Sweet, spicy, and sticky grilled bone-in chicken thighs are the way to go this summer! Chicken thighs are one of the most flavorful pieces of poultry. Smothering them in a simple chipotle apricot glaze makes this recipe for Chipotle Apricot Grilled Chicken Thighs a standout.
This chicken recipe was inspired by a meal kit I tried recently. The meal was Baked Chicken with a simple apricot glaze. I enjoyed the chicken with the glaze so much that I had to replicate the recipe but make it my own. So, one day, I felt like grilling some chicken, and I figured I’d try my glaze concoction on grilled chicken thighs. Summer is approaching, and it is time to get grilling, and this is a perfect recipe to start.
What makes these apricot grilled chicken thighs so delicious is not just the glaze, but how the glaze caramelizes on the chicken as it is cooking! That flavor gets deep in the skin and the meat and you can taste the flavor throughout every bite.
Ingredients in the Chipotle and Apricot Glaze
The ingredients in this glaze are quite simple and may already be in your kitchen pantry. Those ingredients are:
- Chipotle Adobo Sauce
- Apricot Preserves
- White Wine Vinegar
- Dijon Mustard
- Olive Oil
- Minced Garlic
To create the most amazing sauce, all you are going to do is add these ingredients to a small saucepan on medium heat, allow everything to combine, and WHO-LA! You have a sweet and spicy glaze that you will want to put on everything.
Tips on how to grill chicken thighs
I’ll be honest, I don’t grill chicken thighs a lot because of the amount of fat that renders from the thighs as it always causes grill fires, which necessarily isn’t a bad thing. But, they are the best part of the chicken that tastes amazing from a grill and that is because of all of the flavor that comes from the fat from the chicken. Here is how I grill and season chicken thighs with apricot glaze:
Allow the apricot chicken thighs to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the chicken skin to relax and become crispier as it grills.
- Season the chicken thighs with a great mixture of seasonings and spices such as garlic powder, sea salt, coarse black pepper, onion powder, smoked paprika, seasoned salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Rub all of those seasonings over the grilled chicken and add two hefty dollops of mayo and coat the chicken thighs. Why the mayo? The mayo seals in the flavor and helps the chicken skin to become crispy.
- Cook the chicken until an internal temperature of 165℉ is reached. Be mindful that the meat of the poultry can still look a little pinkish but shouldn’t be raw.
- Cook on both sides for 7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. If you are using boneless, skinless chicken thighs, it will take less time to cook evenly. This recipe will also work for grilled chicken breasts.
Commonly Asked Questions
Sure! I think you can use this to make beforehand and coat the chicken. It will caramelize as the chicken cooks.
It will take about 7-8 minutes on both sides. It took about 15-20 minutes to cook an entire batch of chicken thighs. I will say keep a close eye on the chicken thighs because as the fat starts dripping, it will make the charcoals react more causing the fire to the flame.
For this recipe, you can use peach or strawberry preserves. You may even be able to use cherry preserves if you want a sweet, spicy, and tart flavor.
Yes! Once you begin to prepare the chicken thigh and they are baked, add the glaze to the chicken and bake the chicken thighs further for an additional 5 minutes. You can bake the chicken thighs at 375 Degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Similar Recipes
If you enjoy grilled chicken recipes like this, you will enjoy the recipes below:
- Chargrilled Chicken Wings Recipe
- Easy Grilled Chicken Wings with Hot Pepper Jelly Glaze
- Grilled Caprese Chicken Recipe
- Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
Chipotle Apricot Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Fire up the grill for these Chipotle Apricot Grilled Chicken Thighs. Sweet & spicy apricot glaze caramelizes on juicy chicken thighs for the ultimate summer meal.
Ingredients
- 8 Bone-In Chicken Thighs
- 1 tbsp. Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tbsp. Coarse Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp. Seasoned Salt or BBQ Seasoning
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 Lemon, juiced
- 1/2 c. Mayo
GLAZE
- 11 oz. Apricot Preserves
- 2 Chipotle Adobe Peppers + 2 tbsp. Chipotle Sauce
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
- 1/4 c. Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
- Pinch of salt
- Garnish: chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Place chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with the seasonings and spices (kosher salt, black pepper, seasoned/ BBQ salt, onion and garlic powder, smoked paprika, Italian Seasoning, and Cayenne pepper). Use your hands and rub the Seasoning over the chicken thighs.
- Add the lemon juice and mayo, and use your hands to coat the chicken thighs with the mixture. Set the chicken thighs out at room temperature uncovered for at least 30 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, add the ingredients to the glaze (apricot preserves, chipotle peppers and sauce, garlic cloves, white wine vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt), whisk, and turn on medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, prepare the charcoal grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Of course, you can use a gas grill if you prefer.
- Spray the grill rack with non-stick spray, and when the grill is ready, place the chicken thighs on the grill starting with skin side up and grill on both sides for 7 minutes. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 Degrees internally.
- As you are grilling the chicken and you become closer to remove from the grill, brush on both sides with the glaze. When you have about 2-3 minutes, the ice will caramelize. Remove and place on a baking rack or serving tray. Brush the chicken thighs on both sides and cover with aluminum foil until ready to serve. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 miutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Leave a Reply