Honey-and-Soy-Glazed Chicken Thighs

By Kay Chun

Updated Jan. 13, 2021

Honey-and-Soy-Glazed Chicken Thighs
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(6,364)
Comments
Read comments

In this simple weeknight recipe, chicken thighs are tossed with a sweet-salty glaze made of honey and soy sauce that caramelizes into a sticky coating as it roasts in the oven. Serve the sliced chicken with bibb lettuce cups for wrapping, or over steamed rice to catch all the juices. Leftovers can be chopped and combined with vegetables for a tasty clean-out-the-fridge fried rice. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons canola oil
  • 1tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1tablespoon minced ginger
  • 6tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (see tip)
  • 5tablespoons mild honey, such as clover, acacia or orange blossom
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 8small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

691 calories; 55 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 23 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 42 grams protein; 962 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and honey and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. (You'll want to cook attentively for this step, as the syrupy mixture can burn if it cooks too long.) Turn off the heat then whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    On an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add half the glaze and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and toss the chicken to coat. Arrange in an even layer, skin side up, and roast until browned, 15 minutes. Brush the chicken all over with 2 tablespoons of the remaining glaze. Roast until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Drizzle the chicken with the remaining glaze and serve with lemon wedges.

Tips
  • The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight; just rewarm it in the microwave or stovetop before using.
  • If gluten is a concern, substitute the soy sauce with low-sodium tamari.

Ratings

4 out of 5
6,364 user ratings
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Comments

Diane

This reminds me of an old 60 Minute Gourmet recipe from at least 30 years ago, and I’ve been making it since the 1980s. Marinate the chicken thighs in a sealed bag with the honey, soy, sesame oil, sherry, and grated fresh ginger for at least an hour. Bake at 350 for about an hour. I use a Pyrex dish, which cleans up nicely if you soak it right away. It’s great with chili-flavored rice.

Rebecca Wright

There is no situation on the planet where chicken thighs cook in 25 mins. Took 45 mins for chicken to finally cook through and the heat was so high the sauce burned. Omit the oil and add OJ or pineapple juice and red Chile flakes. Cook chicken at 350 for 45 mins, basting 3-4 times.

BBLRN

I've made this and added a piece of orange peel when simmering the glaze. At 425 degrees the glaze will burn. I roast it at 400 degrees.

Elizabeth B

I’ve made this twice now. The first time, I followed the instructions and no matter how long I let it cook down the sauce really never got thick enough for my liking. This most recent time that I made it, I decided to add in about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into the soy sauce before adding it to the sauce pan. This did the trick for a quickly thickened great consistency sauce that stuck to my chicken thighs. Delicious!

Marianne

I cooked at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. I omitted the salt and pepper in the sauce as soy sauce is very salty to begin with, and the chicken was seasoned with it. Turned out good. You could throw a few chopped carrots in the pan to roast alongside the chicken for a little something extra.

R. Middleton

First I have always, since my 1970s childhood, hated dark meat of chicken. But now that white meat has gotten so tough, stringy and rubbery I decided to give thighs a chance. And wow. This recipe does not disappoint. Easy to make. Only change I made was maybe 10 minutes more cooking time given the thighs were large. This produced a thermometer temp of 180F. Meat still very tender and unlike white meat today, edible. Neighbor who was over for dinner loved it. So five stars from me.

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