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Garlic Honey Chicken Thighs

Tons of garlic & a touch of sweetness make this tasty Garlic Honey Chicken Thighs recipe the perfect baked chicken thigh to add to any menu!

skin on baked chicken thighs in a pan.

Chicken and garlic, two ingredients you will always find in our kitchen.  This household loves us some garlic and chicken and some skin-on baked chicken thigh recipes, so I give you these baked Garlic Honey Chicken Thighs!

Ingredients Needed

raw chicken thighs, butter, garlic, salt, spices, sugar, and honey on counter.
  • Bone-in, skin-on Chicken Thighs – This is also great for other cuts of chicken and of course you can make them skinless, too. See recipe notes.
  • Butter – Salted or unsalted. If you use unsalted, just add a pinch more salt.
  • Garlic – Fresh and lots!
  • Honey – A high-quality raw honey is best for this.
  • Brown sugar – Light is what we usually use, but you could also use a dark. Just keep in mind that the darker the brown sugar, the greater the molasses flavor. Oh and by the way, did you know you can make your OWN brown sugar from scratch??
  • Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and salt. Fresh oregano can of course also be used, too!

This is a favorite baked chicken thighs recipe to add to a weeknight meal because we pretty much always have all of these things on hand!  

Simple to Make

bone in chicken thighs in a pan cooking and a pan of butter and garlic.

Another reason why we love this tasty honey garlic chicken recipe is that it’s easy.  Like real easy. 

  • Sear the chicken. Melt some butter in a super hot pan and get that sizzzzllleee onnn.  
  • Create the Sauce – Set aside that chicken, turn down the heat, cook the garlic and then add the honey, sugar, brown sugar, and spices! 
  • Bake! Return the chicken to the pan and then finish in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.
skin on baked chicken thighs in a pan.

Garlic Honey Chicken Thighs, done!

Serve it With: 

Is there anything better than a nice low maintenance this meal? Once it’s in the oven, then you have about 30 minutes to make a side to go with it.  Here are some of our favorite sides to serve them with!

Can you tell we’re a garlic loving household??

skin on baked chicken thighs in a pan.

Other Great Chicken Thigh Recipes:

Looking for some more great chicken thigh recipes?  Here are our favorites! 

FAQs

Can I use another cut of chicken?

Of course! Just note that bone-in will always add time, so if using boneless, it will cook much faster. Always check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees. See recipe notes for cooking other cuts of chicken.

Can I use olive oil, instead?

Of course, you can use olive oil instead of butter.

Can I make this in the Instant Pot?

Yup! See recipe notes for instructions.

Can I use fresh oregano?

Of course. Substitute 1 tablespoon fresh minced oregano for 1 teaspoon dried.

What can I use instead of brown sugar?

Any of your other favorite sweetener. You can use white granulated, a diabetic friendly brown sugar, or even add a little different flavor by using a hoisin sauce!

skin on baked chicken thighs in a pan.

Garlic Honey Chicken Thighs

Tons of garlic & a touch of sweetness make this tasty Garlic Honey Chicken Thighs recipe the perfect baked chicken thigh to add to any menu!
5 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: chicken, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Tracy

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 bone-in, skin-in chicken thighs
  • 6-8 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter divided
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to season chicken
  • fresh parsley chopped, to garnish

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper to taste.
  • In a large sauté pan melt 2 tablespoons of butter on medium high heat. Sear chicken by adding it to pan and cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side and set aside.
  • Add remaining butter to pan and turn heat down to medium and then add the garlic and sauté about 1-2 minutes. Add honey, brown sugar, oregano, garlic, and onion powder and stir until sauce is all well combined. Remove pan from heat.
  • Return chicken (skin side up) to the pan. Give chicken a quick baste with the sauce, and add whole pan to oven to roast for 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through (internal temp of 165 degrees F).
  • Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

Using other cuts of chicken
You can absolutely use another cut of chicken for this. 
Skinless chicken thighs: Follow everything the same
Boneless chicken thighs: You can use the butter and spices and make this like our maple soy glazed chicken thighs!
Chicken breast: Boneless following the same instructions, but cooking time may vary depending upon the thickness of your chicken. Be sure to always check that the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees F. 
Cooking in an Instant Pot 
First, heat IP to sear. Add 2 tablespoons of butter sear chicken skin down, 2-3 minutes, flip and cook for another minute. Turn off IP, remove chicken. Add remaining ingredients (butter, garlic, honey, spices) to the IP, add trivet and return chicken thighs to IP placing them on the trivet.  Close lid set the valve to “sealing” position and press the “manual” button, and cook for 10 minutes.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 664kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 243mg | Sodium: 273mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 536IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg
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19 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Absolutely fantastic!!! My household has deemed this a “make again” which is the highest honor in this house 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    I love garlic and the honey will be a nice offset the garlic’s spiciness. Perfect easy weeknight meal that has loads of flavor and not a lot of fuss.

5 from 16 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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