Description

Grilled honey bourbon chicken thighs that are juicy, sticky, and ready in 30 minutes. The perfect no-fuss Labor Day dinner for the whole family.

Ingredients

Scale

2–3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cold butter (optional)
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

Take chicken thighs out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before cooking to reach room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels.
In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, bourbon, soy sauce, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and a pinch of salt.
Place chicken in a zip-top bag or dish. Pour half the glaze over the chicken and massage it in. Reserve the other half for basting.
Marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours in the fridge).
Preheat grill to medium-high heat (375-400°F) and create two zones: direct heat for searing and indirect heat for cooking.
Oil the grates lightly. Place chicken skin-side down on the direct heat zone for 5-6 minutes until skin is crispy.
Flip chicken and move to the indirect heat zone to finish cooking.
Brush with reserved glaze during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. Flip once more to char slightly.
Cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F (or 175-180°F for fall-off-the-bone tenderness).
Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Honey burns easily, so use a two-zone grill setup (sear on direct heat, finish on indirect). Never reuse marinade that touched raw chicken unless boiled first. For a non-alcoholic version, substitute bourbon with apple cider or grape juice mixed with vanilla extract.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1
Calories: 480
Sugar: 16
Sodium: 650
Fat: 28
Saturated Fat: 7
Carbohydrates: 18
Protein: 35

Keywords: honey bourbon chicken, grilled chicken thighs, labor day dinner, easy chicken recipe, summer BBQ, sticky chicken glaze