Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs — The chicken marinates in the most delectable mixture of soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and more. The resulting baked chicken is SO tender, juicy, moist, and loaded with Asian-inspired flavors! Even better, this is a one-pan, EASY recipe the whole family will adore!
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!
More Chicken Thighs Recipes
Wondering what else to make with chicken thighs? Two favorites are this Easy Sweet and Spicy Chicken and Baked Lime Cilantro Chicken Thighs.
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
Bone-In Vs. Boneless Chicken Cooking Tip
Bone-in chicken (either thighs or breasts) takes a bit longer to cook through. Therefore, if you are using boneless chicken, make sure to start checking after 18 to 20 minutes for doneness since this is quite a hot oven.
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.
How Long Should I Marinate the Chicken?
This chicken is so richly flavored and moist due to marinating it for 1 hour.
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!
Broiling Tips
1. Watch the honey soy garlic chicken like a hawk and don’t leave your kitchen or get distracted scrolling on your phone or sidetracked because it can go from golden brown to burnt in one minute since it’s such a high heat. The sugar in the honey in the marinade will be especially prone to burning in the final minutes so again, really watch it!
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.
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.
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
FAQs for Marinated Baked Chicken
No you don’t! Simply pour the soy honey marinade over the top of the chicken, let it marinate in the fridge, and then bake it off. No searing required as is sometimes the case when you bake whole chicken thighs.
There’s always more than one way to do something and while you could likely make this chicken exclusively on the stovetop, I did not create the recipe that way. Therefore it would be up to you to experiment.
You want to use approximately a 3-quart baking dish or casserole dish. Or a 9×13-inch pan. If you’re baking in a 9×13 metal pan, the chicken will likely bake a bit faster than if you’re baking in a cast iron skillet, enameled cast iron, or porcelain. Make sure to check your chicken at the 18 to 20-minute mark to see what the internal temperature is.
As written, the recipe isn’t spicy at all. The bit of ginger in the marinade doesn’t add any true heat. If you’d like to make this recipe spicier, feel free to add a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes to the marinade, or if you want to really kick it up, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Extra chicken will keep airtight in the refridgerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months, although fresh is always best. Reheat leftovers gently in the microwave.
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.
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Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- â…“ cup ketchup
- â…“ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar, not white vinegar
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons ground ginger, or about 2 heaping teaspoons freshly grated, or to taste
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs*
- Green onions or sesame seeds, optional for garnishing
- Salt and pepper, optional and to taste for serving
Instructions
- To a medium bowl, add all the ingredients (except the chicken and green onions) and whisk together to create the marinade.
- To a large 3-quart baking dish or casserole dish, or 9×13-inch pan (or similar), add the chicken.
- Evenly drizzle the marinde over the top of the chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. Tip – The longer you marinate, the juicier, moister, and more flavorful the chicken will be.
- When you're ready to bake the chicken, remove the baking pan from the fridge and allow it to come to room temp while you preheat the oven to 425F.
- Bake the chicken for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the internal temp registers 160F as measured by a digital thermometer. Tip – Do not guess and use a thermometer instead.
- Optionally, but recommended, broil the chicken for about 3 to 5 minutes to create a lightly crisped top and add golden brown color. Tips – Watch it like a hawk and don't get distracted because it can burn in a matter of 1 minute, you don't have to broil on the top rack – read blog post for more detailed tips and info on broiling successfully and not burning it!
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes in the baking pan before optionally garnishing with green onions or sesame seeds and serving, with salt and pepper to taste if desired. Tips – As the chicken rests, the internal temperature will continue to rise to 165F, ensuring it is done to a safe temp. Plus it will be juicier if you give it a bit of time to rest.
- Leftover chicken will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I marinated the chicken for 6 hours. This was delicious, however, next time I will omit the 2 Tbs of oil. The sauce does not need it.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad it was delicious! If you think you can get away without the oil and the chicken won’t be dry or lack flavor, go for it!
Have made these in the past and this recipe is so delicious. Do use the broiler for 2-3 minutes and always use a meat thermometer.
Have made these in the past and this recipe is so delicious. Do use the broiler for 2-3 minutes and always use a meat thermometer.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you have made this before and that you also use the broiler briefly and check with a meat thermometer!
Just came across your other recipes here and decided I’m going to try them as
well. We love chicken thighs! Thank you again!
Ok great hope you love them!