These honey-baked chicken thighs are a delicious and flavorful dish. The tender chicken thighs are juicy and covered with a sweet and savory glaze.
Start the week with these delicious honey-baked thighs served with a steamy bowl of rice. This easy meal is perfect for busy weeknights. They are just as suitable to serve guests because they look and taste impressive without requiring much effort.
The mixture of honey, soy sauce, garlic, honey, and sugar is used to marinate the chicken thighs before cooking and glaze them at the end. And if you skip the marinating time (which is perfectly fine), you will have dinner on the table in less than one hour.
Check out more honey-chicken combinations: Honey Garlic Chicken Wings, Honey Soy Drumsticks, Sticky Honey Lime Thighs, Chicken in Honey Mustard Sauce, Honey Harissa Chicken, and Turmeric Chicken with Honey Glaze.
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Recipe ingredients
Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs: They have a slightly higher fat content than breasts, which helps keep the meat juicy and flavorful during cooking.
Honey: Use your favorite brand of honey; just make sure it's the clear, runny sort.
Dark soy sauce is a thicker and more intensely flavored variety of soy sauce. You can replace dark soy sauce with light soy sauce. Use an equal amount, but remember that dark soy sauce is typically sweeter and more concentrated. Taste the mixture (before adding the chicken) and adjust the level of sweetness accordingly.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make honey-baked chicken thighs?
- Mix the sauce ingredients
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and turn them several times in the mixture to coat them well all over.
- Optional: Leave the dish on the counter to marinate for 30 minutes. If marinating for longer (up to four hours), cover the dish with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking. You can also use a plastic bag to marinate the pieces.
- Place the parts in the baking tin and reserve the marinade.
- Bake basting with the leftover marinade and the cooking juices every 10 minutes or so.
- Check with a meat thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab); the internal temperature should be 165ยฐF/74ยฐF (2).
- Pour the cooking juices and the leftover marinade into a small saucepan. Reduce the glaze on medium-high heat until it thickens nicely.
- Brush the bone-in thighs with the sticky sauce and broil them for 2 to 4 minutes. Monitor the sticky chicken to ensure the skin doesn't burn under the broiler. Rest for a few minutes before serving.
Check out more sweet and savory chicken recipes: Teriyaki Thighs in the Oven or Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs.
Good to know!
Never wash poultry! The current guidelines from food safety organizations such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise against washing raw chicken before cooking, as that will only increase the risk of cross-contamination.
Finish with high heat: Towards the end of the cooking time, switch to the broil setting for a few minutes to achieve a beautifully caramelized and crispy exterior. Keep a close eye on the chicken to prevent burning.
Recipe FAQ
Marinating allows the flavors to penetrate the meat better; even 30 minutes is fine if thatโs all you have.
However, in this honey-baked chicken recipe, marinating is optional. The glaze has so much flavor that the chicken thighs will still be amazing, even without marinating.ย
Yes, but adjust the cooking time accordingly, as boneless thighs may require less time in the oven.
Refrigerate the cooled leftovers in an airtight container for about 3 days and reheat them before serving. Leftovers can also be sliced and used in sandwiches or wraps.ย
Freeze in an airtight container or a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge (overnight) and reheat before serving.ย
Reheat in the preheated oven (350ยฐF/ 180ยฐC) in a baking dish covered with aluminum foil for 15-20 minutes or until heated through (recheck the safe internal temperature). Remove the foil during the last few minutes to allow the skin to crisp up again.ย
Reheat in the microwave, covered for 2-3 minutes. Check if the meat is heated through; if not, give it another minute and check again. However, while convenient, reheating in the microwave will make the skin floppy.
Honey Baked Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Roasting tin
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs large, Notes 1,2
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons soft brown sugar
- 2 ยฝ tablespoons dark soy sauce Note 3
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ยฝ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher
- ยผ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Glaze: Mix all the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl or baking dish that will fit the chicken thighs snuggly inside. 2 tablespoon honey + 1 ยฝ tablespoon soft brown sugar + 2 ยฝ tablespoon dark soy sauce + 3 tablespoon lemon juice + 3 garlic cloves (grated) + 2 teaspoon sesame oil + ยฝ teaspoon salt + ยผ teaspoon pepper
- Pat the thighs dry with paper towels and add them to the baking dish. Turn them several times in the mixture to coat them well all over. 4 chicken thighs
- Optional marinating time: 30 minutes on the counter. If marinating for longer (up to four hours), cover the dish with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/ 180ยฐC.
- Assemble the dish: Lift the chicken pieces from the marinade using tongs, and place them in a roasting tin. Reserve the marinade.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through, basting every 10 minutes or so with the leftover marinade and the cooking juices. Check with a meat thermometer; the internal temperature should be 165ยฐF/74ยฐF.
- Remove the thighs from the roasting tin, place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and keep them warm.
- Preheat the broiler while you thicken the glaze.
- Reduce glaze: Pour the leftover marinade and all the cooking juices from the roasting tin into a small saucepan. Reduce the glaze on medium-high heat until it thickens nicely.
- Broil chicken: Brush the chicken with the glaze. Broil them for 2 to 4 minutes. Keep an eye on the chicken all the time to ensure that the skin doesn't burn under the broiler.
- Rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Servings: Four thighs will serve 2 to 4 people, depending on appetite.
- Chicken thighs:ย If using boneless skinless chicken thighs, adjust the baking time accordingly; start checking with a meat thermometer after about 25 minutes already. The internal temperature for safely cooked chicken is 165ยฐF/ 74ยฐC. If the chicken is not there yet, give it another few minutes and check again.
- You can replace dark soy sauce with light soy sauce. Use an equal amount but remember that dark soy sauce is typically sweeter and more concentrated. Taste the mixture (before adding the chicken) and adjust the level of sweetness accordingly.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for about 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Jordan P says
I made this tonight and paired it with a crispy rice, cucumber salad. It was sooo good! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and baked them at 400 for 20 minutes, then I poured the remaining marinade on the chicken and broiled it on high for 3 minutes. Both me and my husband had wished I made more lol.
Adina says
I am so happy to hear it, Jordan. Thank you for the feedback.