It took me a few tries to get this recipe for honey and sriracha chicken just right. I’ll be honest – the first time I tried it, it was downright bad. We each took about two bites of the chicken before tossing it and ordering take-out. I loved the flavor of the sauce though, and I was determined to make it work. In the end, I’m glad that I persevered because this chicken is delicious and easy enough for even the most hectic weeknight.
This recipe is sort of like roast chicken meets buffalo wings… with an Asian twist. The sticky-sweet sauce has a good kick to it, the skin is nice and crisp (and beautifully charred in some places), and the meat itself is moist and flavorful.
The entire feel of the dish can be changed by simply swapping out the sides: wild rice pilaf and sauteed green beans give it a homey elegance; baked waffle fries make it a more casual, fun meal.
Throughout my attempts to perfect this recipe, I discovered a few things that really make a big difference.
First, whatever you do, don’t attempt to get a head start on your week by letting the chicken marinate overnight. Because the sauce is so acidic, it will do crazy things to the texture of the chicken, leaving the meat sort of gelatinous and preventing the skin from crisping up the way it should. If that seems too crazy to be true, just think about the effect that acid has on fish when you make ceviche. Believe me, it’s not worth the extra few minutes that you’ll save at dinnertime.
My multiple attempts at perfecting this recipe also reinforced my belief that it’s definitely worth spending a few extra dollars on natural or organic chicken whenever you’re working with skin and bone. Natural and organic chicken tends to be leaner, and since it doesn’t take as long for all of the fat to render out, the skin will crisp up faster. As an added bonus, the meat itself seems to be darker and more flavorful – when I made these with conventional thighs, the meat was almost pure white and they tasted like flabby fat. (Conventional is fine when you’re using something like boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but if you’re making legs, thighs, or a whole chicken I really do think organic tastes the best.)
Honey + Sriracha Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Instructions
Kay says
01/26 at 11:31 amwould this work in a crock pot?
Lauren Keating says
01/29 at 8:26 pmI haven’t tried it that way, but it might work. I’d double or triple the sauce and use boneless skinless thighs or breasts. The chicken will probably end up shredding, but it would make a great sandwich or you could do it over polenta or something similar.
BlueCurry says
12/01 at 2:40 pmloved it—no changes. tonight will be my 3rd time making this! some don’t realize the importance of blk pepper and salt, in addition to ingredients that also contain them; these 2 gems enhance like others cannot.
thx for sharing!
Maryann says
12/18 at 5:55 pmWe tried this a week ago, and LOVED it. Having it again and again. I did not cook the sauce, just whisked and poured it on! OH yeah!
Starlene says
07/25 at 7:16 pmMade this for dinner last night, was very tasty.
mayleen says
02/08 at 1:24 pmim thinking of doing these but im skeptical over not seasoning the thighs with salt or pepper??
Lauren Keating says
02/08 at 3:34 pmThe soy sauce adds salt and sriracha adds heat, so you don’t really need black pepper.
Angela says
07/14 at 2:17 pm..Then add Salt and Pepper
Cassandra says
09/25 at 7:38 amThis recipe worked well with boneless, skinless thighs too! Made it with skinny fried rice! So good!
Lauren Keating says
09/25 at 6:04 pmgood to know!
christina says
04/28 at 5:32 pmdo you have nutritional information for this recipe? I found it by searching “healthy chicken thigh recipes,” so I was hoping to have some calorie, fat, sodium detail.
thanks – it looks delicious!
Lauren Keating says
04/28 at 5:44 pmI don’t have information for this recipe offhand (it was written before I started adding that info to each recipe) but I use this site to calculate it. You can just copy/paste so it’s pretty easy. http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php?process=resubmit&count=29
(you can reduce the fat content pretty dramatically by using skinless thighs – or even breasts – but I love the crispy skin so I’m always willing to “splurge” a little on it.)
Paula - bell'alimento says
02/04 at 10:18 amChicken thighs are da best.
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Sam Reimer says
04/12 at 5:20 pmI cooked this for dinner, but it came out very dry (I am a college student, so I may have screwed something up). Any suggestions? Tasted great though!
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says
04/15 at 9:38 amDon’t blame being a student – recipes can go wrong for anyone! I’ve never had a problem with thighs being dry (they’re a pretty juicy cut) but there are a few things that come to mind. Dryness usually comes from being overcooked, so yours may have been a little smaller than the ones I used (mine were about 1/2 pound each). My other thought is that your oven might run a little hot – especially if you’re in a dorm or are renting a place with older appliances. If that’s the case, you might want to try them at 400* next time, and keep an eye on them because they might be done a little sooner.
I hope that helps!
Kari says
03/24 at 9:03 pmI tried this tonight, and it was amazing! This is the best glazed chicken I’ve ever made. I’ll definitely be making it again! Thank you!
Lauren Keating says
03/25 at 6:57 pmThank you for the report back! I’m always happy to know when my recipes work out well for people. I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Kirsten@FarmFreshFeasts says
03/14 at 1:31 pmLauren,
Yum!
I’m saving this for when I have something other than ground chicken and BSCB (which is what I’ve got today).
I bet it’d be great on a roast chicken, too!
Michelle @ Taste As You Go says
02/21 at 1:31 pmThese look great! I think you need to update the cook time, though. You have 15 minutes listed right now, but according to your recipe, it should be closer to 30-35 minutes.
Lauren Keating says
02/21 at 8:18 pmWhoops! Thanks for catching that, Michelle. All fixed. I was rushing to get it posted after work since the post has initially gone up without the recipe, and my eyes skipped right over that second step in the oven. 🙂
Michelle @ Taste As You Go says
02/21 at 8:29 pmOf course! Glad to be of service 🙂
Melissa says
02/16 at 11:24 pmI made this a few nights ago with a healthy fried rice. WOW! My whole family ate it up and I was upset I didn’t cook extra! Fantastic recipe!
Melissa says
02/16 at 11:24 pmI made this a few nights ago with a healthy fried rice. WOW! My whole family ate it up and I was upset I didn’t cook extra! Fantastic recipe!
Melissa says
02/16 at 11:23 pmI made this a few nights ago with a healthy fried rice. WOW! My whole family ate it up and I was upset I didn’t cook extra! Fantastic recipe!
Suzi says
02/14 at 12:12 amHoly Cow this recipe is spot on!! I made it for dinner tonight, and it was amazing!
Angela Vlachos Ruth says
02/11 at 11:32 amSo, where’s the recipe? looks amazing and I just bought some local honey and have a great spice woman at the Sunday Market who has everything you ever ask us to get!
Lauren Keating says
02/11 at 11:41 amThere appears to have been a technical glitch… not sure where the recipe went! I’ll fix it when I get home later tonight. (Luckily I keep hard copies of them all!)
Doug says
02/11 at 11:17 amwould love the recipe for these but I don’t see it here with the write-up.
The pictures look great!!