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Grilled Honey Buffalo Chicken Thighs

Grilled honey buffalo chicken thighs with a sticky honey-buffalo glaze for crispy skin and bold sweet heat. Bone-in, skin-on thighs are marinated, grilled skin-side down, then basted until the glaze clings.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and glaze
  • 8 chicken thighs bone-in and skin-on
  • 0.5 cup buffalo sauce
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp butter melted
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
Serving
  • 1 blue cheese dressing
  • 1 celery sticks

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the honey buffalo marinade
  1. In a bowl, mix buffalo sauce, honey, melted butter, and apple cider vinegar until smooth and glossy. Set aside.
  2. Pour off and reserve 1/3 cup of the mixture for basting later. Keep the rest for marinating.
Marinate and season
  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then brush with some of the sauce mixture to coat the skin. Use an even, light layer so the skin can crisp.
  2. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes so the thighs pick up sweet heat flavor.
Grill and baste
  1. Preheat a grill to medium heat and place the chicken skin-side down. Grill for 8-10 minutes until the skin is visibly crisp and browned.
  2. Flip the thighs and grill for 8-10 more minutes, basting frequently with the reserved sauce. Continue until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the glaze looks sticky and caramelized.
Serve
  1. Plate the grilled honey buffalo chicken thighs and serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks. Spoon any extra glaze from the plate over the chicken.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the grill at steady medium heat and avoid moving the thighs too early—this helps the skin crisp before flipping. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months (glaze may darken slightly on thawing). For a lighter option, use reduced-sugar honey or a honey substitute and choose a lower-sugar buffalo sauce to keep the sticky finish.