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!
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.
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.
I mean, HELLO SUCCULENT Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken.
HONEY LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN VIDEO
Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken
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).
Brenda Lee says
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!
Maryam says
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
Catherine Uresti says
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!!
Maria says
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!
Shanique says
I just made this tonight for dinner. It was highly favored in my house tonight.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
S
Shanique says
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
Karina says
Yes, that is correct. IT is a mixture that is best if done in those steps. Hope that helps! XO
Charlee says
How do you think it would taste if i added rosemary?
Karina says
MMM! That sounds delicious and worth a try! I hope you enjoy it! Let me know how it turns out! XO
Heather Wood says
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 🙂
Iain says
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
Karina says
I’m so happy to hear that Lain! I hope you’re enjoying some others!
Josie says
I made these chicken thighs tonight and they were so incredibly good!! Thanks for the recipe, it’s definitely a keeper!!
vicki says
how would these be served cold within a buffet
Karina says
Hi Vicki. It should be ok. Maybe with skin off thighs 🙂
sherene says
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
Victoria Yoon says
made this tonight, it was delicious definitely a keeper
Rosa says
What kind of side besides rice could go with this?
Karina says
Hi Rosa. Yu can serve this with steamed vegetables like broccoli, or noodles!
Daniela Garzon says
Is it possible to skip the stove top step and just cook the chicken in a aluminum pan in the oven?
Kelly says
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!!!!
Karina says
I’m so happy to hear that Kelly! Yay!!
Anna says
Want to try this recipe just wondering how to cook this using chicken breast?
Karina says
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. 🙂
Tabitha says
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!
Foodiewife says
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!
plasterer bristol says
wow that looks so good. Think i’m gonna give this a blast tonight. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Brooke says
Hi, Is it possible to use Chicken Breasts instead? And if so what would the timing be for the oven etc?
Many Thanks 🙂
Shaz says
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 🙂
Karina says
Yum!!! I will! That sounds incredible too! Thank you for that Shaz. I’ll post it once I make it!
Linda Abbott says
Doesn’t the honey mixture burn to the pot while you’re browning the thighs without oil in step 4? Thanks.
Karina says
Hi Linda. No it doesn’t burn.
Terri says
But in your video demo it appears to have oil in the pan as the chicken is added.
jacki says
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)
Karina says
Yes absolutely!
SueAnn says
Karina! I love you! THANKYOU for this and all your recipes!
Smooches!!!
Karina says
You’re welcome SueAnn!
Lily says
Can this be done with boneless skinless chicken thighs? What’s the cooking method you suggest for boneless skinless?
Karina says
Hi Lily. I’d suggest the same method, reducing oven time to 10-15 minutes 🙂