
This looks so good! I would just modify it to be Gluten Free for me ? Thanks!
This sounds great I don’t have a grill so will being doing it on the stove or in the oven but going to try this for sure!
This recipe will still do well baked in the oven or maybe with one of those grill pans for stove top if you want to get those grill marks!
This sounds like an irresistible combination. We’ve been doing a lot of grilling lately — putting this on the list of “to makes”.
wow the sheen on this chicken is truly spectacular. I love the flavors using honey in here and chicken thighs are so boring this really makes them yummy!
What a fantastic flavor combination for summer! Looks like such a great recipe!
The grill marks you were able to get on that chicken is just gorgeous! What a lovely recipe too!
Thanks! I wasn’t planning on taking the pics but because the grill marks looked so good well… out comes the camera. My husband is used to it now LOL