Even though I’m a food blogger with lots of recipe ideas, I too get bored with my own recipes from time to time. I’m always on the lookout for new chicken recipes, in particular. A fast chicken recipe is even better. With summer around the corner, the warm weather means I’m running around Central Park everyday with our 3-year old Liam. I don’t want to get stuck in the kitchen when I can be outside, so I’ve been hunting for faster-than-normal recipes.

I’ve found an absolute winner: Spicy Honey-Brushed Curried Chicken Thighs. This is the ultimate chicken recipe for busy summer days. Or any day, really. The recipe is thanks to Cooking Light which I slightly adapted to give it a Big Apple Curry twist. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are coated with a dry spice rub that includes classic Indian spices like paprika and curry powder. These are baked in the oven and during the last 5 minutes, the thighs are brushed with a combination of honey and apple cider vinegar (you could also use fresh lime juice). The warmth of the curry powder combined with the golden honey gives it a rich earthiness, and the sharpness of the cayenne is offset perfectly by the apple cider vinegar.

When you open your oven door after 12 minutes, you will pull out the most delicious chicken thighs and they will be cooked (the safe internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165° Fahrenheit (75° Celsius) … but here’s a BIG TIP and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: if you’re like me and you enjoy chicken caramelized and blackened on the edges, tender and juicy on the inside, you will have to keep turning them a few times every couple of minutes for just a bit longer for it to look like it’s pictured above. So, it might be closer to 15 minutes or even 20 minutes to get these just right. It will be so worth it: crispy, sticky, spicy, and sweet all at once.

Keeping a few classic Indian spices in your pantry can be used in many different recipes. These chicken thighs are rubbed with spices like paprika, cumin, and curry powder.

Best of all, this recipe takes 5 minutes of prep and 12 to 20 minutes in the oven, max, depending on how you like the look of it. How can you beat that? Although it has a slight Indian twist, the chicken doesn’t taste overly Indian. Hence, it can work for picky eaters and Indian food lovers alike. Moreover, you can serve the chicken thighs as full pieces or slice them for everything from salads to tacos. This is exactly what we did when I created what I call “Indian soft tacos,” by topping small corn tortillas with these Spicy Honey-Brushed Curried Chicken Thighs, Grilled Corn & Cabbage Slaw and Chipotle Crema.

Not the greatest photo, I know, but absolutely excellent in flavors and textures. Big Apple Curry’s Indian Soft Tacos: Spicy Honey-Brushed Curried Chicken Thighs topped with Roasted corn & red cabbage slaw and chipotle crema

Spicy Honey-Brushed Curried Chicken Thighs (slightly adapted)

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or red chilli powder
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (roughly 1-1.5 lbs)
• Cooking spray OR non-stick aluminum foil
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken thighs and coat each piece with the spice rub. Place chicken on a broiler pan on aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.
3. Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 additional minute or until the chicken is blackened and caramelized to your liking (I usually do it a couple of extra times).

Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light’s Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

Put your curry powder to good use by creating this spice rub for the chicken thighs that includes: onion powder, curry powder, salt, paprika, cumin, and other goodness that would elevate any chicken thighs

My dad asked me if I had to marinate these – no need! You create the spice rub and coat the chicken thighs with it in a glass bowl and you’re all set!

Et voila! After 12 minutes you will have the ultimate chicken and your family won’t be able to resist eating it right off the cutting board (before you can even get it on the table!)

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