Easy Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs are baked in an oven or air fryer, and as a bonus includes the best recipe for a whole, oven baked, crispy honey chicken.

Honey Baked Chicken Thighs

Easy Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs are a favorite of ours and have been for a very long time. My son used to devour and request these easy baked honey chicken thighs all the time.

Too frequently as a matter of fact.

We used to prepare these chicken thighs using a different method and did for years. But, after doing some experimenting, we believe our new method is far superior than the original.

Luckily, my son agrees. 😊

However, if you’re a fan of the original recipe you can still find it inside the text of this post. Just in case you’re wondering where it is. I still ask that you try consider giving the new method a try.

I believe you will be glad you did. That being said the decision is up to you!

These chicken thighs are definitely delicious and a perfect busy weeknight meal. Actually, perfect any time.

The crispy skin, which unfortunately is my favorite part, is simply irresistible!

Easy Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs require very few ingredients and very little time. This recipe takes less than an hour from start to finish. The finished product is so good it will seem like you spent all day in the kitchen!

This chicken just about goes with any side dish you can think of too.

I use bone in, skin on chicken thighs for this recipe. The bone helps the chicken retain all of it’s moisture. Is there anything worse than dry, flavorless chicken?

Baked Honey Chicken Recipe

As I mentioned, the skin is my favorite part of this dish. Yes, the chicken is super moist and tastes amazing. I just have a long standing love hate relationship with chicken skin.

I try not to eat it and remove it every chance I get, except with a few recipes and this honey roasted chicken recipe is one of them.

The simple mixture of flavors you brush on the chicken makes the skin irresistibly crispy and flavorful.

You do have to wait until the chicken, and its skin, are almost totally cooked before glazing it. Honey can and will burn if not used properly.

Instead of broiling or baking the chicken thighs with honey for their entire cook time like we used to, we bake the chicken thighs almost completely first.

Then we bake on a delicious, thick, layer of the best honey glaze.

We first had to make sure the skin was crispy and perfect. It just had to be perfect or I figure, what was the point in making baked honey chicken?

Crispy Honey Chicken Recipe

I received so many requests for a how to make and roast a whole honey chicken, that I have included the recipe below for you all to look at. It isn’t listed with the recipe. I just included a page for you to copy or print if desired.

You will see the link, just click on it!

I usually use one chicken that is between 3 1/2 and 4 pounds.

If I am having company, instead of making one large chicken, I make two small ones. The cook time is so much less and I figure the more chicken wings, thighs and drumsticks the better!

The only difference between the honey roasted chicken thigh recipe and the recipe that uses an whole chicken, is the additional serving gravy or sauce.

Call it what you want but this gravy is oh so, so very tasty.

We make the gravy or sauce using the sweet pan drippings from the chicken and serve it with the chicken. As a result of partially cooking the chicken with glaze on it, you end up with mild honey flavor in the gravy or sauce.

Boy oh boy is it good. On mashed potatoes or rice. Heavenly.

My wish is you try that recipe at least once and let me know what you thought of it.

I can’t wait to hear. There is nothing like having an excellent chicken or chickens recipe in your arsenal. One that can be made easily in no time at all.

One that requires only a few simple, non offensive ingredients. A recipe that everyone will enjoy.

Afterall, who won’t enjoy a little honey glazed all over a chicken?

This Crispy Honey Roasted Chicken is that recipe.

Honey Roasted Chicken Recipe

Now back to this Easy Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs recipe. There is something about roasting a chicken and covering it with a wonderful honey glaze that makes my mouth water.

Even if I hadn’t made this honey roasted chicken recipe so many times already. I just think honey and chicken go perfectly together and I can’t stop talking about it.

I also love how often chicken thighs go on sale. Especially chicken thighs with bones and skin on. I just feel lucky every time I get a deal even though I know there will always be another deal, right around the corner.

It’s funny. I just remembered my late father, sitting at the kitchen table, telling me that you can go broke saving money. He was and is correct!

I still have to try hard not to pack my freezer so full that you can’t stuff another thing inside it or worse things fall out when you open it. I’m embarrassed to say it but it’s true.

At least now I am organized. My dad would be proud.

For the record, my dad ate peanut butter and honey every morning of his life. He loved honey and devoured these chicken thighs when we made them the old way.

I can only imagine how much he would have loved our updated version.

Now I’m changing the subject back to this incredible recipe.

Roast Chicken with Honey Glaze

As I mentioned, I have always believed that honey and chicken go absolutely beautifully together. They were meant to be and this recipe absolutely proves it.

The chicken thighs are excellent and the entire honey roasted chicken is divine.

This is definitely our favorite glaze for a whole chicken in the oven.

To make the glaze we reduce apple cider vinegar and honey together in a saucepan, on your stove. Honey burns so easily.

We used to use olive oil but the cider vinegar works so much better to prevent the honey from burning.

Cider vinegar also adds an excellent flavor to the honey and you can never have too much flavor.

So, after placing your chicken inside your oven or air fryer you need to get started on your glaze.

If you’re making an entire chicken you make the glaze after your chicken goes into the oven. You make the gravy while your chicken or chickens are resting, waiting to be carved and served.

The timing is perfect and the result incredible.

Hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do.

This is our updated recipe and again, in our opinion, makes the BEST Honey Baked Chicken Thighs. I’m pretty sure you will agree!

Ingredients in Honey Baked Chicken Thighs

8 (6-8 oz) chicken thighs, bone in, skin on, cleaned, trimmed

Rub

salt
pepper

Honey Glaze

liquid honey
apple cider vinegar
cornstarch
water

How to Make Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs

I highly recommend you fully preheat your oven with a rimmed baking sheet covered in tinfoil. You will be working with a baking sheet that is already at temperature when you are adding your chicken.

Adjust your oven racks to the middle and lowest positions. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees,

Using the tip of a sharp knife or a metal skewer, poke 10 to 15 holes into the skin side of each chicken thigh. Yes 10 to 15 times. Right through the skin and into the flesh.

At your workstation, or using a cutting board, liberally sprinkle both sides of each chicken thigh with salt and pepper. Rub seasoning right into each thigh as you go and place in pile on your cutting board.

Remove your preheated baking sheet from your oven and place beside your workstation or cutting board.

Working carefully, and as quickly as possible, place each seasoned chicken thigh in your hand, one at a time, skin side up. Spray the skin side with a light coating of cooking spray and immediately place, skin side down, on top of the hot baking sheet.

Repeat until all chicken thighs have been sprayed and placed on baking sheet. Return hot pan to oven on the bottom rack.

Start preparing your honey glaze if using.

Honey Glaze

Combine cornstarch and water in a bowl until dissolved. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, over medium high heat, bring honey and only 4 tablespoons of the vinegar to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce temperature to medium low and continue to simmer, stirring periodically, until mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Usually between 4 or 5 minutes.

Add cornstarch mixture.

Whisk until blended and continue to simmer for a 2 to 3 more minutes. The mixture will thicken. Keep warm over low heat until needed.

Rotate your pan, as quickly as possible, at the ten minute mark for even baking.

Bake until skin is beginning to brown and meat registers 160 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pan.

Remove your chicken thighs from your oven and turn your broiler on.

Flip each of your chicken thighs over and return your baking sheet to the middle rack inside your oven as it preheats.

Broil chicken thighs, skin side up, until skin is golden brown and crispy, another 5 minutes or so.

Turn your ovens temperature down to 450 degrees.

Ideally, using a brush, coat your chicken evenly with a thick layer of glaze. You have to wait until the chicken and its skin is almost totally cooked before glazing it. Honey can and will burn if not used properly.

Bake until glaze is a beautiful golden brown, around 5 more minutes. Rotate pan if needed.

Make sure your chicken thighs are over 170 degrees before removing them from the oven to rest.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board, or wherever you want the chicken to rest. Brush with remaining glaze, and allow to rest a few more minutes before serving.

Serve chicken and enjoy every bite!

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

It’s so funny. Ever since I bought an air fryer I have been trying to make as many things as I can with it.

I just want to see the differences in how things taste. Plus, I’m just excited with my new kitchen toy. My husband thinks a new car should excite me but no.

Kitchen gadgets get me every time and right now I am loving this air fryer.

I just had to include this recipe for how to make chicken thighs in your air fryer. Just in case you want to know how we do it.

chicken thighs, trimmed
vegetable oil

Spice Rub

salt
pepper

Pat chicken thighs with paper towels.

Using a sharp knife or metal skewer, poke 10 to 15 holes in skin of each chicken thigh.

Rub with oil and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

Arrange chicken thighs in air fryer basket, spaced evenly apart and skin side up.

Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees.

Cook until chicken THIGHS are well browned and crisp and register 195 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes, rotating chicken halfway through cooking but DO NOT flip the chicken.

The problem with exact timing is that chicken thighs range in size. If you have smaller thighs, check at 20 minutes and large thighs check at 26 minutes or more.

Once cooked, coat them with a thick layer of honey glaze if desired, using a brush if possible.

Bake for another 3 – 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and coat with more glaze.

Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.

Serve and enjoy every bite!

Crispy Honey Chicken Recipe

I just had to include this recipe, as a sort of BONUS if you will. We have been making it for years and absolutely love it.

This Honey Roasted Chicken is amazing and includes the best glaze for a whole chicken in an oven.

I wish I came up with the recipe myself but this recipe was originally adapted from cookscountry.com. I just have to take a moment to thank them.

If I am having company I will make this recipe and just buy two chickens. We look at it like double the wing, legs and thighs.

My husband and son just love them. I feel lucky because they both prefer dark chicken meat and I prefer the white chicken breast meat.

I also have to mention that we use a V-rack to bake our chickens and absolutely love it. You can purchase a v-rack with a pan like this one or sold individually like this V-rack.

They are reasonably priced and are definitely worth the investment in my opinion. Baking chickens became so much tastier.

I couldn’t believe it myself.

If you decide to purchase the v-rack all by itself watch the size of the individual v-rack you are purchasing to make sure it will fit inside your pan. They are not all the same size.

Also, consider buying one large enough to hold two chickens. Just in case the need arises.

Cooking two smaller chickens takes a lot less time than a large one, which makes this chicken dinner possible if you’re in a hurry or want to do it during the week.

If making two chickens:

double the ingredients
you don’t need to increase the cook time for the chickens
the glaze WILL take double the time to reduce while simmering
you do NOT need to add more water and broth to your roasting pan after you flip your chicken or chickens over

So many have asked if I had a recipe for an entire honey chicken or a glaze for a whole chicken in the oven and I decided just to add it here. Hope you don’t mind. I have included the recipe on a page for you to print or copy.

CRISPY HONEY ROASTED CHICKEN

If you are not interested in roasting an entire chicken in your oven just skip over this part. However, if you ever change your mind, I urge you to try it.

Honey Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), innards or giblets reserved for another use or discarded
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup (plus 1 tablespoon water to mix blend cornstarch)
1/2 cup honey
5 tablespoons cider vinegar, divided
1 cup chicken broth
1 – 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 – 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and chilled

Adjust your oven rack to middle position and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl combine salt, pepper and paprika.

Rinse and pat chicken dry with paper towels.

Rub mixture under and over top of the skin of the chicken. Start by gently lifting and seasoning under the skin as best you can.

Tuck wings behind back, and tie legs together with kitchen twine.

Combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl until dissolved. Set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium high heat, bring honey and only 4 tablespoons of the vinegar to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce temperature to medium low and continue to simmer, stirring periodically, until mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Usually between 4 or 5 minutes.

Add cornstarch mixture.

Whisk until blended and continue to simmer for a 2 to 3 more minutes. The mixture will thicken.

Arrange your chicken, breast side down, on a v-rack inside the roasting pan for best results.

Bake until turning golden in color, around 35 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven and, using wad of paper towels, flip chicken breast side up.

If you have a better way to flip the chicken over do it. The paper towel trick is the easiest way I have found to flip the chicken over without damaging the chicken or making a huge chicken mess.

Increase your ovens temperature to 450 degrees.

Pour 1 cup water and all of the broth into your roasting pan.

Return the chicken to your oven while it preheats. Bake until chicken thigh meat is 165 to 170 degrees, 30 to 40 more minutes.

Ideally, using a brush, coat your chicken evenly with a thick layer of glaze. Make sure to cover your chicken as best you can.

Continue to roast until glaze is a beautiful golden brown, about 10 more minutes. After 6 minutes, keep an eye on the color of your chicken so it doesn’t burn.

You have to wait until the chicken and its skin is almost cooked before glazing it. Honey can and will burn if not used properly.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board, or wherever you want the chicken to rest. Brush with remaining glaze, and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

In the meantime, pour all of your pan juices into your saucepan on medium high.

Skim fat if desired. I never do.

There will be a mild honey flavor in your pan drippings.

Add thyme and bring to a boil.

Reduce temperature to medium low and simmer until sauce thickens to about a cup, around 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and using a whisk add in butter and remaining vinegar.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carve your chicken and serve with the additional sauce.

Enjoy every bite!

CRISPY HONEY ROASTED CHICKEN

This is our original recipe from so many years ago. You are more than welcome to try it. It is definitely delicious.

Original Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe

chicken thighs, bone in, skin, on
2 tablespoons liquid honey
4 teaspoons oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne, chipotle or any hot pepper, if desired
cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and a light coating of cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine honey, olive oil, salt and pepper or peppers (if using both) in a small bowl and stir.

Using a brush, paint tops of each chicken thigh evenly with mixture.

Place onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until skin is nice and crispy and chicken is cooked.

I like to broil for a few minutes at the end to finish chicken skin off nicely. We love crispy skin! Enjoy!

Creative Chicken Thigh Recipes

Balsamic Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs

Honey Lemon Soy Chicken Thighs

Bacon Wrapped Garlic Chicken Thighs

Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs

Incredible Chicken Thighs

The Crispiest Baked Chicken Thighs

Barbecue Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs

Dark and Delicious Chicken Thighs

Balsamic Glazed Garlic Chicken Thighs

Garlic Chicken Thighs

Pan and Oven Baked Chicken Thighs