Honey Garlic Skillet Chicken

Name: Honey Garlic Skillet Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2.5 pounds total); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 tablespoon neutral oil or olive oil; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 1/3 cup honey; 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce; 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 2 sprigs fresh thyme, optional

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen â presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

Honey Garlic Skillet Chicken starts with crisp-skinned chicken thighs, then finishes in a honey, garlic, soy, lemon, and vinegar pan sauce. Roast until the thickest thigh reaches about 175°F, rest the chicken, and reduce the pan sauce briefly until it turns glossy enough to coat a spoon.

Jump to Recipe

Honey garlic chicken only works if the sauce stays on the right side of sticky. Put honey into a ripping-hot skillet too early and it goes from glossy to scorched while the chicken is still figuring out what happened. This version sears the thighs first, builds the sauce afterward, and lets the oven finish the meat gently so the skin stays browned instead of getting lacquered into candy.

The sauce is simple but balanced: honey for sweetness, soy sauce for salt and depth, fresh garlic for the obvious reason, lemon and vinegar to keep the glaze from tasting flat, and chicken broth so the sugars can reduce without burning. Bone-in thighs are especially forgiving here. Pull them when the thickest part is around 175°F, let them rest, then reduce the sauce on the stovetop for a couple of minutes if it still looks loose. The chicken rests while the glaze fixes itself. Everybody wins.

Prep10 minutes

Cook35 minutes

Total45 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2.5 pounds total)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon neutral oil or olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme, optional

Instructions

1Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels, then season both sides with the salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
2Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and sear without moving it for 6 to 8 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and releases cleanly from the pan.
3Flip the thighs skin-side up and reduce the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic around the chicken and stir it in the pan juices for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
4Whisk the honey, soy sauce, chicken broth, lemon juice, and vinegar together. Pour the mixture into the skillet around the chicken, not directly over the crisp skin. Add the thyme if using and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
5Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone reads about 175°F.
6Move the chicken to a plate and rest it for 5 minutes. Set the skillet over medium heat and simmer the sauce for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until it looks glossy and lightly coats a spoon.
7Turn off the heat and swirl in the butter. Return the chicken to the skillet or spoon the honey garlic glaze over the thighs just before serving so the skin keeps as much crispness as possible.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

770Calories

50 gProtein

27 gCarbohydrates

52 gTotal Fat

15 gSaturated Fat

1 gFiber

24 gTotal Sugars

1720 mgSodium

270 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Do not add the honey sauce before the chicken is seared. Honey scorches quickly at high heat; the sauce belongs in the pan only after the skin is already browned.
Chicken thighs are safe at 165°F, but dark meat is more tender around 175°F because more connective tissue has had time to soften.
If the sauce is thin when the chicken is done, remove the chicken and reduce the sauce on the stovetop. Do not keep roasting the meat just to thicken the glaze.

Substitutions

bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs → boneless skinless thighs Start checking them after 12 to 15 minutes in the oven; cook to the same doneness target.

soy sauce → tamari Use a 1:1 swap for a similar salty, savory base.

honey → pure maple syrup Use the same amount; the glaze will taste less floral and slightly more caramel-like.

apple cider vinegar → rice vinegar Use the same amount for a milder acidity.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate leftover chicken and sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a spoonful of water or broth so the honey glaze loosens without scorching.

Make Ahead

Mix the honey-soy sauce up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it separately. Season the chicken up to 24 hours ahead, but sear and roast it close to serving so the skin stays crisp.

Freezing

Yes. Cool the chicken completely, pack it with a little sauce in an airtight freezer container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently so the glaze does not scorch.

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