Honey Brown Chicken

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Honey brown chicken will become a weeknight staple. 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 ON THOSE THIGHS

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. I love to use fresh honey form local farmers in town. It’s always great to support local if you can.
• Hot Sauce– I like to use any hot sauce that you have on hand. Louisiana Brand Hot sauce is what sauce I used for this recipe. We always have a bottle of this in our pantry.

STEPS TO MAKE HONEY BROWN CHICKEN

1. Heat your oven to 375° f.
2. Trim your chicken thighs down removing any extra fat. Use kitchen shears or a paring knife for this step.
3. Place your chicken in a bowl. Add garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasonings, and kosher salt.
4. 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.
5. Once the butter and oil is bubbling, add your chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side down.
6. Once the chicken is golden brown and the skin is crispy, it’s time to turn it over.
7. Once your chicken is golden on both sides. Move your cast iron skillet into the oven.
8. 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.
9. Remove your chicken from the oven, pour glaze over the top of chicken, using a basting brush to spread the glaze.
10. 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

WHAT PAIRS WELL WITH HONEY BROWN CHICKEN

• Mashed potatoes; Adding mashed potatoes to this dish will give you a full and satisfying dinner. I enjoy using small red potatoes. They are small and don’t take much time at all to cook. Once they are cooked add milk, butter, cheeses and salt.
• Rice; Wild rive, brown rice or white rice are all good pairing options. They are perfect for soaking up some of the sauce from the chicken.
• Roasted vegetables; Adding bright and freshly roasted vegetables is a great addition. You can drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil and add your favorite seasonings.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVEERS

If there are any leftovers. It is best to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

HOW TO REHEAT YOUR HONEY BROWN CHICKEN

The best and most efficient way to reheat your chicken is in the oven or air fryer on the reheat setting. This will allow for the glaze to become crispy again. Also, chicken thighs have a high fat content so they are less likely to dry out when reheating them.

HOW TO FREEZE YOUR CHICKEN

Place your leftover chicken in a Ziploc bag and seal it. Before sealing, try to remove as much moisture as possible. They will stay fresh in the freezer for 3-5 months.

MORE CONTENT YOU MIGHT LIKE:

Honey Brown Chicken

I created this recipe to make your taste buds dance. It is hands down one of my favorite ways to make chicken. With a little sweet and a little heat, this chicken will give you all the feels. One of my most requested recipes by far!

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 6

Calories 285 kcal

Equipment

• Cast iron skillet
• Oven
• Sauce Pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 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!

Notes

You can make this recipe on the grill by doing the same steps. When you add the glaze, I would still use the oven to finish. Just so the sugars don’t burn from the flames of the grill.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 19gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 673mgPotassium: 338mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1043IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Meat

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