Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
These honey garlic chicken thighs are seared until golden and crispy on the stovetop, then finished in the oven in a sticky honey garlic lemon sauce — sweet, savory, bright, and ready in 50 minutes with only 20 minutes of active cooking time.
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegan butter to make it dairy-free
- 6 cloves garlic sliced
- ⅔ cup honey
- ½ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place chicken thighs in a large, deep oven-safe skillet or cast iron pan. Season generously with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place skin-side down.
- Heat over medium-high heat. Once sizzling, cook 5 minutes without moving until the skin is deep golden and releases easily from the pan.
- Flip the chicken. Cook 2½ minutes. Add butter and sliced garlic. Cook another 2½ minutes, nudging the chicken and garlic occasionally.
- While chicken cooks, whisk together honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest, and thyme in a small bowl.
- Pour the honey mixture over the chicken. Turn chicken skin-side up. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute.
- Transfer skillet to the oven. Roast 30–35 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175°F at the thickest part.
Notes
- Crispy skin tip: Pat chicken completely dry with paper towels before seasoning. Don't move the chicken during the initial 5-minute sear, and add the sauce after (not before) the sear.
- No oven-safe skillet? Transfer the chicken and sauce to a baking dish after the stovetop sear, then bake as directed.
- Boneless thighs: Skin-on boneless or boneless skinless both work — bake 15–20 minutes. The sauce won't be as rich without the drippings.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave in 45-second intervals, or in the oven at 350°F, covered, for 10–15 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 465kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 25gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 690mgPotassium: 393mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 178IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
