Best 6 Honey Chile Chicken Recipes

CHILE-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH HONEY, LEMON AND FETA

Steps:

• Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix together garlic, honey, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes. Add chicken and toss well with your hands, spreading the garlic paste all over the chicken pieces. (Don't worry if the honey is a little clumpy.) Add rosemary sprigs and lemon slices and toss to combine. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with a silicone liner or parchment paper.
• Spread chicken and lemons across a single layer in the lined pan, tucking in the rosemary sprigs. Drizzle oil generously over everything. Roast for 20 minutes.
• Using tongs, turn over the chicken pieces, and give the lemons a stir. Sprinkle feta on top. Continue to bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the chicken is deeply bronzed and cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh or drumstick registers 165 degrees. Serve garnished with chopped herbs and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

GRILLED RED CHILE BUTTERMILK CHICKEN WITH SPICY MANGO HONEY GLAZE

Steps:

• For the mango honey glaze: Heat the oil in a large high-sided saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the mangoes and cook until soft and juicy, stirring occasionally. Add the wine, orange and pineapple juices, 3 tablespoons honey and the chile de arbol and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender and carefully blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and more honey if needed. The mixture should be a thick puree. If too thick, thin with a touch of water. Let cool to room temperature before serving.
• For the chicken: Whisk together the buttermilk, chile powders, coriander, granulated garlic, onion powder, paprika and cinnamon in a large baking dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, turning a few times.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Place the chicken on a baking rack set over a baking sheet, return to the refrigerator and let sit, uncovered, for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Heat the grill for indirect grilling.
• Brush the chicken on both sides with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on the grill directly over the heat and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue grilling until the bottom is golden brown. Move to the cooler side of the grill, close the cover and continue grilling until cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. During the last few minutes, brush with some of the mango honey glaze. Remove to a platter and drizzle with more of the glaze.

GRILLED SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN WITH HONEY, CHILE AND LEMON

Steps:

• The day before cooking, spatchcock and season the chicken: Remove the spindly wing tips by cutting through the first wing joint with heavy-duty kitchen scissors. Lay the chicken breast side down. Using the scissors again, snip along both sides of the spine to remove it. (Reserve or freeze the spine for stock.) Open up the chicken and flip it over, placing it breast up and with the legs toward you on your cutting board. With one palm on top of the other in the center of the breast, press down until you feel the cartilage crack and the bird lies flat.
• Use the tip of a sharp knife to make three parallel slices in each breast, then three in each leg; each incision should go down to the bone and be about 3 inches long. Rub the sea salt all over, including in the incisions, seasoning more heavily on the underside of the bird.
• In a small bowl, mix the juice of 2 1/2 lemons with the honey, oregano, chile flakes and pepper. Pour 1/3 cup of this marinade over the chicken and refrigerate the remaining marinade for grilling.
• Trim the ends of the 1/2 lemon, then slice it into 12 very thin half-moons and remove any seeds. Tuck the lemon slices into each of the incisions on the chicken, sliding the cut side in and leaving the peel exposed.
• Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet, breast side up, and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 or up to 24 hours.
• Two hours before cooking the chicken, take it out of the fridge to come to room temperature.
• Prepare the grill: Clean the grate thoroughly and light the coals. The bird should cook over low, indirect heat. The coals are ready when they're gray and dusty, rather than glowing red.
• Place the bird on the grill, breast side down, discarding any liquid left behind. Watch your chicken like a hawk for the first few minutes and flip the bird if the skin starts to char. When the chicken is lightly colored, or after 10 minutes, flip it over and baste with the reserved marinade. Close the lid on the grill and cook for 40 to 50 minutes more, flipping and basting the chicken every 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the chickpeas: Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. When it's a chunky paste, stir in olive oil and lemon. In a large shallow serving bowl, toss the chickpeas with 1/4 cup dressing and season to taste with sea salt. (Reserve the remaining dressing for the chicken.)
• When the chicken has been cooking for 60 minutes, take its temperature: The meat should feel firm and an instant-read thermometer should read 165 degrees when inserted near the bone of the thickest part of the breast and leg. The chicken may need another 5 to 10 minutes grilling with the lid closed. If you want more char on the breast, cook breast side down; if there is enough color, continue to cook breast side up.
• Once the chicken is cooked, set it on top of the chickpeas. If you have any remaining baste, pour it over the bird. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving on a cutting board.
• Use a large knife or cleaver to remove both thighs and legs. Separate both breasts, then cut each in half crosswise, creating 8 pieces. Place the chicken pieces back on the chickpeas and drizzle the chicken with the reserved oregano dressing. Cut the remaining lemon into quarters for squeezing on top, and dollop with Greek yogurt, if desired.

RED CHILE CHICKEN WINGS WITH CHIPOTLE HONEY GLAZE

Steps:

• For the blue cheese sauce: Stir together the yogurt, blue cheese, cilantro, onions and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
• For the hot wings: Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a large, high-sided pan until it reaches 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• Sprinkle the wings with salt and pepper. Stir together the chile powders, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper in a shallow bowl. Dust the wings with the seasoning mixture and toss in a bowl to evenly coat. Add the wings to the oil in batches and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• For the glaze: In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, chipotle in adobo, honey and Dijon mustard. To a small saute pan, add the butter and melt. Add the melted butter to the bowl with the vinegar-honey mixture and stir to combine.
• Toss the freshly fried wings with the glaze in the bowl. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with the blue cheese sauce.

HONEY CHILE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl; add chicken and toss to coat.
• Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat; add the chicken a few pieces at a time; fry until golden and no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Discard all but 2 tablespoons oil from the skillet and return to heat. Cook the ginger in the oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the honey and cook another 1 minute. Whisk together the water, lemon juice, cornstarch, chili sauce, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl; mix into the honey and ginger; bring to a boil. Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat; cook until the chicken is heated through, about 3 minutes. Fold the green onions into the mixture and cook 1 minute more. Serve hot.

HONEY-SMOKED CHICKEN WITH SWEET CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Warm the butter gently in a small pan until melted. Remove from the heat and add the honey and lemon juice, stirring well until completely combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• Loosen the skin all over the chicken pieces and rub most of the honey mixture beneath it. Rub the remainder on the outside. Place on a large plate and cover with foil. Refrigerate 2-4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before smoking.
• Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add the vinegar, sugar, sambal oelek, and ketchup and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
• Bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the cornstarch. Cook slowly until slightly thickened and syrupy, 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
• Prepare a smoker or light a grill for off-heat cooking at medium-high heat, about 375° F. (If you're using a charcoal grill, it's okay for the temperature to fluctuate between 375° and 350° F as the coals cool.).
• When the smoker/grill is ready, smoke the chicken, turning every 15-20 minutes during the first hour, then every 20 minutes, for about 1-1/4 hours total.
• Baste the chicken with the chile sauce a few times during the last 10 minutes of smoking. Transfer to a platter and let rest 5 minutes.
• Serve hot, passing any remaining sauce at the table.