Honey Garlic Glazed Chicken (Printable version)

Tender chicken thighs coated in sticky honey-garlic glaze with soy sauce. Caramelized skin and bursting with flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

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

→ Glaze

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

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or green onions
12 - 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides 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 3–4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
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 to a simmer.
05 - Return chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side up. Spoon glaze over the chicken.
06 - Transfer skillet to the oven. Bake for 18–22 minutes, basting chicken with glaze halfway through, until chicken is cooked through and skin is caramelized.
07 - Remove from oven. Let rest 5 minutes.
08 - Garnish with parsley or green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chicken skin gets crispy and caramelized while the meat stays ridiculously tender, which feels like a small miracle in one pan.
  • You sear and bake everything in one skillet, meaning minimal cleanup and maximum flavor from those browned bits stuck to the bottom.
  • The glaze comes together in under a minute and transforms ordinary chicken thighs into something that tastes restaurant-quality.
02 -
  • Do not skip patting the chicken dry—wet skin will steam instead of crisp, and that's the difference between good and exceptional.
  • The glaze thickens as it cools, so if you find it too thick when serving, a splash of water stirred in will bring it back to the right consistency.
03 -
  • Don't move the chicken around while it's searing—let it sit undisturbed so the skin makes real contact with the hot pan and browns evenly instead of steaming.
  • If you're making this for a crowd, double the recipe and use two skillets, because trying to squeeze eight thighs into one pan guarantees they steam instead of sear.
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