Sweet Sticky Honey Butter Chicken (Printable version)
Juicy honey-butter glazed chicken thighs, oven-roasted and caramelized with garlic, soy, and parsley.
# What you need:
→ Protein
01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
→ Sauce and Glaze
02 - 1/3 cup honey
03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
04 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
05 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
06 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
09 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
10 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
11 - 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
# How To:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat chicken thighs thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
02 - In a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chili flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
03 - Place chicken thighs skin side down in the skillet. Sear for 3-4 minutes per side until a deep golden crust forms.
04 - Spoon the sauce generously over each piece. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, basting twice with pan sauce, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
05 - Switch the oven to broil and cook for 2-3 minutes to develop a deeply caramelized, sticky glaze on the chicken skin.
06 - Remove from the oven and baste one final time with the pan sauce. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and sesame seeds before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The honey butter sauce caramelizes into a sticky glaze that rivals anything from a restaurant, and you probably already have every ingredient in your pantry.
- Bone in, skin on thighs stay incredibly juicy even if you accidentally leave them in the oven a few minutes too long, which I have done more times than I care to admit.
02 -
- If you crowd the skillet the chicken will steam instead of sear, so use the largest oven safe pan you own or work in two batches.
- The sauce will look deceptively thin when you first mix it, but trust the process because it reduces and thickens dramatically in the oven.
03 -
- Let the chicken rest for five minutes after it comes out of the oven so the juices redistribute and every bite stays succulent.
- A basting brush is worth the small investment here because it lets you really work the sauce into every crevice of the crispy skin.