These Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs are made with simple ingredients and coated in a delicious sticky sauce. They're done in under 20 minutes making it a great recipe for busy nights.
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🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Pantry staples. The sauce is made with just 4 staple ingredients and can be used for other proteins (beef, pork, shrimp, tofu, etc.).
- Easy weeknight dinner. Whip this up tonight and get an amazing dinner on the table in no time! If you are a fan of garlic, you will love using my Cajun Butter Sauce on all your favorite seafood.
🥘Ingredients
- Chicken thighs. This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Garlic cloves. You need 5-6 minced garlic cloves for this recipe. I always recommend fresh garlic over garlic powder for this honey garlic chicken thighs recipe.
- Honey. Use your favorite honey. I love cooking and baking with local honey like in honey harissa chicken thighs.
- Soy sauce. Soy sauce adds umami flavor and salt to the chicken.
- Apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar adds some acidity to the marinade and helps to tenderize the chicken.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
📖Substitutions & Variations
- You can use bone-in chicken thighs or chicken breasts if you prefer. However, the cooking time may vary.
- If you don't like honey, I recommend replacing it with maple syrup. It will have a slightly different taste, but will still work.
- Use tamari, if you want to make this gluten-free or coconut aminos if you prefer no soy.
- Rice vinegar can be used in place of apple cider vinegar.
🔪Instructions
Step 1: Begin by marinating the chicken in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. I recommend letting the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes. Heat oil in a skillet and add chicken thighs. Cook for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Flip cook for another 6-7 minutes. Add the remaining marinade to the pan. Increase the heat slightly and boil the sauce for about 5 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens. Turn the chicken to coat in the sauce.
💭Recipe FAQs
All poultry including chicken thighs needs to have an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F to be safe to eat. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
Yes! This honey sauce would be delicious on shrimp, tofu and even chicken wings. These Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Wings and Honey Sriracha Meatballs both have similar sauces. Check them out next!
Yes, marinate the chicken and then place them in a baking dish with the sauce. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes until cooked through.
👩🏻🍳Chef Tips
- Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes for extra flavor. You can also marinate overnight.
- The size of boneless chicken thighs can vary greatly. If you have larger thighs, you may need to cook them a bit longer to reach 165 degrees F. You can also finish cooking them in the oven at 400 degrees F until cooked through.
- If the sauce begins to thicken too quickly, reduce the heat slightly. You can also add a splash of water or broth to thin it out.
🥗Serving
This honey garlic chicken recipe can be served in many different ways. I recommend serving with Jasmine rice or brown rice and your favorite vegetables such as air fryer green beans. Or try it with cold noodle salad!
You can add sesame seeds, red pepper flakes and green onions for garnish.
🥣Storage & Reheating
Store the honey garlic chicken thighs in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop for a few minutes until warm.
The chicken thighs can be frozen for 2-3 months. I like to freeze the leftover chicken to use at a later date for salads on busy days.
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Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED
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Ingredients
- 1-1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for cooking
Instructions
- In a large plastic bag or bowl, combine the chicken thighs with the other ingredients, aside from oil. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken thighs to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Do not throw away the marinade.
- Flip the chicken and cook for another 6-7 minutes. Make some room in the pan and add the remaining marinade to the pan.
- Increase the heat slightly and boil the sauce for about 5 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens. Turn the chicken to coat in the sauce, turn off the heat and place on a plate, topped with the remaining sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sarah's Tips
- Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes for extra flavor. You can also marinate overnight.
- The size of boneless chicken thighs can vary greatly. If you have larger thighs, you may need to cook them a bit longer to reach 165 degrees F. You can also finish cooking them in the oven at 400 degrees F until cooked through.
- If the sauce begins to thicken too quickly, reduce the heat slightly. You can also add a splash of water or broth to thin it out.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop for a few minutes until warm.
- The chicken thighs can be frozen for 2-3 months. I like to freeze the leftover chicken to use at a later date for salads on busy days.
S. Rubbelke says
Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs were enjoyed by all of us. One friend was so surprised he was eating chicken thighs ( he didn’t think he liked chicken thighs) his wife copied the recipe. The chicken was tender and the flavors are just right. The rice was flavorful too. I will be making these recipes again.
David Holt says
Made this last night with brussel sprouts and smashed potatoes. It was easy and delicious.
Sarah Holt says
Happy you enjoyed it!!