Hot Honey Chicken Thighs (BBQ Grill & Smoker) – Sweet Heat, Extra Juicy
“Swicy” (sweet-spicy) is one of the biggest flavour trends of 2025, and hot honey is now everywhere in UK supermarkets and food service. These hot-honey chicken thighs deliver that perfect balance of sticky sweetness and warming chilli heat, finished with beautifully crisp skin and tender, juicy meat.
Cooked using a two-zone BBQ setup or gently smoked for deeper flavour, this recipe works brilliantly on charcoal grills, gas barbecues, ceramic cookers, and electric smokers like the Masterbuilt.
If you’re new to smoking or two-zone cooking, read our Beginner’s Guide to BBQ & Smoking (UK) before starting.
For perfect timing and safe internal temperatures, use our Smoker Time Calculator to avoid overcooking.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time (hours)
1hrs
Cook Time (minutes)
45mins
Servings
4
Cuisine:
British
Course:
Main
Difficulty:
Easy
Keyword:
hot honey chicken thighs BBQ
Author:
Kitchen Sizzlers
Cooking Temp
180 (Grill indirect) / 130 (Smoker average)
Ingredients
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tsp fine salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Hot-Honey Glaze
90 ml runny honey
1 tsp chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp cider vinegar
½ tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of salt
1 tsp butter
Chef’s Notes
UK food safety guidance commonly simplifies safe chicken cooking to 75°C internal temperature. Always use a clean digital thermometer.
Dark meat remains juicy even when cooked to 80–85°C, making thighs forgiving and ideal for BBQ.
Adjust chilli flakes depending on heat preference:
Mild: ½ tsp
Medium: 1 tsp
Hot: 2 tsp or more
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon before serving to balance sweetness.
Serve with charred corn ribs, flatbreads, or a peach–tomato salad for contrast.
Equipment Used
Method
Grill Method (Two-Zone Setup)
Pat chicken thighs dry thoroughly to help the skin crisp.
Season evenly with salt and pepper.
Set up your BBQ with one hot direct side and one cooler indirect side.
Place thighs skin-side down over indirect heat with the lid closed for 10–12 minutes to render fat gently.
Flip and move briefly over direct heat for 2–3 minutes per side to crisp the skin.
In a small pan, gently warm honey, chilli flakes, cider vinegar, paprika, salt and butter until combined.
Brush glaze over the thighs.
Return to indirect heat, lid closed, until internal temperature reaches at least 75°C in the thickest part.
For extra tender dark meat, cook to 80–85°C without drying out.
Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Smoker Method (120–135°C)
Preheat smoker to 120–135°C.
Place thighs skin-side up on racks.
Smoke for 45–60 minutes.
Brush with hot-honey glaze.
Continue cooking until internal temperature reaches at least 75°C (or 80–85°C for optimal thigh texture).
Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Need help timing your cook?
Scan for our BBQ Smoker Time Calculator:
kitchensizzlers.com/bbq-smoker-time-calculator/