Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs with a Sticky Broiled Glaze
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My baked honey garlic chicken thighs are roasted in the oven until the skin turns golden. Then I dip them in a quick five-ingredient sauce and broil them until sticky on every side. Holding the sauce back until the end is what keeps the honey from burning and the glaze glossy and dark.
These honey garlic chicken thighs get their sauce in the last ten minutes, and that timing is my trick. Lightly seasoned bone-in, skin-on thighs roast on their own first so the skin can render and turn deep golden. In my testing, the honey, brown sugar, and molasses scorched long before that happened when I added the sauce at the start.
While the chicken roasts, I boil the sauce for two minutes so it thickens enough to cling. Each thigh gets dipped into the pan of sauce, then it goes under the broiler skin-side down to caramelize the bottom. Then I flip them skin-side up, brush them with the remaining sauce, and broil until deeply golden. That dip gives every surface a glossy, sticky coat instead of sauce pooling on the sheet pan. Grating the garlic and onion on a microplane lets them melt right into the glaze.
When I’d rather not watch the broiler, I make my slow cooker honey garlic chicken instead. Skinless thighs braise for hours in a soy and tomato paste sauce, so you trade the sticky glaze for chicken tender enough to shred.
What to serve with honey garlic chicken
The glaze is sweet and sticky, so I balance it with plenty of vegetables. My quick garlic roasted carrots are the easiest match because they roast at the same 425°F. Slide them in about 10 minutes after the chicken so both finish together, and take the carrots out before you switch the oven to broil.
A big green salad with a sharp, lemony dressing cuts through the honey. Add mashed potatoes or steamed rice to make it a fuller dinner.
Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs with a Sticky Broiled Glaze
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
Honey Garlic Sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon molasses (see notes)
- 4 cloves garlic (grated with the small holes on your grater)
- 1 teaspoon grated onion (grated with the small holes on your grater)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place one oven rack in the middle and another rack in the top third. For easy cleanup, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the baking sheet, skin-side up, and bake for 35 minutes.3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- While the chicken is cooking, bring the honey garlic sauce ingredients to a boil for 2 minutes in a small frying pan to thicken the sauce.3 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon molasses, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon grated onion
- Remove the chicken from the oven and carefully drain any oil from the pan. Using tongs, dip each piece in the sauce and then put the chicken back on the sheet pan, skin side down. Broil (on the top oven rack) for 5 minutes.
- Turn the chicken over and baste the skin with the remaining sauce, then broil for 5 minutes more, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn't burn
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
OMG!!! This recipe is so good!!! Baked chicken thigh and served it on top of a rose cream cheese spaghetti and all my guests loved it!!! It is a go to recipe from now on.
We definitely need these for football season around here! Can’t wait to try them!
This looks delicious. I’d like to make it but I want to know what I can use instead of molasses. Thank you. I love your recipes. <3
If you don’t have it, you can omit it. It adds an extra layer of flavor, but it’s not 100% necessary.
How would you adjust the time, etc., for chicken drunsticks?
Bone in thighs and drumsticks cook at about the same time so the 35 mins cooking time should do it. If you have a meat thermometer, you can check to make sure the chicken is at least 175 degrees. If they’re big drumsticks you can leave them in for an extra 5 minutes or so.
It was very good. The only thing to say is have everything done ahead of time. And keep a wet cloth handy. It is a good recipe can be sticky.
but good!!!
I’m happy to hear you liked the recipe!
I made this tonight. It was very yummy. Two things I’ll do different next time.. First, I’ll precook for 25 minutes. I found the chicken was ‘just’ a bit underdone after the 2nd broil. I put it in the oven at 425 for 5 minutes more. Also, I will take a fork after the precook and pierce the chicken to let the yummy sauce go deeper into the chicken. The recipe is a keeper! Thanks!
If your thighs are quite large, precooking them for a bit longer is a good idea. The time is 35 minutes (I think your 25 was a typo?) so maybe try bumping it up to 40 minutes.
Made this for dinner tonight using skin-on thighs and drumsticks and it was absolutely delicious! Excited to try with boneless, skinless chicken breaks next as I’m sure they will be delicious as well, albeit a bit lighter. Great, quick, and tasty meal for any night of the week. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
So happy you like the recipe! It’s still one of my personal favourites. 🙂
This has become one of my favorite recipes! My kids and husband love it, and it’s actually pretty easy to do. The flavor is perfect exactly as the recipe is written, but I might experiment with adding or altering the flavor components just for fun.
Thank you so much for the feedback! I’m so happy to hear you and your family love it. 🙂