Honey Garlic Glazed Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken thighs glazed in honey, garlic, and soy sauce with perfectly caramelized skin. Quick, easy, and bursting with flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Glaze

04 - 1/3 cup honey
05 - 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
08 - 2 tablespoons water
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
10 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or green onions, chopped
12 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Set oven to 400°F and allow to reach temperature.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs skin side down and sear for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
04 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in honey, soy sauce, vinegar, water, and red pepper flakes if using. Bring mixture to a simmer.
05 - Return chicken thighs to the skillet skin side up. Spoon glaze over the chicken to coat evenly.
06 - Transfer skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, basting chicken with glaze halfway through cooking, until chicken reaches safe internal temperature and skin is caramelized.
07 - Remove from oven and let chicken rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley or green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The glaze does all the work, turning basic chicken thighs into something that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • Bone-in thighs stay juicy even if you lose track of time, which I do more often than I admit.
  • Minimal cleanup since everything happens in one skillet, and the caramelized bits at the bottom are pure gold.
  • It reheats beautifully, so leftovers never feel like a compromise.
02 -
  • Dry the chicken thighs completely before seasoning or the skin will steam instead of crisp, and you'll miss out on that crackling texture.
  • Don't walk away during the garlic step, it goes from fragrant to burnt in seconds and will turn the whole glaze bitter.
  • Baste halfway through baking or the tops will dry out while the bottoms swim in glaze, balance is everything here.
  • If your skillet isn't oven-safe, transfer everything to a baking dish before it goes in, I learned this the hard way with a melted handle.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer to hit 165°F internal temperature perfectly, guessing leads to dry chicken or undercooked centers.
  • Let the skillet get really hot before adding the chicken, a proper sear makes all the difference in flavor and texture.
  • Double the glaze and save half for drizzling over rice or vegetables, it's too good to limit to just the chicken.
  • If the glaze gets too thick in the oven, stir in a tablespoon of water and swirl the pan to thin it back out.
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