Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs
If you’re looking for an amazing baked chicken recipe, look no further than this easy, family-friendly chicken dinner. I promise the whole family will want you to put it into rotation! The chicken is first marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and more before being baked. As it bakes, this Asian-inspired sauce thickens, caramelizes, and these pan juices and sauce are absolutely wonderful dolloped over rice on the side. I used chicken thighs because they naturally stay juicier and moister than chicken breasts but you can use whichever you like. More on that below. What I love just as much as the honey garlic flavor these marinated chicken thighs have is that the recipe is so easy to prepare. You literally whisk together the marinade, pour it over the chicken, let it marinate, and then bake it off. No other steps required!
Ingredients in Soy Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
To make these super easy Asian-inspired baked chicken thighs, you only need a handful of easy to find and very common fridge and pantry ingredients including the following:
Ketchup Low sodium soy sauce (tamari may be substituted – a good choice if you’re trying to make it gluten free) Honey Lemon juice Olive oil Apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar (not white vinegar) Minced garlic Ground ginger or fresh ginger Chicken thighs Green onions or sesame seeds, optional for garnishing Salt and pepper, optional and to taste
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Honey Soy Chicken Thighs
It’s a cinch to make marinated baked chicken! Follow these easy and straightforward instructions: Step 1: Whisk together all the chicken marinade ingredients. Step 2: Add the chicken to a large baking dish. Step 3: Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator and allow chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. Step 4: Preheat the oven to 425F, remove the chicken from the fridge, and let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats. Step 5: Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until it reads 165F with a digital thermometer. Step 6: Optionally, broil the chicken at 500F for 3-5 minutes or until as golden browned as desired. Step 7: Garnish with green onions and serve immediately!
What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?
I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the baked marinated honey soy chicken. They are so much more flavorful and juicy than any other type of chicken in my opinion for this recipe! However, you can use any combination of bone-in or boneless with skin-on or skinless including:
Bone-in skinless chicken thighs Boneless skinless chicken thighs Bone-in chicken breasts Boneless skinless chicken breasts
How Long Should I Marinate the Chicken?
This chicken is so richly flavored and moist due to marinating it for 1 hour. Skin-on chicken also takes a bit longer to cook through compared to skinless. So again, if you’re using skinless chicken, make sure to start checking it at 18 to 20 minutes. However, if you’re short of time 30 minutes will do. And if you have extra time, marinating it for up to 4 hours is great. Just don’t skip the marinating step or your honey soy chicken will not have nearly as much flavor and it will be drier!
Do I Have to Broil the Baked Honey Soy Chicken Thighs?
Broiling the chicken after baking it for 20 to 25 minutes is an optional but recommended step. Broiling it gives it just a bit of an extra crisped crust and provides “curb appeal” for your baked chicken because the golden brown color is irresistible!
What to Serve with Honey Soy Chicken Thighs
Because of the sticky sweet-and-sour glaze that forms as the chicken bakes in the oven, it’s practically begging to be served with rice on the side. 2. You don’t have to broil on the top oven rack. You can use the second to top slot, or even in the middle. The heat won’t be as direct and may take a bit longer than 3-5 minutes, but it can be a safer place to avoid burning. 3. Some ovens have a Broil Feature and you can set it to either High or Low Broil. Other ovens don’t – at which point you should select a 500F temperature. Other easy side dishes from salad to potatoes to roasted vegetables include the following:
Twelve Superfoods Salad The Best Mashed Potatoes Balsamic Brussels Sprouts Herb Roasted Tri Colored Carrots Rainbow Roasted Vegetables
Tips for the Best Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs
Let Baking Pan Come to Room Temp
After marinating your chicken thighs in the honey and soy sauce marinade in the fridge, the baking pan is going to be quite cold – an even colder if you marinate for 4 hours. And this will slow down the cooking process. Therefore, when you’re preheating the oven to 425F, allow the baking pan to sit on your counter so it’s not so cold when you pop it in the oven.
Check the Temperature
When working with poultry, it’s always better to check for doneness by means of a digital thermometer rather than guessing. The recommended safe temperature is 165F. However, you can pull the chicken out when it hits 160F, and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise as the chicken rests. And the natural juices will become better sealed in.
Broiling
As I mentioned above, broiling is an optional step but does give a wonderful sear to the exterior. Just be careful to not let it burn and keep a very watchful eye on it! If you’re going to broil the chicken, when the internal temp hits 155-160F, you can begin broiling it. Then make sure to let the chicken rest 5 to 10 minutes.
More Easy Baked Chicken Recipes:
Baked Teriyaki Chicken and Rice — Chicken, rice, pineapple, and red peppers cook together in one pan for an EASY weeknight dinner that tastes like you’re in Hawaii! The homemade teriyaki sauce adds so much INCREDIBLE flavor! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs — EASY, juicy, tender chicken thighs with plenty of tangy lime and fresh cilantro!! Ready in 30 minutes, starts on the stove, and finishes in the oven! Just a handful of ingredients used and PERFECT for busy weeknights!! 20-Minute Baked Lime Cilantro Chicken Breasts – Super juicy, EASY, tender chicken that’s ready in 20 minutes and made on ONE sheet pan!! Bursting with robust Mexican-inspired lime cilantro flavors that will make this an automatic family FAVORITE!! Spiced Brown Sugar Chicken and Sweet Potatoes — An EASY sheet pan meal that’s ready in 30 minutes and loaded with layers of flavors from the spice rub, which features a mixture of chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, and more!! Sheet Pan Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chicken – EASY, HEALTHY, and a great way to enjoy roasted sweet potatoes in less time!! A DELISH one-pan juicy chicken dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes with zero cleanup!! Perfect 20-Minute Oven-Baked Chicken Breasts — Super juicy, flavorful, EASY, and tender baked chicken breasts that are ready in 20 minutes and made on ONE sheet pan!! Nothing complicated or fussy about this PERFECT chicken that everyone LOVES!! 15-Minute Sheet Pan Lemon Pepper Chicken — Fast, EASY, HEALTHY, and loaded with great lemon pepper flavor!! A DELISH one-pan meal with zero cleanup that’s perfect for busy weeknights!! 15-Minute Sheet Pan Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken — Fast, EASY, and loaded with fabulous teriyaki flavor! Tender chicken, juicy pineapple, and crisp-tender veggies make make for a DELISH one-pan meal with zero cleanup. Sheet Pan Baked Salsa Chicken and Potatoes — An EASY dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes and made on ONE pan with so much FLAVOR!! The salsa keeps the chicken so juicy for a winner-winner-chicken-dinner that’s perfect for busy nights!!
Baked Parmesan-Crusted Chicken — This Baked Parmesan-Crusted Chicken tastes like it’s been deep fried, but it hasn’t! Even better, it’s ready in under 30 minutes and is easy to whip up at the last minute. Baked Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard — These chicken nuggets are coated in a mixture of Panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan, which makes them extra flavorful and crispy! Dunk them in homemade honey mustard or your dipping sauce of choice.
