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My family can’t get enough of my honey garlic chicken thighs. Featuring a sweet, garlicky glaze, the chicken is baked until tender in the center and crispy on the outside!
If you love easy chicken recipes like us, try my Persian chicken, chicken piccata, or stuffed chicken breast next.
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I swear my family wouldn’t complain if I made chicken thighs every night of the week. To be fair, neither would I. Chicken thighs are naturally flavorful, harder to overcook, and work beautifully with all types of flavors.
This time, I’m baking them in my addictive honey garlic sauce. The sauce itself couldn’t be easier to make, yet the results are tender chicken thighs covered in a caramelized, sticky glaze. Gosh, if I wasn’t hungry before, I sure am now!
Why I love this recipe
- Easy enough for a weeknight. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a cooking newbie, you’ll have no trouble getting this dish on the table in under an hour.
- The perfect sauce. It’s sweet, savory, umami, and garlicky all in one. It’s so good I even use it to make honey garlic salmon!
- Minimal prep time. Once you make the sauce and pour it over the chicken, all that’s left is to bake them in the oven. When I make this recipe, I’ll be out of the kitchen after 5 minutes.
Key ingredients
- Chicken thighs. I recommend using bone-in chicken thighs because they stay juicier during baking. The skin also adds an extra crispiness to each bite. If you’d rather use boneless and skinless chicken thighs, reduce the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
- Flour. To coat the chicken and make the skin extra crispy. For a gluten-free version, use blanched almond flour or a gluten-free flour blend.
- Italian seasoning. For flavor.
- Kosher salt and black pepper. To taste.
For the honey garlic sauce:
- Garlic cloves. Try to use fresh garlic if possible. If all you have is garlic powder, substitute ½-1 teaspoon.
- Olive oil. To create a thick sauce.
- Honey. To balance the savory ingredients and give the chicken a caramelized exterior.
- Ketchup. For an added touch of sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Rice vinegar. I like the subtle acidity of rice vinegar, though I also liked the flavor of apple cider vinegar.
- Soy sauce. For a satisfying umami flavor. Use low-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari if needed.
How to make honey garlic chicken thighs
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prep. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Season. Season the chicken with the flour and seasonings. Place the chicken in the baking dish, skin side up, and pour the sauce on top.
Bake the chicken until fully cooked and golden brown.
Rest and serve. Let the chicken rest briefly before slicing and serving.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Marinate the chicken. When I have the extra time, I’ll marinate the chicken in the sauce for 30 minutes before cooking. You can even marinate it overnight.
- Sear the chicken first. To lock in juices and cut down on the baking time, I like to quickly sear the chicken in an oiled skillet over medium-high heat, then add the sauce and place the skillet in the oven to finish baking.
- Broil for the last 2-3 minutes. To get even crispier skin. Just keep an eye on it though, as even an extra minute can burn the chicken.
- Thicken the sauce. For an extra sticky glaze, whisk together 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 4 teaspoons of water, then add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce.
Variations
- Use other cuts of chicken. This recipe also works with chicken breasts, though you’ll want to reduce the cooking time to 25-30 minutes.
- Reserve some of the sauce. And drizzle it over broccoli or your favorite veggies for a flavor-packed side dish.
- Cut the sugar. Use keto honey and sugar-free ketchup.
- Garnish with sliced green onions for a fresher flavor.
Frequently asked questions
The best way to maximize the flavor of chicken thighs is to generously season them and cook them at a higher temperature so the skin crisps up while the center remains juicy. Leaving the bone in also helps enhance the flavor and keep the meat tender. I make sure not to add too much sauce to be overpowering.
Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Video
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in and skin-on
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, olive oil, honey, ketchup, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with flour, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish, skin side up. Pour the honey garlic sauce over the chicken thighs, ensuring they are well coated.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crispy and golden brown.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
More sheet pan dinners
- Sheet pan chicken and veggies
- Oven baked salmon in foil
- Crispy baked chicken thighs
- Oven baked tri tip roast
Originally published August 2023, updated and republished December 2024
This sauce is wonderful. You have to try it to believe it.
I love to add it to many chicken recipes, Evelyn! 🙂
Oh so delicious, and stays moist.
Does this recipe work without the rice vinegar or is there some sort of substitute for it?
Try any kind of vinegar 🙂
You say you can reheat the thighs in the air fryer, but can you cook then in the airfryer rather than the oven.?
Yes you can- see the FAQ and tips sections.
I’m not seeing Air Fryer instuctions anywhere, except for reheating?
This looks delish! But, in your description you say to use skin on, bone in thighs. In your ingredients it says, boneless, skinless?
Apologies, let me fix it 🙂
Thanks! That explains it 🙂
Hi! This looks delicious, but I am confused. If it is boneless skinless thighs, which side is “skin side up” when I cook them- the side that would have had skin?