This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Tender and juicy Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs in a rich, dark sauce are so quick and easy, you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried them before! Perfect for those busy weeknights when you need a delicious meal on the table fast, without all the fuss.
If you’ve enjoyed our Easy Taco Salad or Easy Salmon Piccata, you’ll know we love creating easy, weeknight dinners that don’t compromise on flavor. With just a handful of ingredients and less than 30 minutes, you’ll have a mouthwatering honey soy sauce that transforms simple chicken thighs into a family favorite. This recipe will be your new go-to when you’re in a hurry, and the whole family will love it.
What Makes Honey Soy Chicken Thighs Unique?
What sets these Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs apart? It all starts with using juicy and tender chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. The higher fat content in the thighs melts while cooking, keeping the meat moist and tender, creating a rich and succulent texture.
In my version, the chicken is glazed in a rich, dark sauce that caramelizes as it bakes, creating a glossy, sticky coating that’s speckled with golden brown bits of garlic. These Honey Soy Chicken Thighs produce delicious natural pan juices that blend into the sauce while baking. And the best part? You only need a few minutes of prep time to achieve juicy, tender chicken. Let the oven do the work for you! For more quick and easy weeknight dinners, check out our Honey Soy Chicken Stir Fry. You won’t be disappointed!
Honey Soy Chicken Thighs: Key Ingredients
The secret to this Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs recipe lies in its key ingredients. Each one plays a crucial role in creating a rich, flavorful sauce and perfectly juicy chicken. Let’s dive into what makes this dish truly exceptional:
- Honey: The honey provides a natural sweetness that balances the savory flavors of the soy sauce and garlic. It caramelizes as it bakes, creating a glossy, sticky coating that enhances the overall flavor and texture of the chicken. For the best results, choose raw, unfiltered honey to maximize the depth of flavor.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: The soy sauce adds a depth of umami flavor to the dish, complementing the sweetness of the honey. Using low sodium soy sauce helps control the saltiness, ensuring the dish isn’t overly salty while still delivering rich taste. Opt for high-quality soy sauce to enhance the savory notes.
- Garlic: Minced garlic infuses the dish with its distinctive aroma and flavor, creating a savory foundation that pairs perfectly with the honey and soy sauce. The caramelized bits of garlic add texture and an extra layer of flavor. Fresh garlic is key here—look for firm, plump cloves without any green shoots.
- Ginger: Fresh minced ginger adds a subtle, warm spiciness to the dish, enhancing the overall flavor profile. It pairs wonderfully with both the honey and soy sauce, adding complexity and depth to the sauce. Choose ginger that is firm and smooth for the best flavor.
*Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
When it comes to Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs, the magic is in the details. Even if you don’t have every ingredient on hand, don’t worry—there are plenty of delicious substitutes that will keep the flavors bold and mouthwatering:
- Swap the Honey: If you’re out of honey or prefer a different sweetness, you can use maple syrup or brown sugar. Both will add a rich sweetness without altering the core flavors.
- Add Some Heat: For a spicy kick, add a teaspoon of sriracha, chili flakes, or a dash of hot sauce to the sauce. This will give your dish a delightful heat without overpowering the honey soy blend.
- Mix Up the Oils: If you’re looking to experiment, try using sesame oil for a nutty undertone or olive oil for a richer flavor in place of vegetable oil.
- Add Some Crunch: Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds or chopped nuts (like almonds or cashews) over the finished dish. This will add a nice crunch and extra texture.
Perfect Honey Soy Chicken Thigh: Step-By-Step
Ready to create delectable Honey Soy Chicken Thighs? Follow these simple steps with images to guide you through the process. You’ll achieve juicy, tender chicken thighs glazed in a rich, dark sauce that’s bursting with the flavors of honey, soy, and garlic. This recipe is sure to impress and delight!
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In a shallow bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, green onions, cooking oil, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger. Mix well and set aside.
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and trim off any excess fat. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer chicken to the bowl with the marinade for at least 30 minutes or if time allows (or overnight).
- Bake the Chicken: Transfer the chicken along with the marinade to a cast iron skillet or baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping twice while baking to ensure the chicken doesn’t dry out on top.
- Broil the Chicken: Broil for 5 minutes at high heat until golden brown and slightly charred on the edges. Ensure the chicken has an internal temp of 165°F (or 70°C).
- Garnish the Chicken: Garnish with fresh parsley and optional sesame seeds.
- Serve: Serve the chicken with pan juices over steamed rice, cauliflower rice, regular noodles, or mashed potatoes.
Now that you’ve mastered these delicious Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs, why not explore more of our delicious recipes? If you’re in the mood for something just as easy and flavorful, check out our Easy Chicken Thighs With Creamy Mushroom Sauce or indulge in our Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp. Both are perfect for weeknight dinners and will keep you coming back for more.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for sides to accompany this dish, consider serving it with Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Butter Rice or Fried Rice with Bacon. For a touch of greenery, Sugar Snap Peas, or Buttery Sautéed Green Beans would complement the chicken beautifully.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can use chicken breasts, but keep in mind that they may not be as juicy as thighs. Adjust the cooking time accordingly to avoid drying them out.
Ideally, you should marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. For the best flavor, marinate it overnight.
The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F (70°C). You can use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
Other Chicken Recipes To Try
Love The Food? Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok and Instagram to be notified about our new recipes!
You might also like
Get a free eBook!
Subscribe to Cafe Delites FOR FREE and receive recipes straight into your inbox!
Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic minced (or 4 large cloves garlic, minced)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar (apple cider or rice wine vinegar — OPTIONAL)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil OPTIONAL
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
- 2 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 pinch salt to season
- 1 pinch pepper to season
- 1 pinch fresh parsley chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, green onions, cooking oil, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil and ginger. Mix well and set aside.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towel. Trim off any excess fat. Season with salt and pepper then transfer chicken to the bowl with the marinade. Cover and marinade chicken for at least 30 minutes if time allows (or overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Transfer chicken along with the marinade to a cast iron skillet or baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping twice while baking to ensure the chicken doesn’t dry out on top.
- Broil for 5 minutes at high heat until golden browned and slightly charred on the edges. Chicken should have an internal temp of 165°F (or 70°C).
- Garnish with parsley and optional sesame seeds.
- Serve chicken with pan juices over steamed rice, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, regular noodles or mashed potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Finally! A recipe where I had everything “on hand”! Plus, I had just gotten back from the grocery store, where to my amazement, chicken thighs were *****.59 cents a pound*****. What luck! These were delicious. Thank you for a wonderful tasty recipe!
I’m one of those who eats what he wants regardless of time of day, so I had this for breakfast this morning and my dreams came true! You see, I had mixed the marinade and skinless bone-in chicken thighs the previous afternoon thinking I’ll have it for dinner the following day. But I dreamt about it all night. I knew these flavors would meld well and was anxious.
After 10hrs in the marinade I had to move forward. I heated my skillet on the stove while the oven warmed up and to give the chicken a quick sear before baking. Bone in meant I had to extend the cooking time by an additional 20 minutes but SOOO worth the wait. This was AMAZING!!! Thanks for sharing your talents.
Amazing! My family LOVED the flavour, really does what is says ‘Honey Soy’ YUM. If you like Asian flavours – give it a go, you can’t go wrong! 🙂
This was outstanding. Delicious and easy. I topped the finished chicken with chopped fresh pineapple and cilantro and served it alongside really good ramen. I will make this often. Thank you!
Glad I read the comments. I made extra sauce and used rice wine vinegar and more sesame oil than the recipe required. It was suggested that the chicken be removed after baking and a slurry be made to thicken the sauce. Then the chicken thighs were added back in and put it under the broiler. The chicken was a beautiful mahogany color. The sauce was thick and delicious on both the chicken and rice. My husband said it was a definite make again dish.
Spot on!!! A couple substitutions for what I had on hand, Braggs Amino – Dried Minced Onions – with an addition of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce (just a squirt and a 1/2) and at the end of baking I brushed on Hoisin Sauce.
“ Thank you for sharing” says, mah’ belly!
For sake of time and convenience, I made this recipe in a crock pot. While it didn’t get that nice oven browning/crispiness, the flavors were all there, the turkey was moist, and my family loved it.
Has anyone tried them on BBQ if so please let me know. Thanks
This was really delicious. We followed the recipe, pretty much to the letter. Used the end of 2 types of honey, one wild blackberry honey and the other wild BC clover honey. We had it with Long grain white rice, steamed and steamed broccoli with garlic 5 spice and ginger with some light teriyaki sauce & a dash of kejap manis. Steamed the broccoli wrapped in foil in a different pan. It was delicious. Sprinkled some sesame seeds on for the last 5 minutes.
This was amazing! I was looking for recipes for skinless boneless thighs (we usually fix chicken breasts but wanted to try something different). Flavor was perfect and balanced. Mine came out very close to the picture after 3 minutes under the broiler. I used 1/2 tbsp cornstarch to thicken the cooked marinade & juices after removing the chicken, then poured that over the chicken garnishing with chopped cilantro. Served with basmati rice cooked with a little coconut milk and grated tangerine peel, & steamed broccoli. This was so much better than if I had used skinless boneless breast meat! Great recipe!