Crispy honey chicken thighs

There is nothing better than a really good chicken dinner. While other meats and ingredients are delicious and interesting, a well-made oven baked spicy honey garlic chicken will always hit the spot. I am also a huge fan of not only the versatility of chicken but also the price. It is one of those budget-friendly dinners that rely hugely on pantry sauces. These crispy honey chicken thighs are weeknight-friendly and go with a ton of different side dishes.

Everyone has their version of a weeknight chicken recipe. There is something comforting on a crispy chicken skin with a steamy soft inside and a silky sauce. The sauce that basically cooks creates itself. This sticky honey chicken is swimming in a pool of sweet and spicy sauce that goes perfect with noodles, rice, or just a simple salad.

Ingredients

To make these crispy honey chicken thighs you will need to make garlic honey soy marinade first and also a couple of other ingredients. While it may seem that there are a lot of ingredients and steps, in reality, most of these are pantry ingredients and nothing that you wouldn’t already have.

• Chicken thighs
• Grated garlic and ginger
• Zest and juice of a lime, trust me on the zest, it really makes the dish pop
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• White pepper

• Honey, to give some sweetness to the dish
• Water and cornstarch for the sauce to get that silky thickness

To read the full list and amounts, please view the recipe card.

Instructions

To make these crispy honey chicken thighs you will have to do a few simple steps in order to get the best meal on your table.

First, you need to make this garlic sweet chicken marinade. The depth of flavor will depend on the marinating time. I suggest 10 minutes as the minimum. Ideally, I would do 30 minutes or 1 hour. If you want to prep ahead and make the best of this dish, feel free to marinate it overnight in the fridge. Just make sure you either cover your bowl with plastic wrap tightly or use an air-tight container for this task. This will result in the most flavorful baked chicken with soy sauce and garlic.

After marinating this crispy honey sesame chicken recipe is ready for searing and baking. The secret to the sauce that will make this dish what it is, is using the marinade that will be left in the bowl after you sear the chicken. Just make sure not to taste test it since raw meat has been in there. Ideally, you shake the recipe and any larger pieces of garlic and ginger off each piece of chicken thigh before searing, so it doesn’t burn.

These crispy honey chicken thighs only take an hour of cooking time, which mostly is spent in the oven so you are free to make side dishes, clean up the kitchen, and set the table.

Variations and suggestions

Spicy – add chili flakes or sriracha sauce

Hearty – add coconut cream if you wish to turn this into chicken Adobo

Try serving with:

• Fluffy coconut rice;
• Rice or vermicelli noodles;
• Asian slaw salad with carrots and green onions.

The crispy honey chicken thighs recipe is ideal for any day of the weak and it tastes just as good the next day. For a fun leftover idea, try carving and chopping any leftover honey chicken and serving with some greens, carrots, cucumber, and peanut sauce. Perfect quick lunch.

Crispy honey chicken thighs

chiliandtonic

These crispy honey chicken thighs are sticky, sweet, spicy, and fried to perfection. Perfect main dish to any meal.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine asian, Chinese, Fusion

Servings 6 chicken thighs

Equipment

• Cast iron, stainless steel skillet or any other skillet that is oven safe

Ingredients

  

• 6 chicken thighs
• 1 head of garlic grated
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• Zest of 1 lime
• Juice from ½ lime
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp white pepper

Sauce

• What is left in the marinade bowl
• 2 tbsp honey
• Juice of ½ lime
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 150 g water
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 200 C
• Make the marinade and marinate the chicken for at least 10 minutes prior to baking
• Save what is left in the bowl when searing the chicken
• Sear the chicken in batches in a skillet, for 3 minutes per side and set aside
• Place all the chicken thighs back into the skillet, make sure it is oven safe
• Pour the sauce over the chicken and cover with foil
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes
• Remove the foil and bake for 20 more

Notes

Feel free to add chili, more honey and a bit more lime if you want to make it more spicy

Keyword chicken, crispy, fried, garlic, honey, soy sauce

If you are looking for other great dinner recipes, try these:

• Mediterranean grain bowl with grilled chicken

• Spicy chicken ramen noodle soup