This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy here.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that doesn’t skip on flavor but takes very little effort, you need to make this. It’s guaranteed to stay in your dinner rotation.
I made this recipe twice in one week. It’s that good. Sweet and spicy chicken in a smoky hot honey marinade paid with a fresh mango salsa that adds another little kick of sweet heat from the jalapeños. And if you don’t like spice, don’t worry. You can leave the jalapeño out of the salsa, and tweak the amount of chili crisp and hot honey in the marinade to your liking.
The chicken is so easy to make and can be marinated in advance. I like to make a big batch and keep it in a resealable bag in the freezer for nights when I’m too lazy to make dinner. Just cook some rice in my rice cooker and chop the ingredients for the mango salsa while the chicken is in the air fryer.
I love to use chicken thighs for this recipe because they have so much flavor and get nice and crispy in the air fryer, but I’ve used chicken breast too, and both are great options. You can just use whatever you prefer or have on hand. Fresh or thawed frozen mangoes both work great for this recipe, and you can add cucumber to the salsa for extra crunch too.
Smoky Hot Honey Chicken Bowls with Mango Salsa
Equipment
- 1 air fryer (see Notes for alternative cooking methods)
- 1 large bowl
- 1 medium bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry white rice
Smoky Hot Honey Chicken
- 1 lb chicken thighs, pounded thin (chicken breast works too)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp smoked chili flakes (see Note 1)
- 1 tsp hot honey seasoning (see Note 1)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp hot honey
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp chili crisp
- Cooking spray
Mango Salsa
- 1 large mango, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (or less if you don't want it spicy)
- 3 tbsp red onion, diced
- 1 medium avocado, diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1-2 limes, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
Smoky Hot Honey Chicken
- Cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop
- In a bowl or resealable bag, combine the chicken thighs, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, smoked chili flakes, hot honey seasoning, salt, hot honey and chili crisp and mix until the chicken is well coated (you can do this in advance and marinate the chicken overnight, or freeze it until you're ready to use it)
- Spray an air fryer rack with a little cooking spray then add the chicken pieces (see Note 2 for alternative cooking methods)
- Air fry at 380℉ for 10 mins, then flip and air fry for another 10 (see Note 3)
Mango Salsa
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well
- Serve the rice then top with the chicken and the mango salsa
Notes
- Oven: Bake at 400℉ for 15-20 minutes then flip and bake for another 15-20 minutes
- Stovetop: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat; sear for 1-2 minutes on each side then reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through – if your skillet is on the smaller side, cook the chicken in batches and ensure you don’t crowd the pan or the chicken will steam instead of searing
- Barbecue: Brush a grill with oil; cook the chicken over indirect heat for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway then move it over to direct heat for 2-3 minutes on each side to sear
Nutrition
Let me know what you think – leave a comment/rating
If you made this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! Please consider leaving a review or comment below. Any feedback is appreciated.
Follow me on Social Media
For more recipes, or to see all my recipe videos, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube.