With a little sweet and a little heat the sauce on this chicken is amazing. It is the perfect way to make chicken moist, tender and delicious. Honey and brown sugar are the perfect ways to achieve such deliciousness.

LOOK AT THAT GLAZE!
In this recipe for honey brown chicken, I will show you how to get the gorgeous glaze on your chicken. Honey is a great way to achieve the glaze. This chicken is sweet, spicy and comes out tender every time! In this recipe you will use two techniques to cook your chicken. One is pan searing the chicken, the other is baking the chicken.
- Sear- To caramelize the natural sugars in the meat and brown the proteins, forming a rich brown crust on the surface of the meat that elevates the savory flavor of the finished dish.
- Bake- The process of cooking by dry heat, normally using a oven.
KEY INGREDIENTS FOR HONEY BROWN CHICKEN
- Chicken thighs- These can be bone in or deboned. If you don’t have thighs chicken breast is another option.
- Brown Sugar- Has a rich flavor that blends well in sauces.
- Honey- Gives you a beautiful glazed appearance. Honey is also a pantry staple you should always have on hand!

STEPS TO MAKE HONEY BROWN CHICKEN
- Heat your oven to 375° f.
- Trim your chicken thighs down removing any extra fat. Use kitchen shears or a paring knife for this step.
- Place your chicken in a bowl. Add garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasonings, and kosher salt.
- Heat your cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Once your skillet is hot add two teaspoons of butter and 2 tbsp. of olive oil.
- Once the butter and oil is bubbling, add your chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side down.
- Once the chicken is golden brown and the skin is crispy, it’s time to turn it over.
- Once your chicken is golden on both sides. Move your cast iron skillet into the oven.
- Heat a small sauce pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, honey, brown sugar, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Continually stir your sauce until your sugar has dissolved. Once the glaze starts to bubble rapidly remove from the heat.
- Remove your chicken from the oven, pour glaze over the top of chicken, using a basting brush to spread the glaze.
- Place your chicken back into the oven for 10-12 minutes. This will allow time for the glaze to stick to the skin. Once the internal temperature has reached 165° f, remove your chicken from the oven. Serve HOT and enjoy!

TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Try to use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets help develop a rich flavor in this dish. It also helps maintain even heat while cooking
- Don’t rush when cooking the chicken. Make sure that your chicken gets cooked completely at 165F before serving.
- Taste your food and make the necessary adjustments.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CHICKEN
If the internal temperature at the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 F, your chicken is cooked. You can also, cut or poke a small hole in the thickest part of the chicken near the thigh. If the juices that run out are clear, with no blood, your chicken is cooked.
MORE CONTENT YOU MIGHT LIKE:
- Roasted Chicken
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Tortilla Soup

Honey Brown Chicken
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
- Oven
- Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken thighs skin on trimmed
- 1 tbsp. Garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. Onion powder
- 1 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1 tbsp. Smoked paprika
- 2 tsp. Kosher salt
- 4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter divided
- 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- ½ Lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp. Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. Honey
- 3-5 tsp. Hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 375° f.
- Trim your chicken thighs down removing any extra fat. Use kitchen shears or a paring knife for this step.
- Place your chicken in a bowl. Add garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasonings, and kosher salt.
- Heat your cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Once your skillet is hot add two teaspoons of butter and 2 tbsp. of olive oil.
- Once the butter and oil is bubbling, add your chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side down.
- Once the chicken is golden brown and the skin is crispy, it’s time to turn it over.
- Once your chicken is golden on both sides. Move your cast iron skillet into the oven.
- Heat a small sauce pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, honey, brown sugar, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Continually stir your sauce until your sugar has dissolved. Once the glaze starts to bubble rapidly remove from the heat.
- Remove your chicken from the oven, pour glaze over the top of chicken, using a basting brush to spread the glaze.
- Place your chicken back into the oven for 10-12 minutes. This will allow time for the glaze to stick to the skin. Once the internal temperature has reached 165° f, remove your chicken from the oven. Serve HOT and enjoy!
Love this! Kids enjoyed it and it wasn’t hard to make.
Thanks Laura! I’m so glad you tried it and Avery and Brooke liked it!
This was so good! We used boneless thighs and 3/4 of the kids at the table loved it! It disappeared off the platter!
This was a hit for me and my friends!
Omg! Instant addition to the dinner rotation!!! Full of flavor and best of all, no dry chicken. Even the picky eating kids liked it!
Amber is getting down in the kitchen. I Love it!