Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs (Quick Weeknight Recipe)
Crispy-skinned chicken thighs glazed with a sticky honey, garlic, and soy sauce. 30 minutes, one pan, and completely foolproof.
What is this dish?
Bone-in chicken thighs with crispy rendered skin, cooked and glazed in a sticky sauce of honey, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. It is a simple, weeknight recipe that delivers restaurant quality results with minimal effort.
Why you'll love it
Bone-in, skin-on thighs are the most forgiving cut of chicken — they are almost impossible to overcook. The honey garlic glaze is sticky, sweet, savoury, and addictive. One pan, 30 minutes.
When to serve
Any weeknight dinner with steamed rice and a simple vegetable. Also excellent for meal prep — the thighs reheat well.
Quick tips
Pat the skin completely dry. Don't move the chicken in the first 8 minutes. Build the sauce in the rendered chicken fat.
Bone-In, Skin-On Thighs
The most flavourful chicken cut for pan cooking. The skin renders to crispiness and bastes the meat in fat, keeping it juicy throughout the cooking process.
Honey
Provides the sweetness and helps the glaze caramelise and stick to the chicken. Darker honey (like buckwheat or chestnut) adds more complexity.
Soy Sauce
Balances the sweetness of the honey with saltiness and umami depth. The combination of soy and honey is one of the most universally appealing flavour pairings.
Substitution Options
Replace honey with maple syrup for a subtly different sweetness. Use lime juice instead of rice vinegar for a brighter citrus note. Add 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes or sriracha to the sauce for heat. Include 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger with the garlic for a more complex sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Season and sear the chicken
Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with kitchen paper. Season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika on both sides. Heat oil in a large oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat. Place thighs skin-side down and cook for 8–10 minutes without moving, until the skin is deeply golden and crispy. Flip and cook the underside for 4 minutes.
Pro Tips:
- •Do not move the chicken in the first 8 minutes — the skin needs uninterrupted contact with the pan to render and crisp.
- •The fat renders from the skin into the pan — use this fat to cook the garlic in the next step.
Make the honey garlic sauce
Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat. Add the garlic and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds until fragrant. Mix together the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and cornflour slurry in a bowl. Pour into the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened.
Pro Tips:
- •Cooking the sauce in the chicken fat adds depth that would be lost if you started with fresh oil.
- •The cornflour gives the sauce its glossy, sticky consistency that clings to the chicken.
Finish in the sauce
Return the chicken thighs to the pan, skin-side up. Spoon the sauce over the top. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for a further 5–8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 75°C at the thickest point, not touching bone). Spoon more sauce over the chicken every couple of minutes.
Pro Tips:
- •Basting the chicken as it finishes builds up layers of sticky glaze.
- •If your pan isn't oven-safe, transfer everything to a baking dish and finish in the oven at 200°C for 10 minutes.
Chef's Tips
Techniques that separate good from great
Start skin-side down in a moderately hot pan
Many recipes call for a screaming-hot pan, but for skin-on chicken thighs the ideal is medium-high. A moderately hot pan allows the fat beneath the skin to render slowly, drying out the skin from beneath. A pan that is too hot burns the exterior before the fat renders.
Use bone-in thighs for the juiciest result
The bone conducts heat to the interior of the thigh during cooking, helping it cook more evenly. The marrow also adds richness to the meat. Boneless thighs cook faster but the result is noticeably less juicy and flavourful.
Nutrition Facts
Equipment Needed
- Large oven-safe frying pan or skillet
- Kitchen paper
- Small bowl
Quick Tips
- Dry skin is essential for crispiness — pat the thighs thoroughly with kitchen paper before seasoning.
- Start the thighs skin-side down in a cold or moderately hot pan to render the fat slowly and avoid burning the skin.
- Bone-in thighs are preferable to boneless — the bone adds flavour and the meat stays juicier during cooking.
Recipe Variations
Different ways to make this dish your own
Honey Garlic Chicken Drumsticks
Replace the thighs with 8–10 drumsticks. Cook skin-side down for 10 minutes, flip for 5 minutes, then add the sauce and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Honey Sriracha Chicken Thighs
Add 1–2 tablespoons of sriracha to the honey garlic sauce. The heat of the sriracha against the sweetness of the honey is excellent.
Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers
Use boneless thighs, cut into cubes, marinate in the sauce for 1 hour, and thread onto skewers. Grill or bake at 220°C for 15–18 minutes.
Sticky Honey Garlic Baked Chicken
Season the thighs, place in a baking dish, make the sauce, pour over, and bake at 200°C for 35–40 minutes, basting halfway through. Finish under the grill for 3 minutes to caramelise.
What to Serve With
Perfect pairings to complete the meal
Steamed Jasmine Rice
The classic pairing. The sauce drips from the chicken into the rice and makes every bite more flavourful.
Garlic Green Beans
Stir fry green beans with garlic in the rendered chicken fat left in the pan while the chicken rests — zero waste and complementary flavours.
Steamed Pak Choi
Wilted pak choi with a drizzle of sesame oil provides a clean, slightly bitter contrast to the sweet glaze.
Egg Noodles
Toss cooked noodles through a little soy sauce and sesame oil and serve alongside.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Keep it fresh and plan ahead
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The glaze becomes stickier and more concentrated on the cold chicken.
Freezer
Freeze cooked thighs for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a 180°C oven for 20–25 minutes.
Make-Ahead
Make the sauce up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate. Cook the chicken fresh for best results.
Reheating
Reheat in a 180°C oven for 15 minutes or in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water for 5 minutes to prevent the glaze from burning.
Be the first to review this recipe!
Got Leftovers?
Turn what you already have in your fridge into delicious meals. Our AI-powered generator creates personalized recipes from your ingredients.
Browse more like this: