Chili Jam Chicken Glaze (Printable)

Tender chicken thighs with a sticky sweet-heat chili jam glaze, perfect for quick flavorful meals.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (approximately 2.6 lbs)

→ Glaze

02 - 1/3 cup chili jam
03 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
04 - 1 tablespoon honey
05 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

→ Garnish

08 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
09 - 1 red chili, thinly sliced
10 - Fresh cilantro leaves
11 - Toasted sesame seeds

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and arrange skin-side up on the prepared tray. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together chili jam, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, minced garlic, and grated ginger until smooth.
04 - Brush a generous layer of glaze over each chicken thigh, reserving approximately one-third of the mixture for finishing.
05 - Roast chicken in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
06 - Remove tray from oven and brush reserved glaze over chicken thighs.
07 - Return to oven and roast for 5 to 8 minutes additional, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F and glaze is caramelized and sticky.
08 - Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to serving platter. Garnish with spring onions, chili slices, cilantro, and sesame seeds if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The glaze does all the heavy lifting—chili jam, soy sauce, and honey create a sweet-heat coating that tastes like you've been tinkering with spices for hours.
  • Roasted chicken thighs stay juicy and fork-tender while the skin gets gloriously sticky and caramelized.
  • It's genuinely gluten-free if you swap in tamari, and flexible enough to throw together on a Wednesday night or impress casual guests on the weekend.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry—wet skin won't crisp up, and you'll lose that textural contrast that makes this dish sing.
  • Reserve some glaze before the first brush—adding fresh glaze at the halfway mark prevents over-charring and keeps the coating sticky rather than burnt.
03 -
  • Line your baking tray with parchment paper without fail—it saves you from scrubbing sticky jam off the pan and keeps cleanup to under a minute.
  • An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness; aim for 75°C (165°F) at the thickest part of the thigh, never the bone.
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