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Bourbon Peach BBQ Chicken

bourbon peach BBQ chicken with a thick, glossy bourbon-peach BBQ glaze that caramelizes as it grills. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs get marinated and basted so the sweet, smoky, slightly boozy sauce clings to deep grill marks.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken thighs
  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs thighs for grilling
seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp salt use to taste
  • 0.5 tsp pepper use to taste
peach bourbon BBQ sauce
  • 2 ripe peaches peeled and diced
  • 0.25 cup bourbon
  • 0.5 cup ketchup
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the bourbon peach BBQ sauce
  1. Combine peaches, bourbon, ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, smoked paprika, and cayenne in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peaches break down and the mixture looks thickened.
  2. Blend the sauce until smooth, then return it to the saucepan and simmer for 5 more minutes. The sauce should look glossy and noticeably thicker with a spoon-coating texture.
Marinate chicken
  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Make sure both sides are evenly coated for balanced flavor.
  2. Marinate the chicken in 1/2 cup of the bourbon peach BBQ sauce for 30 minutes. Cover and let it rest so the sauce clings and deepens the color.
Grill and baste
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Wait until the grates are hot enough to produce immediate grill marks.
  2. Grill the marinated chicken for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through to 165F internal temperature. Look for browned, charred edges and crisping skin as it cooks.
  3. Baste generously with the remaining bourbon peach sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Keep basting so the glaze caramelizes and forms a thick, glossy coating.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon extra sauce on the side so it stays glossy and the juices settle.

Notes

Pro tip: blend the sauce until fully smooth, then simmer until it coats the back of a spoon—this helps it caramelize instead of run off the chicken. Refrigerate leftover chicken in a covered container for up to 3-4 days; reheat gently until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the glaze can break after thawing. For a lighter option, use a no-sugar-added ketchup and reduce the brown sugar to 2 tbsp while keeping the simmer time the same.