Baked Honey Garlic Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (2024)

This recipe for Baked Honey Garlic Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs is bursting with flavor. It's also easy enough that you can make it on busy weeknights, but special enough for company. Serve it with rice, potatoes, or grains with a side of vegetables for a well-rounded meal!

This Honey Garlic Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs recipe makes an easy, flavor-packed dinner in under 30 minutes!

The next time you're in the mood for something savory with a hint of sweetness, try out this recipe for honey garlic chicken thighs.

You'll love how easy this dish is to quickly prep and bake. It's so simple and tasty!

You simply need to mix a marinade with key ingredients such as soy sauce, garlic, and honey. Then, use it to marinate the chicken thighs.

Bake the chicken in the oven until juicy and tender and it's ready to serve!

You can use chicken breasts or thighs, and change up your side dishes depending on what you have in the fridge!

Honey garlic chicken thighs make an easy weeknight protein that tastes amazing and will leave you feeling full without feeling full and satisfied.

If you're looking for more easy weeknight dinner recipes, then be sure to try Honey Glazed Pork, Chicken Omelette, or Mexican Ground Beef Sheet Pan.

Why Make This Recipe

Chicken thighs are a cheaper cut of meat making this recipe budget-friendly.

You can serve these chicken thighs with any grain or vegetable side dish.

The homemade marinade is healthier than store-bought sauce and easy to prepare.

You can easily adapt this recipe for using chicken breasts to get in more protein.

You can leave the meat marinading in the honey garlic sauce overnight for maximum flavor.

Ingredients

• Chicken Thighs - You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Thighs are higher in fat making them a very tender cut of chicken that takes on marinade very well. You can use bone-in and/or skin-on. For bone-in just cook them a little longer.
• Honey - Gives the homemade marinade its natural sweetness that pairs well with the savory flavors.
• Oil - Thins out the marinade and helps evenly distribute all of the flavors. Use vegetable oil or canola oil.
• Soy Sauce - Adds a salty umami layer of flavor to the marinade.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - Gives the marinade an acidic balance which helps to tenderize the chicken. You can also use white vinegar.
• Garlic Cloves - Fresh garlic cloves add a bold and zesty garlic flavor to the marinade.
• Salt & Pepper - Seasoning with salt and pepper will enhance the flavors and balance them out.

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full quantities.

How to Cook this Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe

Wondering how to make this recipe? It's easy!

Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.

Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 425degreesF. Trim away any excess fat on the chicken breasts and discard. Add the prepared chicken thighs to a large bowl.

Mix the marinade: In a small bowl, add the honey, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk everything together until fully combined.

Marinate the chicken: Pour the marinade into the bowl with the chicken thighs and use tongs or a spatula to toss everything together and make sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Bake the chicken: Add the marinated chicken to a baking dish in a single layer. Pour any excess sauce over top, then bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs is 165F.

Broil and serve: Turn the oven to broil and leave under the heat for up to 5 minutes to get a crispy charred top if desired. Remove from oven and spoon any excess sauce on top before serving.

Cook's Tips

When preparing the chicken, it’s important to trim any excess fat off of the chicken thighs as the fat may give the meat an undesirable texture.

Marinate this chicken for 30 minutes minimum. For best results and a deeper flavor, let the chicken sit in the marinade refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

When cooking poultry, it’s important for you to know when it is completely cooked to a temperature of 165F. I love that using a simple kitchen thermometer will make sure your chicken is properly cooked every time.

When broiling the chicken, make sure you keep an eye on it as the sugars in honey can cause the chicken to burn quickly.

Variations

You can use boneless skinless chicken breast instead of chicken thighs for higher protein. Depending on the thickness of the chicken, it may need to cook longer to reach the correct temperature.

Don’t like chicken? Use this marinade on your favorite beef or pork.

I like to spice up the sauce by adding a hint of red chili flake or a splash of red chili oil.

Instead of baking the chicken thighs, you can cut it up into bite-sized pieces, marinate it, then saute in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through.

Add a splash of sesame oil to the marinade for an even more Asian-inspired flavor.

To make a gluten-free chicken thigh dish, simply swap out the soy sauce for tamari in the marinade. Also, be sure to check your ingredient labels for wheat ingredients.

Serving Suggestions

Shred up the chicken thighs and serve them on a bed of Instant Pot White Rice or Texas Roadhouse Seasoned Rice for a dose of protein and carbs.

Add some on top of your favorite noodle bowls with fresh vegetables.

Serve alongside some Buttered Cabbage or Roasted Beets.

Sesame Garlic Broccoli can be served on the side for a healthy chicken and broccoli with complementary flavors.

Slice up the chicken and add it to a stir-fry in a skillet to make a quick weeknight meal.

You'll love this honey garlic chicken with mashed potatoes, Microwave Baked Potatoes, or Air Fryer Baby Potatoes.

You can drizzle them with a little Wingstop Ranch for a burst of flavor.

Storage & Freezing

Storing: You can store any leftover baked chicken thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on a skillet or in the microwave.

Freezing: Cooked honey garlic chicken thighs can be frozen once they are completely cooled. Wrap each in a layer of plastic wrap, then add them to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container in a single layer. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving.

FAQs

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