Sweet Sticky Honey Butter Chicken (Printer-Friendly)

Tender chicken thighs glazed in a honey-butter sauce with garlic and soy for a sticky, caramelized finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Honey Butter Sauce

06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
07 - 1/3 cup honey
08 - 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
09 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

→ For Serving

12 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
13 - Green onions, sliced
14 - Cooked rice or steamed vegetables

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
02 - Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add a light coating of oil. Sear the chicken thighs for 2 to 3 minutes per side until a golden-brown crust forms. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Stir in the honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Simmer the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes until it slightly thickens and becomes syrupy.
04 - Return the seared chicken thighs to the skillet, turning each piece to coat thoroughly in the honey butter sauce.
05 - Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, basting the chicken with sauce once or twice during cooking, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
06 - Remove from the oven and spoon the remaining pan sauce over the chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley and sliced green onions if desired. Serve hot alongside rice or steamed vegetables.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The honey butter sauce caramelizes in the oven, creating a sticky glaze that rivals any restaurant version you have tried.
  • Boneless thighs stay juicy no matter what, making this nearly impossible to overcook even on your most distracted evening.
02 -
  • Patting the chicken completely dry before searing is the difference between a golden crust and a steamed, pale surface.
  • If you skip basting halfway through baking, the top of the chicken dries out while the sauce pools uselessly at the bottom of the pan.
03 -
  • Use an oven safe skillet from the start so you never have to transfer the sauce and lose any of those concentrated flavors stuck to the pan.
  • Let the sauce simmer until it coats the back of a spoon before adding the chicken back, because a thin sauce will never achieve that sticky, lacquered finish.

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