Chipotle Honey Chicken Thighs (Printable)

Golden-baked chicken thighs brushed with chipotle-honey glaze and topped with melted smoked Gouda.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

→ Chipotle Honey Glaze

02 - 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
03 - 3 tablespoons honey
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
09 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Cheese

10 - 4 oz smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
12 - Lime wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chopped chipotle peppers in adobo, honey, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and well blended.
03 - Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and arrange them skin-side up on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Brush the chipotle honey glaze generously over each chicken thigh, coating them evenly. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the glaze for finishing.
05 - Bake the chicken thighs for 30 minutes, until the juices run clear and the skin is golden brown and crispy.
06 - Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Brush the chicken thighs with the reserved glaze, then sprinkle the shredded smoked Gouda evenly over each piece. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
07 - Garnish the chicken thighs with chopped fresh cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The chipotle honey glaze hits that perfect sweet heat zone that makes everyone at the table go quiet for a minute.
  • Melted smoked Gouda on crispy chicken skin is the kind of combination that feels like a secret you stumbled into.
  • It looks like you spent all day but the oven does almost all the work.
02 -
  • If you do not pat the chicken completely dry before glazing, the skin will steam instead of crisp and you will end up with rubbery disappointment.
  • Reserving a bit of the uncooked marinade for the second glaze adds a concentrated punch of flavor that gets muted during the long bake.
  • Check your chipotle in adobo label if you are serving someone gluten free because some brands sneak in wheat based thickeners.
03 -
  • Brush the glaze on from a distance of about an inch rather than pressing down, which keeps the dry rub of spices intact on the skin.
  • Broil for the final 90 seconds instead of baking the last five minutes if you want cheese with charred blistered spots on top.

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