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    Home » Chicken

    Honey Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

    Published: Nov 3, 2023 by Genevieve

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    For a tasty yet easy weeknight dinner with big flavours, look no further than this sticky honey garlic baked chicken thighs recipe!

    Takes about 45 minutes and pairs perfectly with rice and simply prepared vegetables.

    The trick in getting this honey soy chicken bake right is by reducing the perfectly balanced, lightly tangy, honey soy garlic sauce before baking (see below for exactly how). This will ensure maximum flavour and deliciousness.

    Love tasty dinners? Also check out my baked honey glazed salmon, honey butter chicken bites, baked BBQ chicken thighs, 5-ingredient sticky wings or take a browse of all quick and easy dinner recipes!

    5 baked chicken thigh skin-on, bone-in on a white plate topped with sliced spring onions and sesame seeds
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Cooking step by step (with pictures)
    • Serving suggestion
    • Useful tips and tricks
    • FAQs
    • Video
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    Ingredients required to make honey soy garlic baked chicken thighs with labels
    • Chicken thighs (skin-on, bone-in) - works best for this recipe. The lightly blistered skin tastes really good! Substitute: boneless, skinless chicken thighs (reduce bake time to 30 minutes, flipping halfway).
    • Dark soy sauce - richer in colour and flavour compared to normal soy sauce and is also less salty. Using a mix of both provides the best result: looks and tastes great.
    • Rice wine vinegar - the acidity cuts through the richness of the sauce, creating a good balance of savoury, sweet, tangy and garlicky! Substitute: lemon juice.
    • Olive oil - helps the chicken skin blister faster (and therefore, its fat render) which will taste delicious and not too fatty.

    Cooking step by step (with pictures)

    This easy honey garlic baked chicken thighs takes about 45 minutes to make, with 2 core steps:

    1. Make the honey soy garlic sauce into a glaze consistency
    2. Bake the chicken thighs

    Make honey soy garlic sauce

    This step is crucial in getting the flavour of the chicken and the sauce right.

    If the sauce isn't reduced before baking then it'll be too watery resulting in a rather bland chicken.

    Watery sauce = won't stick onto the chicken = not as flavoursome = sad dinner

    Also try my popular 25-minute baked honey glazed salmon recipe where I used this same technique for a super tasty, buttery, tender and moist salmon dinner.

    Okay, now let's start.

    garlic being added into a saucepan with caption

    In a small saucepan, add minced garlic, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, salt and black pepper.

    Bubbling honey soy garlic sauce being stirred in a saucepan with caption

    Bring up to a gentle boil over low heat then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce the sauce.

    Stir constantly - no slacking off! This is important so that the sauce does not burn (which will turn bitter).

    Close up of a teaspoonful of glaze over a saucepan with caption

    The consistency of this garlicky honey soy sauce should be a little thick.

    If for sauce becomes too thick (like that of caramel), then you've reduced it too much. Simple fix: add a small dash of water (about 1 tsp) and mix until the sauce is loose but not watery.

    Bake the chicken

    Now comes the fun part.

    Honey soy garlic glaze being drizzled over chicken thighs in a lined baking tray with caption

    Place chicken thighs on a large, lined baking tray, skin side down.

    Spread half of the sauce over the chicken and brush evenly with a brush (or use your hand - whatever you prefer).

    Sauce being brushed over chicken in a baking tray with caption

    Flip the chicken and brush evenly with the remaining sauce.

    Pop it into the oven and bake at 200°C in the middle shelf.

    Half baked chicken thighs on a lined baking tray with caption

    After 20 minutes, the chicken skin should be blistering nicely.

    Chicken thigh being flipped over using a pair of tongs with caption

    Glaze the chicken skin with the sauce in the pan then flip them over to skin side down.

    Note: you'll find that the sauce will be rather watery at this point. This is because the chicken had released its juices (and some fat) whilst baking up to this point. Thus it is super important to reduce the sauce before baking.

    No need to worry, the sauce will reduce itself during the second half of the baking time.

    Trust the process.

    Sauce being brushed over half baked chicken thighs with captions

    Brush the second side of the chicken with the glaze.

    Fully baked chicken thighs in a lined baking tray with caption

    Bake for 15 more minutes or until fully cooked. Look at the colour!

    Honey soy garlic glaze being brushed over cooked chicken thighs in a lined baking tray with caption

    Brush the chicken one last time with the glaze on both sides.

    See how nice and appetising the chicken looks? When chicken comes out looking like this you know it's going to taste great. This is why glazing is so important!

    You'll also find that the sauce is no longer watery by this point and is perfect to serve the honey garlic baked chicken thighs with.

    Cover loosely with foil paper (aluminium) for about 10 minutes then serve.

    Love baked chicken thighs? Also try my baked BBQ chicken thighs recipe!

    5 baked honey soy garlic chicken thighs on a white plate

    Serving suggestion

    Serve these honey garlic baked chicken thighs with rice and steamed or simply sauteed vegetables.

    Vegetable suggestions: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, stir fried spinach, green beans, Asian leafy greens, etc. A healthy and easy bok choy soup is also a good, hearty option.

    The sticky honey soy chicken sauce is the real hero here so make sure to drizzle the chicken generously before serving!

    Close up of glossy baked honey soy garlic chicken thighs on a white round plate

    Useful tips and tricks

    • Rest the honey baked chicken thighs in the baking tray with its sauces for 10 minutes before serving. This gives the sauce extra time to sip into the chicken, making it taste even better. Plus, rest time after baking meat is important in general for the meat to relax whilst the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
    • Constantly stir the honey soy glaze when reducing. This will prevent the sauce from burning (both honey and soy sauce burn easily if not careful).
    • If the honey soy glaze becomes too thick, add some water. If you got carried away when reducing (happens to all of us) and the sauce has turned caramel-like in consistency, add a teaspoon of water and mix until loose.
    • If using boneless, skinless chicken thighs, reduce bake time to 30 minutes. Same process, just turn and glaze the chicken halfway through baking.

    Bonus tip (to impress): sprinkle with thin, diagonally sliced spring onions and sesame seeds for a beautiful presentation!

    Close up of baked chicken thigh on a white plate covered in sauce

    FAQs

    What is the honey garlic sauce made of?

    Honey, soy sauce (dark & normal), garlic, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, salt and pepper.

    What is the best temperature to bake chicken thighs?

    200°C/390°F (or 400°F) is ideal.

    Why are my baked chicken thighs tough?

    3 possible reasons:
    1. Chicken was overcooked.
    2. No rest time between taking out of the oven and serving (see tip above).
    3. Chicken was frozen before. Meat tends to lose its juiciness after freezing so best use fresh.

    Made this recipe? Let me know your thoughts or questions by dropping a note in the comments section below.

    I'd love to hear from you. 🙂

    - Gen

    Video

    📖 Recipe

    5 baked chicken thighs on a white plate topped with sliced spring onions and sesame seeds

    Honey Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

    This sticky honey garlic baked chicken thigh recipe is a simple, easy weeknight dinner with big flavours! Pairs perfectly with rice and simply prepared vegetables.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 588kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 kg (2 lb) chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on (note 1)

    Honey soy garlic sauce

    • 3 tablespoon honey
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar substitute: lemon juice
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C/360°F fan-forced).

    Make the honey soy garlic sauce

    • Add all honey soy garlic sauce ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring up to a boil over low heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until lightly thick (note 2). Stir constantly to prevent it from burning (note 3). Set aside.

    Bake

    • Place chicken thighs on a lined baking tray, skin side down.
    • Drizzle half of the sauce over the chicken and brush evenly (or use your hands if preferred). Flip and repeat for the other side. Bake skin side up for 20 minutes.
    • Take the chicken out of the oven and brush the chicken with the sauce in the baking tray. Flip the chicken and brush the other side. Bake skin side down for 15 minutes or until fully cooked.
    • Brush the chicken one more time (both sides) with the sauce. Cover loosely with foil paper (aluminium) and rest for 10 minutes before serving (note 4). Serve with the sticky sauce.
    • Optional: top with thin, diagonally sliced spring onions and sesame seeds.

    Video

    Notes

    1. If using boneless, skinless chicken thighs, reduce bake time to 30 minutes. Same process, just turn and glaze the chicken halfway through baking.
    2. If the honey soy glaze becomes too thick, add some water. If you got carried away when reducing (happens to all of us) and the sauce has turned caramel-like in consistency, add a teaspoon of water and mix until loose.
    3. Constantly stir the honey soy glaze when reducing. This will prevent the sauce from burning  as both honey and soy sauce burn easily if not careful.
    4. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. This gives the sauce extra time to sip into the chicken, making it taste even better. Plus, rest time after baking meat is important in general for the meat to relax whilst the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
    Serving suggestions: Perfect with rice and steamed or simply sauteed vegetables. Vegetable suggestions: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, stir fried spinach, green beans, Asian leafy greens, etc. A healthy and easy bok choy soup is also a good, hearty option. The sticky honey soy chicken sauce is the real hero here so make sure to drizzle the chicken generously before serving!
    Nutritional values: are estimates and include all of the sauce and fat rendered from chicken skin. 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 208mg | Sodium: 995mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 18g | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg

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