My Glazed Pork Chops recipe has been viral for several years because it’s ridiculously easy, super tasty, and the sweet and spicy glaze helps keep the pork chops nice and moist. While I’ve often told people that the glaze works just as well on chicken, I had yet to showcase that particular combo on the blog. Until now. And honestly, I might even like these Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs better than the pork chops because they’re inherently even more tender and juicy, which means they reheat well and are absolutely perfect for meal prep. ;)
Can I Make the Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs Less Spicy?
Yep, if you want just a little heat, reduce the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp. If you want a completely non-spicy version, leave the cayenne pepper out and swap the regular paprika for smoked paprika to add complexity.
Can I Use Chicken Breast?
Yes, BUT you will need to use boneless breasts and pound the meat out to an even 1/2-inch thickness so they cook quickly. Otherwise the glaze will overcook and burn before your chicken breast cooks through.
Can I Use Bone-In Thighs?
I don’t suggest bone-in thighs for this recipe because they take much longer to cook and a longer cook time will likely cause the glaze to burn. This recipe cooks quick and needs a quick-cooking meat to match.
What to Serve with Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken
These Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs pair well with: Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (shown), Oven Roasted Frozen Broccoli, steamed green beans (shown), roasted or mashed sweet potatoes, or potato salad.
Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.12)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp paprika ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4-5 pieces) ($4.49)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
- Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the chicken, coating both sides liberally.
- Heat a large skillet over medium. Once hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the coated chicken and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and the brown sugar has turned into a deep brown glaze. Serve hot.
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Nutrition
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This has seriously become one of my go-to weeknight dinners! It goes so good with EVERYTHING.
How to Make Glazed Chicken Thighs – Step by Step Photos
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
Pat 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the chicken, coating both sides liberally.
Heat a large skillet (large enough to fit all the meat in a single layer) over medium. Once hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the chicken and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through and the brown sugar has turned into a deep brown glaze.
Cooking time can vary with the side of your chicken thighs, type of cookware, or even the nuances of your range. So, watch the chicken closely, spin the skillet if your burner has hot spots, and make sure the heat isn’t too high or the glaze will burn before the chicken cooks through.
Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs – making “meat and potatoes” a little more exciting. ;)
Delish! Easy, fast, and had all of the ingredients in my pantry and boneless, skinless chicken thighs are cheap. I made them exactly as the recipe called for. Put this in my “go to” recipe list. Thank you so much.
I used chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless. It was amazing. I love spicy and the recommended amount was perfect for me. But my girlfriend, who likes spicy but not as much as me, thought it was a bit too spicy. If you don’t have a big spicy tolerance I recommend using 1/4 tsp of cyanne and 3/4 tsp of garlic powder. It was amazing either way! Great recipe. Came out looking exactly like the pictures!!
Made this for dinner and it turned out great . I just did what the direction said .
I made this today and the wife and I just loved it. Just followed the recipe and BAM!
Very easy and so delicious I added a little bit of chili powder for an extra kick and…Wow!!!
Very very good! Will definetly make again!!!!
I made these tonight and not only were they super easy, but oh so delicious! I will be making these again for sure. Thanks so much for the recipe!
This turned out so well, it was incredibly flavorful and super simple. For someone who is new to cooking this recipe was very easy to follow!
This is outstanding and so quick and easy. Goes great with Carolina vinegar based slaw.
This recipe was super simple and delicious. An easy winner!
Turned out really good it’s so easy to make
This is yum.
This recipe is SO GOOD! Sweet heat is my favorite flavor combination, so I’m always looking for new recipes to try out. This is my new favorite glaze and I can’t wait to try it out on a variety of dishes. (It’d be great served over rice!) Please add more sweet heat recipes if you have them, the good ones are surprisingly difficult to find.
I’ve made a lot of recipes from this site and this might be my favorite. It’s super easy, super quick, and most importantly, super flavorful!! The cayenne adds just the right amount of heat and the glaze is just heavenly.
So good!!! Will definitely be making this again! It was the perfect combination of spicy and sweet. YUM. The leftovers were so handy for easy meal prepped lunches.