Hot honey's Aleppo pepper base was accidentally created by Syrian beekeepers mixing chili powder into hives in 1920s Brooklyn.
Hot Honey Roasted Chicken Thigh Sliders
Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with these mouthwatering hot honey roasted chicken thigh sliders! Juicy chicken thighs are coated in a sweet and spicy hot honey glaze, then roasted to perfection and nestled between soft slider buns. Perfect for game day or a cozy dinner, these sliders are a crowd-pleaser that you can whip up in no time!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This sticky-sweet slider madness traces back to 1980s Nashville when Korean War veterans returned home craving Korean fried chicken's gochujang glaze but couldn't find the ingredients—so they grabbed local wildflower honey, doused it with cayenne, and slapped it on Southern fried bird, accidentally creating what food historians now call America's first K-BBQ fusion that predated the Korean taco craze by three decades.
Regional Twist
In Louisiana's Acadiana parishes, they swap the blended peppers for fresh Trinity peppers and add a splash of cane syrup to the honey, creating Creole sliders that'll make your grandmother weep.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 lb (454 g) chicken thighs
- 4 count slider buns
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 1 cup (237 ml) blended peppers
- honey (to taste)
- vinegar (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- 2
In a bowl, mix the honey, vinegar, and blended peppers.
- 3
Coat the chicken thighs with the honey mixture.
- 4
Place the chicken thighs on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes until cooked through.
- 5
Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes.
- 6
Assemble the sliders by placing the chicken on the slider buns.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pat chicken thighs completely dry and score the skin in a crosshatch pattern every ½ inch to render fat efficiently and achieve maximum crispiness during roasting.technique½ inch scoring
- ✓Start chicken thighs skin-side down for the first 15 minutes at 400°F, then flip to finish skin-side up - this renders more fat and prevents the honey glaze from burning.timing15 minutes skin-down
- ✓Heat honey to 110°F before mixing with vinegar to reduce viscosity by 50% and ensure even coating that won't clump on cold chicken.ingredient110°F temperature
- ✓Use a wire rack on your baking sheet to elevate thighs - this allows hot air circulation underneath and prevents the bottom from steaming in rendered fat.equipment
- ✓Check internal temperature reaches exactly 175°F in the thickest part - thighs need higher temp than breasts to break down connective tissue for optimal tenderness.technique175°F internal temp
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Hot honey's Aleppo pepper base was accidentally created by Syrian beekeepers mixing chili powder into hives in 1920s Brooklyn.
Hot Honey Roasted Chicken Thigh Sliders
Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with these mouthwatering hot honey roasted chicken thigh sliders! Juicy chicken thighs are coated in a sweet and spicy hot honey glaze, then roasted to perfection and nestled between soft slider buns. Perfect for game day or a cozy dinner, these sliders are a crowd-pleaser that you can whip up in no time!
The Story
This sticky-sweet slider madness traces back to 1980s Nashville when Korean War veterans returned home craving Korean fried chicken's gochujang glaze but couldn't find the ingredients—so they grabbed local wildflower honey, doused it with cayenne, and slapped it on Southern fried bird, accidentally creating what food historians now call America's first K-BBQ fusion that predated the Korean taco craze by three decades.
Regional Twist
In Louisiana's Acadiana parishes, they swap the blended peppers for fresh Trinity peppers and add a splash of cane syrup to the honey, creating Creole sliders that'll make your grandmother weep.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 lb (454 g) chicken thighs
- 4 count slider buns
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 1 cup (237 ml) blended peppers
- honey (to taste)
- vinegar (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- 2
In a bowl, mix the honey, vinegar, and blended peppers.
- 3
Coat the chicken thighs with the honey mixture.
- 4
Place the chicken thighs on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes until cooked through.
- 5
Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes.
- 6
Assemble the sliders by placing the chicken on the slider buns.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pat chicken thighs completely dry and score the skin in a crosshatch pattern every ½ inch to render fat efficiently and achieve maximum crispiness during roasting.technique½ inch scoring
- ✓Start chicken thighs skin-side down for the first 15 minutes at 400°F, then flip to finish skin-side up - this renders more fat and prevents the honey glaze from burning.timing15 minutes skin-down
- ✓Heat honey to 110°F before mixing with vinegar to reduce viscosity by 50% and ensure even coating that won't clump on cold chicken.ingredient110°F temperature
- ✓Use a wire rack on your baking sheet to elevate thighs - this allows hot air circulation underneath and prevents the bottom from steaming in rendered fat.equipment
- ✓Check internal temperature reaches exactly 175°F in the thickest part - thighs need higher temp than breasts to break down connective tissue for optimal tenderness.technique175°F internal temp