These honey lime chicken thighs are roasted to perfection with a simple honey lime marinade and soy sauce, making them irresistibly sticky and delicious!
What a delicious recipe for honey lime chicken thighs this is! Incredibly easy and fast to make, this honey lime chicken is sure to please just about anyone. With limes, honey, soy sauce, and garlic - some of my favorite things - you know it’s going to be good!
The honey lime marinade is out of this world! It’s quick and easy to make, taking just minutes to whip up the marinade and prepare the thighs for baking. Plus, you can make it ahead by marinating the chicken in the fridge until ready to cook.
Check out more thighs recipes: Teriyaki Thighs in the Oven, Baked Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, or Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs.
Featured comment:
Pranita: Just by reading your recipe, my mouth started watering... This looked so tempting, I couldn't resist myself from trying it. It turned so well, my kiddo and hubby liked it so much.. Thank you very much for sharing this delicious recipe❤️
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Recipe ingredients
Chicken: You can use chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, or a combination of both. If you bought quarters, simply divide them at the joint.
Honey: Choose a thin, transparent variety. The denser, opaque kind is better suited for spreading on toast, as its richer flavor might not blend as well into a marinade. Try Baked Honey Chicken Thighs, next.
Limes: You'll need about 4 medium limes for the marinade, plus one more for serving with the finished dish. Use more limes to make a dessert, this delicious Lime Drizzle Cake.
Dark soy sauce adds a strong, savory flavor and a nice dark color to the chicken, so don’t replace it with regular light soy sauce in this recipe.
Other ingredients include brown sugar, plenty of garlic, thyme, and ground black pepper.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make honey lime chicken?
Make the honey lime marinade
Combine marinade ingredients: Grated garlic cloves, lime juice (leaving one whole for serving), chopped thyme leaves, honey, dark soy sauce, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
Marinate the chicken
Make incisions on the underside of the thighs to help the marinade penetrate. Place the chicken in a large ceramic or glass casserole dish in a single layer, avoiding metal. Pour the marinade over the chicken, turning the pieces a few times to coat evenly.
Cover with cling film and refrigerate. I marinated the chicken for 3 hours, turning it 3 times. Remove the chicken from the fridge 1 hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. For shorter marinades (15-45 minutes), leave it on the counter.
Roast the chicken
Lift the chicken out of the marinade and place it in a roasting dish, reserving the remaining marinade.
Bake for 35–40 minutes, basting the chicken with the remaining marinade every 10 minutes or so.
For doneness, use an instant-read thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab). The meat should be glossy and sticky when done. If the skin darkens too early, cover the roasting tin loosely with aluminum foil.
Glaze the thighs
I changed Diana’s recipe here. To achieve a thicker glaze on the chicken, I reduced the remaining marinade and used it for basting during roasting and at the end of cooking.
Place the marinade in a small pot, bring it to a boil, and let it simmer vigorously for about 6-8 minutes or until it thickens. The time may vary depending on the pot and heat. Stop boiling when the consistency looks glossy and thick enough for your liking.
Good to know!
Prepare in advance: Place the chicken in the roasting tin and put it in the oven about 30 minutes before your guests arrive. By the time you're ready to eat, the honey lime chicken thighs will be perfectly cooked.
If you bought chicken quarters, divide them at the joint. Use a sharp, large knife and find the right spot to cut. If you're in the right place, the joint will be easy to cut through. If you feel resistance, you're not at the right spot - just adjust the knife slightly to the left or right and try again.
Check doneness without a thermometer: Insert a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh; the juices should run clear. If they’re still pink, return the chicken to the oven for a few more minutes and check again.
How to store and reheat?
Refrigerate leftover honey lime chicken thighs in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge.
Reheat in the oven at 360°F/180°C for about 15 minutes until heated through.
What to serve with it?
The original recipe recommends rice and salad, and I am sure that that would taste great.
However, I almost always have to make Roast Potato Wedges with Dip with roasted chicken; my kids demand it! So, we had the honey lime chicken with roast rosemary potatoes and green salad with Yogurt Dressing. And fresh lime wedges from the reserved lime.
This honey lime chicken recipe and Sauteed Zucchini and Onions are inspired by a recipe from Diana Henry's Cook Simple: Effortless Cooking Every Day (the Amazon link opens in a new tab). A wonderful book!
Do you like this recipe?
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Sticky Honey Lime Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs Note 1
- 5 tablespoons honey the thin, runny kind
- 5 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 4 limes the juice + 1 extra lime, Note 2
- 3 teaspoons brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 5 sprigs thyme finely chopped
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix marinade ingredients in a small bowl. 5 tablespoons honey + 5 tablespoons dark soy sauce + juice of 4 limes + 3 teaspoons brown sugar + 3 garlic cloves, grated + 5 sprigs thyme, chopped + ground black pepper
- Marinate chicken: Make incisions in the underside of the chicken parts. Place them in a large shallow dish in a single layer (Note 3). Turn the chicken a few times in the marinade to coat all over. Turn the chicken parts a couple of times in between.8 chicken thighs
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/ 190°C.
- Reserve marinade: Remove the chicken from the marinade. Reserve the marinade to baste the chicken while cooking and to make the glaze.
- Roast chicken: Place the chicken in a shallow roasting tin in a single layer again. Roast the chicken for about 35-40 minutes or until cooked through. Baste with some of the marinade and cooking juices from time to time, every 10 minutes or so. If the chicken parts get too dark before the chicken is done, cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil.
- Glaze: Make it while the chicken roasts. Pour the remaining honey soy lime marinade into a small pot and boil it for 6-8 minutes or until thicker and glossy. Use that to brush the chicken parts during the last 15 minutes of the cooking time and before serving.
- Check doneness with an instant-read thermometer; the internal temperature should be 165°F/ 74°C (Notes 4, 5). When done, the chicken should be glossy and sticky.
- Serve: Slice the remaining lime and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- Chicken: You can use 8 chicken thighs or 4 chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks. If you have whole chicken legs, divide them at the joint.
- Limes: You will need the juice of 4 limes. The last lime is for serving.
- Marinating dish: I used a large casserole dish where I could fit all the chicken parts in a single layer. Use a ceramic or glass dish, not a metallic one.
- Check doneness with a meat thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab); the internal temperature should be 165°F/ 74°C.
- Check doneness without a thermometer: Pierce the chicken with a skewer in the thickest part of the thigh. The juices should run completely clear. If they are still pink continue cooking the chicken for a few minutes, then check again.
Nutrition
Thomas James says
Look yummy! One of my favorite Honey Lime Chicken Thighs, nice to see your recipe, easy to follow, will make this for family this weekend. Thanks you!
adams@nationalrestaurantny says
Sticky Honey Lime Chicken Thighs with Soy Sauce is great! To be honest, I'm not good at cooking but I like them, they give me joy and excitement every time I finish the dishes, which is a great thing. With your recipe, I just need to follow the instructions and the rest is simple. Thanks for sharing
Pranita says
Just by reading your recipe, my mouth started watering... This looked so tempting, I couldn't resist myself from trying it. It turned so well, my kiddo and hubby liked it so much.. Thank you very much for sharing this delicious recipe❤️
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Pranita. I am so glad you liked the lime chicken! 🙂 Have a nice day!
Monica from Addonkitchen.com says
Looks delicious, you make me hungry, I'll have to try them :))
Thanks for sharing great recipe.
Marvellina|What To Cook Today says
Tangy, sweet, and salty!! I know this combination will not fail no matter what! The chicken looks so shiny and delicious!
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
It doesn't take more than a few simple ingredients to make a fantastic meal, and this chicken dish is a perfect example. Your tip on entertaining with this is great, because who doesn't like easy entertaining?! Marinating ahead of time and tossing it in the oven when you're ready takes the stress out. I'm all for that!