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You are here: Home / Dinner / Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken

By Karina 39 Comments Filed Under: Chicken

Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken

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Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken with a crispy skin and a sweet, sticky sauce made up of ingredients you have in your kitchen cupboard!

The perfect chicken dinner filled with zesty and sweet flavours, you will love this Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken!

Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken | https://cafedelites.com

Chicken Recipe

Pan fried first to get that crispy skin, then baked to cook them all the way through, this is one of those chicken dinners you’ll be forgiven if you make it once a week. Plus, the optional bonus of making more sauce on the stove top, until it thickens and caramelises in its special honey way, for extra drizzling to serve. I’ve made this as easy as I can for those rushed weeknights. It’s literally a case of whisk everything together, bake and done!

Honey Garlic Sauce

I’m not going to lie here. Every time I make this sauce, I’m caught between stirring it and blowing it like my life depends on it, trying to cool it down so I can keep drinking it from a spoon. Yes, I shamelessly admit this happens straight out of the pan. The problem when finally making it for my blog is, I had husband and children behind me, breathing down my neck waiting for me to finish.

Juicy Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken with a crispy skin and a sweet, sticky sauce with ingredients you have in your kitchen cupboard! | https://cafedelites.com
Lemon Chicken

Now, there was a time we tried Honey Lemon Chicken, and while it’s nice and all, adding garlic to the recipe just takes it to a whole other level of flavour. The chicken is juicy, the skin comes out crispy and sticky all at the same time. And let me just add, I have a lot of time for sticky chicken. Much like these Sticky Thai Chicken Wings.

This is one of our dinners that you’ll see me running into the supermarket to buy only chicken thighs because I have the rest of the ingredients at home. I LOVE it when I have ALL the ingredients.

Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken | https://cafedelites.com

I mean, HELLO SUCCULENT Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken.

Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken | https://cafedelites.com
HONEY LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN VIDEO

Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken

Juicy Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken with a crispy skin and a sweet, sticky sauce with ingredients you have in your kitchen cupboard! Pan fried first to get that crispy skin, then baked to cook them all the way through, this is one of those chicken dinners you'll be forgiven if you make it once a week. Plus, the optional bonus of making more sauce on the stove top, until it thickens and caramelises in its special honey way, for extra drizzling to serve.
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Serves: 5

Ingredients

  • 5 bone in , skin on chicken thighs (2 lbs | 1 kg)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (or juice of 1 lemon)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic
  • 6 whole garlic cloves , peeled
  • Lemon slices and zest to garnish
  • Sliced green onions , to garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 360°F | 180°C.
  • Place chicken thighs in a large shallow dish and season with salt; set aside.
  • In a large mixing jug, whisk together the honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegar and minced garlic. Pour about 1/4 cup of the sauce over the chicken (or just enough to lightly coat each thigh) and rotate each thigh to coat evenly in the sauce.
  • Heat an oven-proof skillet over medium high heat; sear the chicken skin side down first until golden for about 5 minutes. Turn and repeat on the other side. Drain most of the excess oil from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon for added flavour.
  • Arrange chicken skin-side up in the pan; add the whole garlic cloves between the chicken; pour half of the remaining sauce over each thigh (about 1-2 tablespoons per thigh) and bake for 40-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. The skin should be crispy and sticky.
  • While the chicken is baking, pour the remaining sauce into a small pot (or saucepan), and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat down to low and allow to simmer while occasionally stirring; lifting the pot off of the heat when the sauce bubbles up to the rim of your pot, and repeat the process until the sauce has sightly reduced and thickened (about 6 minutes).
  • Serve with the remaining sauce, lemon zest and slices, and sliced green onions (optional).
Juicy Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken with a crispy skin and a sweet, sticky sauce with ingredients you have in your kitchen cupboard! | https://cafedelites.com
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brenda Lee says

    April 06, 2020 at 4:35 am

    5 stars
    Made this last night for dinner and recipe is a keeper. Next time I’d double the sauce as we all wanted more. I added a bit more lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Maryam says

      May 18, 2020 at 11:33 pm

      Hi karina I tried out your honey garlic recipe and it was finger licking delicious, this recipe looks amazing will definitely try it soon but I have a question can we fry the chicken like the way the honey garlic recipe is or do we have to bake it

      Reply
  2. Catherine Uresti says

    June 10, 2019 at 11:22 pm

    5 stars
    This is the 3rd or 4th time making these and my oh my, not going to be the last I am sure! I made these for my brother, niece and nephew and they were such a hit that the recipe was asked for! Sent it to my children in Texas to make as well. Will be going upta camp this summer and these are definitely going to be on the menu! Thank you!!

    Reply
  3. Maria says

    December 24, 2018 at 5:10 am

    5 stars
    This is my third or fourth time making this. It has become my boyfriends favorite dish. Delicious juicy and tendet chicken with a delish sauce! Definitely make a lot of that reduced sauce EVERYONE will want more and more of it!

    Reply
  4. Shanique says

    November 06, 2018 at 10:52 am

    5 stars
    I just made this tonight for dinner. It was highly favored in my house tonight.
    Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
    S

    Reply
  5. Shanique says

    October 29, 2018 at 11:55 am

    Hello,
    I will be trying to recipe soon. But I just have a question about step 4. We must drain the honey, soy sauce mixture and leave the equivalent of 1 tablespoon but eventually add back with the remainder of the mixture?

    Thank you,
    S

    Reply
    • Karina says

      October 31, 2018 at 6:06 pm

      Yes, that is correct. IT is a mixture that is best if done in those steps. Hope that helps! XO

      Reply
  6. Charlee says

    June 27, 2018 at 7:06 am

    How do you think it would taste if i added rosemary?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      June 27, 2018 at 2:57 pm

      MMM! That sounds delicious and worth a try! I hope you enjoy it! Let me know how it turns out! XO

      Reply
  7. Heather Wood says

    April 29, 2018 at 2:48 pm

    5 stars
    I made a double batch and used 1/2 teriyaki sauce and 1/2 soy. I also did 1/2 white whine sauce and 1/2 balsamic vinegar in stead of the rice wine. Came out fantastic. Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  8. Iain says

    October 30, 2017 at 3:37 am

    5 stars
    being a big lover of tasty food was great when i found your website Made this last week with extra lemon wow loved it,
    Going to be working through the recipes, enough to keep us going all year through

    Reply
    • Karina says

      November 17, 2017 at 8:57 pm

      I’m so happy to hear that Lain! I hope you’re enjoying some others!

      Reply
  9. Josie says

    March 12, 2017 at 11:33 am

    5 stars
    I made these chicken thighs tonight and they were so incredibly good!! Thanks for the recipe, it’s definitely a keeper!!

    Reply
  10. vicki says

    December 18, 2016 at 5:43 pm

    how would these be served cold within a buffet

    Reply
    • Karina says

      December 23, 2016 at 3:00 am

      Hi Vicki. It should be ok. Maybe with skin off thighs 🙂

      Reply
  11. sherene says

    October 17, 2016 at 1:58 am

    hi Karina,
    i have printed out so many of your recipes and I am gonna try all of them. I am on a strict diet, on this carb cycling diet. i was looking for recipes to meal prep. And I found you 🙂 I am supposed to use as less fat possible while cooking my meals and no sodium. And the ingredients I use like the soy sauce should have low sodium. I have a few questions, what can I use in place of rice wine Vinegar if i dont have that. is there anything that can replace honey? from your recipes.
    i made the balsamic glaze chicken and it was yummy..loved it. Yet to make this one.
    thanks for sharing such wonderful recipes. xxx

    Reply
  12. Victoria Yoon says

    October 05, 2016 at 1:29 pm

    5 stars
    made this tonight, it was delicious definitely a keeper

    Reply
  13. Rosa says

    October 03, 2016 at 1:04 pm

    What kind of side besides rice could go with this?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      October 03, 2016 at 5:14 pm

      Hi Rosa. Yu can serve this with steamed vegetables like broccoli, or noodles!

      Reply
  14. Daniela Garzon says

    September 22, 2016 at 3:12 pm

    Is it possible to skip the stove top step and just cook the chicken in a aluminum pan in the oven?

    Reply
  15. Kelly says

    September 09, 2016 at 9:02 am

    5 stars
    Hi Anna! I searched thru Pinterest and decided to try this recipe. I used Apple cider vinegar and garlic cloves, but it still came out great. The skin has to be the best part. I’m not sure what made me try it, but I am so glad I found this recipe and took a chance. Two thumbs up!!!!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      September 09, 2016 at 9:18 am

      I’m so happy to hear that Kelly! Yay!!

      Reply
  16. Anna says

    August 23, 2016 at 8:07 am

    Want to try this recipe just wondering how to cook this using chicken breast?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      August 23, 2016 at 2:42 pm

      Hi Anna! Yes you can use chicken breast. Follow the recipe directions and skip Step 5! No need to bake breasts in the oven. Cook over stove top until cooked through. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Tabitha says

    August 16, 2016 at 12:28 pm

    I made this tonight and it was so yummy! I didn’t have rice wine vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar and it still came out great. Thank you!

    Reply
  18. Foodiewife says

    July 25, 2016 at 11:38 am

    5 stars
    I made this for dinner, tonight, and it was delicious! It’s, pretty much, a one pot meal. I didn’t change a single thing with your recipe. It was gone in a nano-second! Thank you for the recipe. It’s a keeper!

    Reply
  19. plasterer bristol says

    July 21, 2016 at 4:01 pm

    wow that looks so good. Think i’m gonna give this a blast tonight. Thanks for sharing.

    Simon

    Reply
  20. Brooke says

    June 02, 2016 at 9:43 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, Is it possible to use Chicken Breasts instead? And if so what would the timing be for the oven etc?
    Many Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  21. Shaz says

    May 16, 2016 at 2:27 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for this recipe. I loved the taste of the sauce. So I just tried this recipe on chicken wings instead. I first marinated the wings with the ingredients mix (the honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegar and minced garlic) for 30 mins and then pan-fried the chicken instead of baking (I didn’t have 45 mins). I poured 1/2 cup of water into the skillet with the chicken, cooked them with medium heat and covered with a lid (we do that a lot in Asian cuisine). The wings turn out great and only needed 10mins cooking time! You should try it 🙂

    Reply
    • Karina says

      May 16, 2016 at 2:31 pm

      Yum!!! I will! That sounds incredible too! Thank you for that Shaz. I’ll post it once I make it!

      Reply
  22. Linda Abbott says

    April 19, 2016 at 12:20 am

    Doesn’t the honey mixture burn to the pot while you’re browning the thighs without oil in step 4? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Karina says

      April 19, 2016 at 6:48 am

      Hi Linda. No it doesn’t burn.

      Reply
    • Terri says

      January 21, 2020 at 1:23 pm

      But in your video demo it appears to have oil in the pan as the chicken is added.

      Reply
  23. jacki says

    April 18, 2016 at 6:22 am

    would this work with bone-in skin on breasts, I don’t care for thighs, hubby likes them so I was thinking of using both. ( breasts cut in half to be like sized)

    Reply
    • Karina says

      April 18, 2016 at 7:16 am

      Yes absolutely!

      Reply
  24. SueAnn says

    April 16, 2016 at 10:40 am

    Karina! I love you! THANKYOU for this and all your recipes!
    Smooches!!!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      April 16, 2016 at 10:49 am

      You’re welcome SueAnn!

      Reply
  25. Lily says

    April 13, 2016 at 12:53 pm

    Can this be done with boneless skinless chicken thighs? What’s the cooking method you suggest for boneless skinless?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      April 15, 2016 at 11:10 am

      Hi Lily. I’d suggest the same method, reducing oven time to 10-15 minutes 🙂

      Reply

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Welcome! My name is Karina and this is my internet kitchen hang-out. A self-confessed balanced foodie sharing some waistline friendly recipes that are full of flavour. Life is too short for bland and boring. …

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