Hot Honey Soy Grilled Chicken
With another school year upon us, I’m back to thinking about easy efficient dinners. After what feels like an absolute whirlwind of a summer, the idea of more settled rhythm to our days will be a welcome change.
Most years, about this time, I’m more than ready to see the bright yellow school bus chug up the hill to our house, whisking my children away for another year of learning and fun. But this year feels a little different. As much as I know it would be good for us to be back in our routine, I’m not quite ready for summer to slip away. Slow mornings, later evenings, the kids in and out of the house all day; it can be total chaos almost all the time and yet I’m not ready to have them gone the bulk of the day again.
But back to dinner; my mindset this school year is ‘work smarter, not harder,’ I want meals that are delicious, filling, appeal to teens and tweens and most importantly are nutrient dense for my growing family.
As much as I love to sneak vegetables into pastas, soups, Mac and cheese and anything else I can think of, sometimes a straightforward meal is the path to least resistance. These savory chicken thighs are so good and full of flavor. Even better, the marinade takes two minutes to throw together. While the chicken grills, I make a pot of rice and roast some broccoli in the oven for a simple dinner that comes together in 30 minutes.
I used bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe, but other than a slightly reduced cooking time, I think you could swap very easily for boneless chicken thighs and have just as delicious of a dish. The reason behind bone-in is it makes for tastier, richer meat. I remain neutral on the subject, the bone-in works for this recipe but doesn’t require it. You could use chicken breasts or marinate some drumsticks if you prefer. The hot honey, soy sauce and hoisin sauce come together for a thick, sweet, savory and slightly spicy flavor. I could see making a double batch of this recipe to prep ahead when I know my week is going to be extra busy.
Hot Honey Soy Grilled Chicken
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
1/2 cup hot honey
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
In a small bowl, combine the hot honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and garlic. Use a fork to combine. Set aside.
Lay the chicken thighs out on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towels, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer the marinade and the chicken pieces to a large gallon ziplock bag or bowl with a lid.
Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours or up to 24 hours ahead. When you are ready to grill your chicken, pull the chicken from the fridge and set on the counter while your grill heats up.
Set your grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees if you can set a temperature) and place the chicken thighs directly on the grate, skin side down. Cook the chicken with the lid closed for about 10 to 15 minutes, before flipping the chicken and continuing to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Save your leftover marinade!
The cook time is going to be dependent on the style of grill you use and how high your temperature is. Chicken thighs, because they have more fat on them, can be cooked at a higher temperature without drying out. Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat. They are done once the temperature reaches 165 degrees but texture wise, its recommended to cook chicken thighs to 180 degrees. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest on a plate for five minutes before serving.
While the chicken rests, transfer the leftover marinade to a small saucepan. Heat the liquid over low heat and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning. It should reduce by about a third. To serve the chicken, scoop cooked rice onto a plate and layer a chicken thigh over the rice. Drizzle with the sauce. I also like to serve this with roasted broccoli.
Enjoy!