Paleo honey glazed chicken thighs are on the menu today, and they're absolutely delicious! These chicken thighs are budget-friendly, family-friendly and super simple to prepare. The chicken is generously doused in a sauce made of honey, dijon mustard, olive oil, sweet italian vinegar, sesame oil, rosemary, salt and garlic powder and then baked and broiled until they're finger lickin' good! Yeah, I just quoted Colonel Sanders, but his description of really good chicken is spot on.
So I finished my 5th round of Whole30 about a week ago. Naturally, my first order of business was to create a non Whole30 compliant recipe featuring one of my favorite non Whole30 compliant ingredients - HONEY! The other 335 days of the year my diet is 80% Whole30, with honey being a large part of that remaining 20%. I love it! Using high quality (local) honey in place of the numerous unhealthier alternatives (ahem*sugar) is a great way to sweeten up a cup of tea, a dessert or in this case a chicken dish.
Before we begin, I must mention the importance of using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. The flavor of the glaze will absorb better into chicken thighs, and they won't dry out from being in the oven for nearly an hour. When in doubt, I always cook with thighs rather than breasts. They're so much juicer and SO MUCH CHEAPER.
This recipe is fool-proof. Simply stir all of the ingredients together until a smooth sauce forms, pour the sauce over the thighs, and then bake in a 375 degree oven for 50 minutes. That may seem like a long time, but the sauce needs plenty of time to caramelize. Don't worry. The thighs can handle the heat.
After the 50 minutes, remove the thighs from the oven and preheat the broiler. While the broiler is preheating, spoon the sauce drippings from the bottom of the baking dish onto the chicken. I do not recommend using a brush because it will brush off the glaze that has already caramelized onto the chicken. Lastly, broil the chicken for an additional three to five minutes or until the glaze is nicely browned. This cooking method adds a crunchy outer crust and a tender, juicy inside. Did I mention it's finger lickin' good?
These babies are sure to be a hit with your family! I don't have kids, but I think it's safe to assume kids like messy, sticky food. If that's true, then they're going to love these! Lastly, but certainly not least and as always ENJOY! Check out the detailed recipe below and let me know what you think!
PS: If you find yourself with leftovers (which you probably won't), shred the leftover chicken thigh meat and add it to a potato hash for your next meal! It's so good!
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INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon extra light tasting olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sweet italian vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Add all of the ingredients except for the chicken thighs to a large bowl; stir well until the glaze is smooth.
- Arrange the chicken thighs in a prepared baking dish. Pour the glaze over top of the chicken thighs and toss to coat evenly.
- Bake the chicken thighs in a 375 degree preheated oven for 50 minutes.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the oven. Preheat the broiler.
- While the broiler is preheating, spoon any glaze drippings from the bottom of the baking sheet onto the chicken.
- Place baking dish back into the oven and broil for 3 to 5 minutes (until the glaze is nicely browned.).
- Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve immediately.
