Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs are the superior chicken cut. I will die on this hill.
Ingredients
- 6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
For the Honey Garlic Glaze
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes Kasia’s non-negotiable
Method
Roast the Thighs
-
Preheat oven to 220C / 425F. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels — this is essential for crispy skin. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness. Rub with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Arrange skin-side up on a baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet. Don’t crowd them — they need space for the heat to circulate and the skin to crisp.
-
Roast for 35-40 minutes until the skin is deep golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C. The skin should crackle when you tap it with a spoon. If it’s not crispy enough, broil for 2-3 minutes at the end — watch it closely, because broiler and “burnt” are separated by about 30 seconds of inattention.
Make the Glaze
-
While the chicken roasts, make the honey garlic glaze. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Stir and simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened and syrupy. It should coat the back of a spoon. That’s it. Three minutes, six ingredients, and a glaze that tastes like it came from a restaurant.
Glaze and Finish
-
When the thighs come out of the oven, brush them generously with the honey garlic glaze. Return to the oven for 5 minutes — just long enough for the glaze to set and get sticky and slightly caramelised. The second coat is what creates that glossy, lacquered look. Brush with more glaze when they come out. Serve immediately.
Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs — Sticky, Crispy, 5-Ingredient Easy
Chicken thighs are the superior chicken cut. I will die on this hill.
I know chicken breast gets all the attention. It’s lean, it’s “healthy,” it’s what every recipe blog defaults to. But chicken thighs? Thighs are juicier, more flavourful, harder to overcook, and cheaper per pound. They’re the underdog of the poultry section and I am their loudest advocate. Every time someone tells me they don’t like chicken because it’s “dry and boring,” I make them honey garlic chicken thighs and watch them convert in real time. The conversion rate is 100%. I’m not exaggerating.
This recipe is stupid simple. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs roasted until the skin is shatteringly crispy, then glazed with a honey garlic sauce that caramelises in the oven into a sticky, sweet, savoury coating. The skin protects the meat during roasting, so the outside is crispy while the inside stays ridiculously juicy. It’s the kind of dinner that makes your kitchen smell incredible and your family show up to the table without being asked. In my house, that second part is basically a miracle.
Why Thighs, Not Breasts
Chicken breasts are 95% lean, which means they go from perfectly cooked to overcooked sawdust in about 90 seconds. Thighs have more fat marbled through them, which means more flavour and a bigger margin for error. You can overcook thighs by 5 minutes and they’ll still be moist. Try that with a breast and you’re eating chicken-flavoured cardboard. For a busy mom cooking while also supervising homework, breaking up fights, and mentally planning tomorrow’s schedule, that margin for error isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.
Thighs are also cheaper. At my grocery store, bone-in skin-on thighs are about half the price of boneless skinless breasts per pound. For a family of six, that math adds up fast. Budget-friendly AND tastier? That’s not a compromise. That’s a win-win.
Ingredients
- • 6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- • 1 tablespoon olive oil
- • Salt and pepper
- • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
For the Honey Garlic Glaze
- • 1/3 cup honey
- • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- • 5 cloves garlic, minced
- • 1 tablespoon butter
- • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (Kasia’s non-negotiable)
How to Make It
Roast the Thighs
Preheat oven to 220C / 425F. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels — this is essential for crispy skin. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness. Rub with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Arrange skin-side up on a baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet. Don’t crowd them — they need space for the heat to circulate and the skin to crisp.
Roast for 35-40 minutes until the skin is deep golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C. The skin should crackle when you tap it with a spoon. If it’s not crispy enough, broil for 2-3 minutes at the end — watch it closely, because broiler and “burnt” are separated by about 30 seconds of inattention.
Make the Glaze
While the chicken roasts, make the honey garlic glaze. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Stir and simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened and syrupy. It should coat the back of a spoon. That’s it. Three minutes, six ingredients, and a glaze that tastes like it came from a restaurant.
Glaze and Finish
When the thighs come out of the oven, brush them generously with the honey garlic glaze. Return to the oven for 5 minutes — just long enough for the glaze to set and get sticky and slightly caramelised. The second coat is what creates that glossy, lacquered look. Brush with more glaze when they come out. Serve immediately.
Crispy Skin Tips
💡 Pro Tips
✓ Pat dry. Paper towels, every surface. Moisture = steam = soft skin. Dry = crispy.
✓ Skin side up, always. The skin needs direct contact with oven heat to crisp.
✓ High heat. 220C / 425F minimum. Low-and-slow makes tender meat but rubbery skin. You need aggressive heat for crunch.
✓ Don’t cover with foil. Foil traps steam and steams the skin into a soft, sad version of itself.
✓ Broil at the end if needed. 2-3 minutes under the broiler turns golden skin into crackling-crispy skin.
Serving Suggestions
• With rice: Steamed jasmine rice soaks up the honey garlic drippings. Simple and perfect.
• With roasted vegetables: Broccoli, green beans, or carrots roasted alongside the chicken on the same pan. Sheet pan dinner energy.
• With kopytka: Polish potato dumplings + honey garlic glaze is a cross-cultural combination that shouldn’t work but absolutely does.
• With mizeria: The cool, tangy cucumber salad balances the sweet, sticky chicken perfectly.
Variations
• Spicy honey garlic: Double the red pepper flakes and add a tablespoon of gochujang (Korean chilli paste) to the glaze. This is my preferred version and the one that makes my husband sweat slightly.
• Lemon herb: Replace honey with lemon juice and add rosemary and thyme. Lighter, brighter, equally delicious.
• Air fryer: Cook thighs in the air fryer at 200C / 400F for 20-25 minutes, flipping once. Brush with glaze in the last 5 minutes. Crispier skin, smaller batch.
How to Store
Keeps 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 190C / 375F for 10-12 minutes to re-crisp the skin. The microwave will make the skin soggy, which defeats the entire purpose of this recipe. If reheating, brush with a little extra glaze for freshness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use boneless skinless thighs?
You can, but you lose the crispy skin, which is half the appeal. If using boneless, reduce the roasting time to 20-25 minutes and apply the glaze earlier. They’ll still taste great — just a different experience.
Is this too sweet for dinner?
No — the soy sauce and vinegar balance the honey so it reads as savoury-sweet, not dessert-sweet. Think teriyaki vibes, not candy. The red pepper flakes add enough edge to keep it firmly in the dinner category.
Can I use this glaze on other proteins?
This glaze works on salmon, pork chops, shrimp, and tofu. It’s a universal flavour bomb. I’ve started keeping a double batch in a jar in the fridge because I put it on everything. My babcia would not understand the soy sauce and honey combination, but she’d eat it. She’d definitely eat it.
More From Polish Mom
Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Skillet · Marry Me Chicken · Creamy Tomato Garlic Pasta · Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta