These hot honey BBQ chicken bowls are loaded with flavor and texture in every bite. Sweet and spicy smoked hot honey chicken is served on a bed of white rice, Ranch beans, corn, and avocados. Then, it’s all topped with creamy, zesty avocado salsa.
If you haven’t tried hot honey, you’re missing out. This sweet and spicy condiment is the perfect complement to everything from ribs to chicken breasts. The sweet flavor of honey and BBQ sauce with the heat of chilis instantly adds complexity to anything, especially smoked dishes like these hot honey smoked ribs.
The combination of the sweet and heat in hot honey pairs perfectly with smoked foods. It’s also a great combo with Mexican flavors. Now, we’ve combined the best of all worlds to make these hot honey BBQ chicken bowls.
This is going to be one of your new favorite chicken recipes, we guarantee it. The sweet, spicy, smoky flavor of the chicken blends perfectly with the rice, Ranch beans, corn, avocados, and avocado salsa, creating a Tex-Mex feast perfect for weeknight dinners or parties.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tons of Flavor: This recipe may be served in a bowl, but it boasts a truckload of delicious flavor, with a complex profile that features sweetness, spiciness, cool creaminess, and a multitude of textures.
- Simple Ingredients: You can find everything you need for this recipe in your kitchen or at your local grocery store.
- Easy: Smoking the chicken is incredibly simple, as is assembling the bowls. It’s super-easy.
- Customizable: You can easily tweak this recipe to make it your own.
- Versatile: This makes a great weeknight dinner, Taco Tuesday dish, or gameday offering.
Ingredients
You’ll find a complete list of the ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
- Chicken: You can use chicken breasts, thighs, or tenders for this recipe. You can also use beef or pork strips.
- Mild: Omit the red pepper flakes and use plain honey for a mild version of this recipe.
- Rice: We used white rice, but you could also use brown rice, Spanish rice, or Mexican rice.
- Toppings: Add toppings like pico de gallo, sliced green onions, and cilantro for an even more flavorful experience.
- Extra Spicy: Add sliced jalapenos to the chicken before smoking it for even more flavor and heat.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe. They all add their own unique flavor to the dish.
How to Make Hot Honey BBQ Chicken Bowls
Step 1: Place two long pieces of foil on a baking sheet. Then, spread BBQ sauce on the foil where the chicken will be placed.
Step 2: Coat the chicken breasts evenly with the seasonings and place them on the BBQ sauce.
Step 3: Top the chicken with hot honey and pats of butter. Then, wrap the top layer of foil around the chicken. Wrap the second layer around the first.
Step 4: Smoke at 275°F for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Then, transfer the chicken directly to the grill, increase the heat to 400°F, and smoke until the internal temperature registers 165°F.
Step 5: Spoon rice into six bowls. Then, top it with ranch beans, corn, and sliced chicken breasts.
Step 6: Lastly, top with diced avocados and your favorite toppings. Finish with Mi Tienda Taquera Aguacate, and enjoy!
Tips
- Use heavy-duty foil to prevent it from ripping while wrapping the chicken breasts. You want all the heat, moisture, and sauce to stay inside the packets where they belong!
- Be careful when opening the foil. There will be a lot of steam in there.
- If using a traditional smoker, ensure your wood chips are soaked for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning.
- Let your chicken rest for about 10 minutes before slicing it so the juices can redistribute back into the meat.
Hot Honey BBQ Chicken Bowls FAQ
Starchy sides like mashed potatoes, rice, cornbread, and baked beans all pair incredibly well with the sweet and spicy flavor of hot honey smoked BBQ chicken.
Hot honey is honey that is infused with chili peppers. Unlike what you might have read, hot honey is not simply hot sauce mixed with honey.
The only safe way to know if smoked chicken is done is to use a meat thermometer. Smoking meat can give it a pink hue, so you can’t measure doneness by look. Your smoked chicken is finished when its internal temperature registers 165°F.
If you try this recipe and love it, please be sure to leave a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and comment! You can also pin it to save it for later. Also, you can follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Remember to “like” or “follow” us on all social media.
Hot Honey BBQ Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce, divided
- ½ cup hot honey
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 3 tablespoons garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Assembling the Chicken Bowls
- 4 cups cooked white rice
- (2) 15 ounce Ranch-style beans
- 15 ounce whole kernel corn
- 2 avocados, diced
- Mi Tienda Salsa Taquera Aguacate dressing/sauce
- Optional toppings: Pico de Gallo, sliced green onions, cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 275 degrees.
For the Chicken
- Take two long pieces of aluminum foil and place them lengthwise over a baking sheet.
- Spread a layer of BBQ sauce on the foil where the chicken breasts will be placed.
- In a small bowl, mix all the seasonings together.
- Coat each piece of chicken into the seasonings coating all sides.
- Place on top of the BBQ sauce.
- Pour the hot honey over the chicken and add pads of butter randomly on top of the chicken.
- Fold up one piece of foil first, enclosing the chicken. Next, do the same thing with the second piece of foil.
- Place back on the baking sheet and place in the smoker.
- Smoke chicken for 1 ½ – 2 hours then remove the baking sheet and chicken off the grill.
- Carefully open the foil, and using tongs, place the chicken breasts directly on the grill of the smoker, turn the smoker to 400 degrees, and brush with BBQ sauce.
- Smoke for another 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Assembling the Chicken Bowls
- Spoon rice into 6 individual bowls, and spoon ranch beans, followed by corn.
- Next, slice a chicken breast and add it on top of the beans and corn.
- Top with diced avocados and your favorite toppings.
- Drizzle with Mi Tienda Salsa Taquera Aguacate, or your favorite salsa, as desired.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Microwave at 1-minute intervals until heated through.
- Use heavy-duty foil to prevent it from ripping while wrapping the chicken breasts. You want all the heat, moisture, and sauce to stay inside the packets where they belong!
- Be careful when opening the foil. There will be a lot of steam in there.
- If using a traditional smoker, ensure your wood chips are soaked for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning.
- Let your chicken rest for about 10 minutes before slicing it so the juices can redistribute back into the meat.
This is SO GOOD! I love the combo and sweet and heat with that ender chicken.
I love the hot honey sauce with the chicken, beans, and rice. I made a separate batch of sauce and left out the spicy bits for the kids, and we all loved it.
The hot honey and Cajun seasoning is so good with the BBQ sauce, and the chicken came out perfect. I really enjoyed the beans in this, too.
Such a satisfying dish. I made this the other day and I’ve packed it for my lunch throughout the week. It has made the days easier and so delicious.
I tried these for dinner and loved the mix of spicy and sweet. The sauce glazed perfectly over the chicken!
These hot honey chicken bowls were amazing! My kids loved them and my oldest even wanted seconds!