Honey Soy Chicken Thighs - Dressed in a sweet and savory honey soy sauce, these chicken thighs are so easy to put together and taste delicious! It’s an easy one-pan dish your whole family will love.
A little sweet and a little savory come together to make this finger-licking good Honey Soy Chicken Thighs recipe. Tender chicken is marinated and baked in a well-balanced honey sauce to create a show-stopping dish that will wow your family and guests!
Just like my 30-Minute Chicken Stir Fry and Instant Pot Chili, this recipe is easy to throw together and takes almost no time to prepare. Plus, the oven does most of the work! Serve it over arugula quinoa salad or mashed potatoes for an epic family-friendly meal.
There’s no searing involved in this recipe. Instead, the honey soy sauce chicken is baked in its marinade and finished with a quick broil. In the end, you’ll have juicy and tender chicken thighs that are perfectly caramelized and smothered in an out-of-this-world sauce.
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Ingredients for honey soy chicken
Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are marinated in a honey soy sauce that is both sweet and savory. If you can, use raw honey in the marinade for added nutrients and natural sweetness! These are the rest of the ingredients you need:
- Boneless and skinless organic chicken thighs
- Olive oil
- Fresh ginger and garlic
- Raw honey
- Soy sauce
- Salt and pepper
Combine all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl before preparing the chicken.
How to bake chicken thighs
Step 1: Place the chicken in the bowl with the marinade. Let it marinate for at least 1 hour.
Step 2: Pour the chicken and marinade into a cast iron skillet or a shallow baking dish and bake until the chicken is cooked through. Flip each piece a few times to ensure all sides turn out juicy and tender.
Step 3: To finish, broil on high for 5 minutes to achieve a beautiful crust all around the outside of the chicken.
Step 4: Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with rice or mashed potatoes. Pour some extra sauce over the plated chicken and enjoy!
Recipe tips and variations
- You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs, but they will need a little less time in the oven. Chicken breasts can dry out easily, which is why I recommend using an internal thermometer to check when they’re done.
- You can also use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to make this recipe. They’ll take about 10 or 15 minutes longer in the oven.
- Baked chicken thighs and breasts are cooked through once they reach 165ºF.
- The chicken thighs need at least 1 hour to marinate but can be left for up to 24 hours. Keep the chicken in a bowl with the marinade in the fridge until it’s time to cook.
- If you don’t have raw honey, regular honey will work just as well.
- Craving sweeter flavors? Try my Baked Pineapple Chicken Thighs instead.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Cooked chicken thighs make delicious leftovers! Make sure to store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, place the chicken in the microwave and cook on high for a few minutes.
Alternatively, bake the leftovers in a 350ºF oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until warmed through.
What to serve with honey soy chicken
The Asian-inspired flavors in this sweet and savory chicken go so well with a variety of side dishes, like:
More chicken recipes to try for dinner
These chicken thigh recipes are juicy, tender, and easy to prepare when you’re craving something delicious for dinner:
- Chicken Thighs and Rice Casserole
- Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
- BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs
- Greek Chicken Shish Kabobs
- Chicken Thigh Mushroom Casserole
- Easy Baked Ziti with Chicken
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📖 Recipe
Best Honey Soy Chicken Thighs Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine olive oil, ginger, honey, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Rinse and trim off all of the fat from the chicken, then place it in the bowl with the marinade. Marinade chicken for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Place chicken thighs and marinade in cast iron or baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked thru, make sure to flip the chicken few times, that way the chicken will be juicy & tender without dry top.
- Optional - After flipping the chicken on the other side, broil on high for 3-5 minutes or until beautiful roasted color.
- Garnish with chopped parsley, serve with fried rice or mashed potato, and make sure to pour the sauce over the chicken when serving.
Video
Notes
- Chicken Options: You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs if you prefer. Just keep in mind that they cook a bit faster and can dry out more easily, so it’s best to use an internal thermometer to check for doneness.
- Bone-In Thighs: This recipe also works well with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. They’ll need about 10 to 15 extra minutes in the oven, depending on their size.
- Cooking Temperature: Whether you're using thighs or breasts, the chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
- Marinating Time: The chicken needs to marinate for at least 1 hour, but you can leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just keep it covered in a bowl with the marinade until you're ready to cook.
- Honey Substitute: If you don’t have raw honey, regular honey will work just fine!
Nutrition
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Ise
Thanks for this D'lishYES recipe. I made mine in a glass dish, which I think negatively affected the overall outcome/texture, but I don't have an ole cast iron skillet nor dutch oven. Nonetheless, the taste was so incredibly good, that I can only imagine how much better if done with the right equipment! I served ours over a bed of jasmine rice with lots of 'gravy' over the top and it was AWESOME! This recipe is most certainly a keeper. When I make again and have to include white meat(DH is a white meat only guy) would it be best if I throw in a bone-in piece, as that white meat gets so dry?
Munchkin Time
Thank you Ise for the recipe review! I am glad you liked the way the chicken tasted! You can make this dish in the glass dish too, what I like to do is broil on high for 5 minutes to get that nice glaze & roast on the top of the meat.
Asha
Very easy to follow recipe and loveley flavours. I added some chopped red chilli to mine and a little tomatoe ketchup which made the sauce a little thicker. Was an instant hit for a Friday night, instead of a takeaway. Thanks for the recipe
Heidi
Do I bake it covered or not covered?
Munchkin Time
Hi Heidi! You bake this chicken thighs recipe uncovered =D
Jasmine Jones
Wow! Made this and used wings and cooked it in wave oven for 15 minutes, and it was a hit.
I had to run out to the grocery store to buy more chicken to make a bigger batch.
Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Munchkin Time
Thank you, Jasmine for an awesome recipe review! I am so glad you like this recipe! Yes, me too! I always make double batch when cooking this chicken thighs recipe! =D
Parveena
I love this recipe and has cooked it so many times. I don’t add all the marinade with the chicken at the beginning - but do so every time I flip the thighs. This way the marinade doesn’t burn from the sugar and the there’s extra liquid to pour over the cooked thighs.
Munchkin Time
Thank you for the recipe review! I am so glad you like this recipe and thank you for sharing an awesome tip when you bake the chicken!!!
Sara
I marinated mine overnight and cooked in a skillet in a lil coconut oil. They cooked within 20 minutes. Great! But my heat was a little too high so my sauce burnt a bit. Still good. I wish I could post a pic! I served them over rice with some stir fries carrots and red peppers.
Samantha
I cooked this and the marinade was running and not sticky what did I do wrong
Munchkin Time
Hi Samantha! You did nothing wrong! It should be on the runny side, as you can see it in the picture above. I hope you liked how it taste.