Sweet Sticky Honey Butter Chicken (Print Version)

Tender chicken thighs glazed with a luscious honey-butter sauce for sweet and savory sticky goodness in 45 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
04 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
05 - ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Honey Butter Sauce

06 - ¼ cup unsalted butter
07 - ⅓ cup honey
08 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
09 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

→ For Serving

12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
13 - Sliced green onions
14 - Cooked rice or steamed vegetables

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika, pressing spices into meat to adhere.
02 - Heat large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil swirl and sear chicken 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden brown crust forms. Transfer to plate and set aside.
03 - Reduce skillet heat to medium. Add butter and melt completely. Whisk in honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Simmer 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened and fragrant.
04 - Return chicken thighs to skillet, turning each piece to coat thoroughly in the honey butter glaze. Arrange chicken skin-side up in single layer.
05 - Transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake 20–25 minutes, basting chicken with pan juices once or twice during cooking, until internal temperature reaches 165°F and meat is cooked through.
06 - Remove from oven. Spoon remaining sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley and green onions if desired. Serve immediately alongside rice or steamed vegetables.

# Handy Tips:

01 -
  • The honey butter sauce creates this incredible sticky coating that you will want to eat with a spoon
  • Clean up is a breeze since everything happens in one skillet from searing to baking
  • The balance of sweet honey and savory soy sauce hits every craving at once
02 -
  • Dry your chicken thighs thoroughly with paper towels before seasoning or they will steam instead of sear
  • The sauce will look thin at first but thickens beautifully in the oven while baking
  • Use an oven-safe skillet or you will have to transfer everything to a baking dish which creates extra cleanup
03 -
  • For extra caramelization, broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes at the very end while watching closely
  • Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving so the juices redistribute

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