Honey Sriracha Grilled Chicken Thighs

These Honey Sriracha Grilled 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.

This recipe has been modified to provide more information, updated photos, and a larger recipe to feed a family of 4.  Originally published on July 14, 2018.

Super quick 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 favourite 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 so far been well received. Full of Asian-inspired flavours with a hint of spiciness but nothing too exotic. A flavour everyone enjoys and 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 grilled chicken recipe great?

• Uses simple Asian ingredients that are easily found in any grocery store.
• Can be grilled or baked so it is great for any time of the year.
• Makes a great freezer meal. Double or triple the recipe and freeze for another day so dinner is ready to just cook.
• Does not need a long time to marinade. 15 minutes to a half-hour is all you need.
• Turn on the heat if you like spicy by adding more sriracha.

What is Sriracha?

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.

Ingredients you’ll need

• 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 flavour 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 flavour. 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 flavour.
• 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.

making honey sriracha chicken thighs

For the grilled chicken thigh 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 flavour throughout.

Add the chicken to a resealable plastic bag or large dish and then pour in the marinade. If using a resealable bag 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. 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. 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 chicken has reached this temperature before eating.

what type of chicken thigh is best?

I prefer to use bone-in skinless chicken thighs. Why? Because bone-in chicken of any kind breast or thigh is always more flavourful. 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 flavour is better.

I love crispy chicken skin as much as anyone… if that is a thing? But for this recipe the combo of honey and chicken fat has always resulted in me turning away for two minutes and coming back to find a flaming chicken inferno.

Honey as a sugar heat quickly and burns quickly then add the melting fat from the chicken thighs 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 bit or two all the flavour 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 flavour in every bite.

how do you know when to flip the chicken?

It tells you! I am not sure where I learned this lesson but it works.

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

If you like this recipe you may also like…

• 
  Zucchini pizza boats
• 
  Za’atar Spice Blend
• 
  Whole Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter

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For the step-by-step version of this recipe, check out the How To Make Sriracha Grilled Chicken Thighs Story.