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Honey Garlic Chicken

Honey garlic chicken with pan-seared thighs and a sticky amber honey-garlic glaze. Caramelized chicken pieces get baked until tender, then finished with glossy sauce, golden garlic, and a thyme-sesame garnish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Honey-garlic sauce
  • 0.333 cup honey
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 6 garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
  • 1 Fresh thyme and sesame seeds for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, then sear the chicken skin-side down for 5-6 minutes until deeply golden.
  3. Flip the thighs and sear the other side for 3 minutes, then remove the chicken and set aside.
Make the sticky honey-garlic glaze
  1. Add the butter and minced garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  2. Stir in the honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and red pepper flakes until the mixture looks glossy.
Bake and finish
  1. Return the chicken to the pan skin-side up and spoon the sauce over the top so it coats the surface.
  2. Transfer to a 400F oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
  3. Spoon the pan sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh thyme and sesame seeds.

Notes

For extra caramelization, keep the burner at medium-high during the first sear and avoid moving the thighs until the skin is deeply golden. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or spoon sauce back over. Freezing is not recommended because the glaze can thin on thawing. For a lower-sugar option, replace the honey with a 1:1 honey-style alternative and keep the rest of the sauce the same.