Have dinner on the table in just 30 minutes with these ultra-juicy, honey-baked chicken thighs. Naturally dairy-free and gluten-free this busy weeknight dinner comes together with just a handful of ingredients and makes for a burst of sweetness in every bite.
Stop stressing about what to put on the table and whip up this healthy version of honey baked chicken thighs.
This gluten-free chicken dinner comes together easily but comes with a cozy, uplifting flavor. It's why I as a Certified Nutrition Coach love it!
Pair it with roasted root vegetables and steamed brown rice or use it in a pasta over gluten-free noodles. It’s versatile and perfect for busy moms.
It can also easily be subbed into a high-protein meal plan.
Why You’ll Love The Recipe
This is not your every day baked honey garlic chicken! Instead of a soy sauce-based honey garlic sauce, I've cut the teriyaki taste and gone straight to a sticky, sweet, paleo honey sauce.
Easy to make: eight basic ingredients and only 4 main steps to make it. All you need is thirty minutes and dinner is ready.
Meal prep: the honey baked chicken thighs are juicy and delicious the night you make them, but they also make a great wrap, salad, or easy lunch the next day too.
Kid-approved: because of the sweet flavor of the chicken thighs and their moist texture, even my kids love this recipe!
Variations
This baked chicken thighs recipe is pretty simple and straightforward. However, you can tweak them a bit depending on your personal preferences.
Make them keto: all you need to do is use a sugar-free honey and these baked chicken thighs become keto-approved.
Add some spice: I personally love a sweet and spicy flavor blend, add some red pepper flakes to the marinade and you’ll get some heat.
Teriyaki or honey garlic sauce: if you want to switch up the glaze, add a tablespoon of gluten-free soy sauce and a teaspoon of sesame oil to the mix.
Ingredients You Need
Skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs: one of the perks here is that these tend to be a lot cheaper than boneless skinless thighs. It also lets you cook the chicken thighs at a high temperature so that they’re done quickly. Bone in chicken thighs can also be made into air fryer lemon pepper chicken thighs and apple cider chicken thighs if you have extra.
Avocado oil: I use this oil because it has a high heat point. That said, any neutral-tasting oil will work.
Minced garlic: you can mince it yourself or opt for the store-bought jar variety. If you love the garlic flavor, feel free to add a bit more.
Honey: I like to use pure honey (raw, unpasteurized) but whatever you have in the cupboard should work. Don’t use creamed honey though as it doesn’t blend as well.
Lemon: helps to bring all the flavors together and hold onto the chicken. Fresh lemon juice will always be best.
Seasonings: the baked chicken uses thyme, salt, and onion powder. However, more can be added if you want to tweak the balance a bit.
Tips To Make It Perfectly
Chicken thighs work best for this recipe because it’s cooked so quickly. Though breasts may work they’re more likely to dry out.
Though the recipe calls for you to marinate the chicken for at least thirty minutes (and it will taste better if you do!), I have been known to just shake the bag and start cooking.
Make sure there’s a little space between the chicken thighs when you place them in the baking pan. This way they’re cooked evenly on all sides.
How To Make It
Step 1: Add all the ingredients to a plastic baggie and shake to combine.
Step 2: Add the chicken into the bag of honey sauce and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Portion the chicken into an oven-safe baking dish. Pour the remaining sticky sauce over top.
Step 5: Bake chicken thighs for 30-25 minutes until cooked through.
How To Store It
You can easily make this baked honey chicken ahead of time and let it marinate for up to a day before cooking it.
As for leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
The baked chicken can also be frozen in a sealed container for 2 months after it’s cooled. To use the chicken, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees until cooked through. You will need to add some water to the baking dish to keep it juicy.
How To Serve It
These honey baked chicken thighs can be served topped with green onions and with any of the following sides for a complete and delicious meal:
That said, once it’s cooled you can shred the chicken and the next day serve it in a quinoa wrap, mixed into noodles, or on top of an easy spinach salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the most accurate results, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of your chicken. You want it to reach 165F.
You can use boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. However, they don’t require as much cooking time so adjust as necessary.
Other Gluten-Free Chicken Dinner Recipes
- 15 minute chicken teriyaki and broccoli skillet
- Slow cooker tuscan chicken
- Oven baked teriyaki chicken thighs
Skip Dinner Stress
The Busy Mom's Cookbook is where frazzled moms get high-protein dinner on the table fast without sacrificing nutrition or sanity.
Keto Honey Baked Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Bone in and skin on chicken thighs
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 3 tsp. Minced garlic
- 4 Tbsp. Sugar free honey
- Juice from ½ a lemon
- 2 tsp. Dried thyme
- ½ tsp. Onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Add all of the ingredients to a Ziploc bag, and shake to combine.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Place the chicken into a 9x13 baking dish, and pour the remaining marinade over the chicken.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until browned and completely cooked through.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
cBogie says
First time on your website. Started this recipe to marinate on Wednesday. Cooked on Thursday. Following instructions, but did add the red pepper flakes, raw unpasteurized honey and doubled recipe as had a package of 10 boneless skinless pieces of chicken. Turned out great! Nice to know about keeping in frig and freezing. A real keeper. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
fitasamamabear says
Ah thank you millions for dropping by! I love that you doubled it, meal prep for the win!
Melody says
The spacing tip is very helpful that made sure the chicken were cooked evenly. A no-fuss recipe with a burst of flavor. So yum!
fitasamamabear says
Glad it worked out!
Atasha says
The chicken was perfectly cooked with a delicious caramelized glaze from the honey. I added some red pepper flakes for an extra spicy kick and it was so good!
fitasamamabear says
Mm pepper flakes would be perfect.
Delia says
The chicken was so juicy and the honey glaze added the perfect amount of sweetness. I served it with a kale salad on the side and it made a delicious and healthy meal. Can't wait to make this again!
fitasamamabear says
It's a great blend!
Maddy says
I got the perfect sweet and tangy flavors that I like! So good! This will be a regular at my house!
fitasamamabear says
Wahooo!
Hania says
This was my first time cooking with things and this was delicious. Absolutely loved the sauce. Didnt expect this sauce to taste this good with honey.
fitasamamabear says
Honey makes everything yummier!