Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs are the perfect weeknight dinner! Sweet honey and tangy garlic dress up ordinary chicken in this easy dish. Just toss the ingredients together and bake! This is a staple recipe that is one of my husbands favorites. He loves things spicy and simple, so it’s right up his alley.
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What’s in this Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe?
I love to liven up my chicken dinners in the easiest possible way! We eat a lot of chicken at our house. It’s cost effective, preferred by my kids, and the possibilities are endless. The honey garlic sauce adds such a wonderful flavor, and with moist and juicy chicken thighs, its just perfect! Trust me, you’ll be making this recipe more than once!
- Chicken: This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Bone-in thighs will require a slightly longer cooking time and breasts will take less time to cook through.
- Flour: All-purpose flour keeps the chicken moist and thickens the sauce as it cooks. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour.
- Paprika: This ground spice adds an earthy sweetness to the sauce and helps brighten up the color of the dish too.
- Honey: For a sweet and sticky sauce. You can also use agave nectar or maple syrup, but the flavor will turn out slightly different.
- Soy Sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce adds a salty and umami flavor. For a gluten-free option, use tamari or coconut aminos.
- Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic cloves for the best flavor. In a pinch, you can use a teaspoon of garlic powder.
Variations
This honey garlic chicken is perfectly balanced as is, but you can make minor adjustments to better suit your personal tastes.
Try using smoked paprika for a slightly smokier flavor. Playing off of the smokiness, you can also mix the honey-garlic sauce with some barbecue sauce to create a spicy, smokey, and slightly acidic dish. For a citrusy twist, try adding a few tablespoons of orange marmalade to the sauce. Yum!
Sometimes I prefer to make this with chicken breast, it’s easier to make my kids eat any recipe that way, and when I do it works great. I just always check the internal temp a few times while baking. I take out at 160F and make sure the final temp reaches 165F.
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How to Store and Reheat
These chicken thighs are best served as soon as they are cooked so that the meat is tender and juicy. If you do have leftovers, they will keep well, covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F – add a couple of tablespoons of water to the baking dish and cover with foil so that they don’t dry out.
How to Freeze
Freeze honey garlic chicken thighs in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. I always let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
The beauty of this easy recipe is that there’s no muss or fuss, just wholesome ingredients that create a delightful dish. I love to serve with basmati rice, a Waldorf salad, or mashed potatoes for a perfect family feast.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
The honey garlic sauce itself is not spicy at all. The chili flakes do make it quite spicy. Before baking I like to add a few chili flakes for a bit of a kick, but you can easily omit these if you are sensitive to heat or if your kids don’t like spicy foods. I also like to season a few thighs spicier than the others.
5-Star Review
“Chicken was tender and very tasty! Sometimes you just get tired of cooking the same way when I came upon this recipe. It did not disappoint!” -Doreen Estrada
Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs Recipe
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Ingredients
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup honey or agave nectar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour and paprika.¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- Coat each chicken thigh in the flour mixture and place in a greased or foil lined dish.6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Sprinkle each thigh with salt and pepper.½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- In a separate bowl, mix the honey, soy sauce, and garlic.¼ cup honey, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 4 cloves garlic
- Pour evenly over the chicken. You may need to flip them over once or twice to make sure they're coated completely in the sauce. Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes to taste (if you don't like spicy, you can totally leave this off).1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and continue baking for another 15 minutes.
- Serve with rice or vegetables, with extra sauce on the side if desired.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- This recipe uses boneless chicken thighs. Bone-in thighs will require a slightly longer cooking time and breasts will take less time to cook through.
- Some readers noted that they recommend doubling the sauce!
- For super easy clean up, line your baking dish with foil before adding the chicken.
- The chicken is cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. The thighs should be an opaque white color when cut into.
- Once cooked, let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This will make sure that the thighs are extra juicy and flavorful!
Nutrition Information
How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs Step by Step
Coat the Chicken: Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a medium-sized bowl, mix ¼ cup of all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of ground paprika. Coat 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the flour mixture and place in a greased or foil-lined baking dish.
Season the Chicken: Sprinkle each thigh with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Make the Sauce: In a separate bowl, mix ¼ cup of honey, 2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce, and 4 minced cloves of garlic.
Sauce the Chicken: Pour evenly over the chicken. You may need to flip them over once or twice to make sure they’re coated completely in the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to taste (if you don’t like spicy, you can totally leave this off).
Bake the Chicken: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Serve with rice or vegetables, with extra sauce on the side if desired.
More Favorite Chicken Recipes To Try
- Chicken Tacos
- Chicken Wings
- Baked Fried Chicken
- Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Crockpot Chicken Breasts
- Creamy Chicken Soup
It’s a good recipe however I was worried about the flour on the chicken and baking in the oven so I pan seared it with some olive oil first and then poured the mixture over the chicken. I did add a little more honey to the mixture to offset some of the soy sauce. Served with cilantro and lime rice and broccoli. Delicious!!!!
Thanks for sharing, Sonya!
What can I use instead of soy sauce? I made all of it but then I realized I didn’t have soy sauce 😫
Tamari or coconut aminos are the best substitutes, but you can also use Worcestershire sauce in a pinch!
I would do this recipe again only if I skipped the flour. It’s definitely not necessary unless (maybe) pan frying the chicken first…added a sticky, chewy texture to the chicken. The flavor is good, but there’s a doughiness that’s hard to get past.
We’re sorry this recipe didn’t quite work out for you!
This is probably the best recipe I’ve ever found on the Internet for anything poultry. I’m legit expecting my bf to propose after eating this with my ginger garlic basmati rice.
Really really good recipe. We added 4 tablespoons of corn starch to the flour dredge and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce to the sauce mixture. A little MSG doesn’t hurt either.
Those sound like great modifications!
My boyfriend and I absolutely LOVE this chicken recipe! I have to double it so we don’t eat it all at once!
Thanks for sharing, Jackie!
I made this on the stovetop & used a little olive oil and served it with rice. It was very good. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks for stopping by, Sherry!
I would use this recipe again minus the flour. I didn’t like the way it changed the texture of the sauce. Also, I would season the chicken with more than salt and pepper. I did add red pepper paste to kick up the heat. I would definitely add more next time.
Always feel free to modify to your liking!
I added some broccoli and had it over brown rice. Such a great quick meal.
Looks delicious, Katie!
This is an excellent recipe. It ticks all the boxes for me. Easy, Simple Ingredients, and tastes fantastic. I plan to double or triple the sauce next time so that we have extra for the rice.