This Honey Garlic Chicken is a popular favorite with my long-time readers. Whole chicken legs are marinated, then roasted, then slathered with a delectable aromatic sauce. The result is a tender, amazing, and flavorful entree. Golden, crispy-skinned chicken with a sweet-and-savory honey sauce – what could be better? This recipe is easy enough for a weeknight, yet special enough for a holiday.
This Honey Garlic Chicken recipe developed as I was imagining economical entrees for a Passover Seder meal. This chicken recipe has become a mainstay main dish in my home for a multitude of special occasions – Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, Shabbat, or any family gathering.
Whole chicken legs are the least expensive chicken pieces to purchase. In addition, they also happen to be the most flavorful. Slow roasted dark meat chicken cooks up tender and juicy thanks to a flavorful marinade. A thick, garlicky honey sauce provides a mouthwatering flavor combination.
If you’re not a fan of dark meat chicken, bone-in breasts will work great too. Breasts take less time to cook through, so use a meat thermometer and check for doneness periodically. Don’t use boneless skinless here, the bone-in meat cooks up much more flavorful.
I like to put the chicken pieces on a platter in the center of the table, along with a gravy boat of sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley or greens for a pretty presentation.
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Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken pieces, bone in, skin on
- 1/3 cup honey, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Heaping tablespoon crushed garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh Meyer lemon juice (you may substitute lime juice or regular lemon juice)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons potato starch
- Salt and pepper
NOTES
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, 1/4 cup honey, brown sugar, garlic, lemon or lime juice, and cayenne to form a marinade.
- Spray the bottom of a glass or ceramic baking dish with nonstick cooking oil, or brush lightly with olive oil. Place the chicken pieces into the dish, skin side up. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper (if using kosher chicken, salt lightly).
- Pour the marinade evenly over the top of the chicken pieces, brushing them to coat. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Let the chicken marinate for 2 hours up to overnight.When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish. Spoon marinade over the top of the chicken, then cover the baking dish with foil. Pierce the edges of the foil a few times to vent.
- Roast the chicken for 1 hour, covered in foil, basting the chicken with marinade and drippings 2 or 3 times while it cooks. Remove foil and continue to roast for 20-30 more minutes until the skin becomes dark brown and crispy. It may blacken a bit in places due to the sugar content of the marinade.Transfer cooked chicken pieces to a platter. Carefully tip the baking dish so that the pan drippings and juices gather in one corner. Use a spoon to skim off the clear liquid fat from the top, separating it from the solid drippings. Discard the fat.
- Strain the remaining drippings through a mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Heat the sauce slowly over medium.
- While sauce is heating, in a small bowl stir together 2 tsp potato starch and ¼ cup cold water until dissolved. Add the starch mixture to the pan drippings, along with 1 tbsp honey and ¼ cup white wine or chicken broth. Stir the sauce over medium heat until it thickens and bubbles around the edges. If sauce is too thick, add more water or chicken broth. If the sauce is too thin, let it simmer till it thickens to desired consistency. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the chicken pieces drizzled with warm honey sauce.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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This recipe is a hit! The perfect marinade. I cook it on a bed of mixed veggies (potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic) and everything cooks beautifully together. Everything comes out moist and flavorful. Thank you!
Rivka- do you just put the vegetables in with the chicken and let everything cook at once? ?
Hi. I was wondering what temperature and length of cooking you’d recommend for chicken breasts…both bone-in and boneless.
Would you change anything else in the directions if using the boneless breasts?
Sorry, for some reason the 2016 comments didn’t show up at first. See them now. See that Melissa used boneless skinless breasts @ 350 degrees. Should they still be covered with foil? Should 350 be the temp for bone-in breasts, as well? How would you adjust the cooking time for breasts instead of thighs?
Hi Deborah– if it were me, I would pound the breasts flat, marinate, and then use the cooking instructions in this post for chicken breasts: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2011/12/smoked-paprika-chicken/ You might want to keep it a little further from the broiler so the garlic won’t burn.
I took out the major breast bone after it cooked before I put on sauce and on platter. I find breast w.out bone is tougher and dryer. Perfect for Rosh Hashanah….honey garlic. Thank you for a new dish.
What cooking times/temperature would you use if you were doing this recipes with all chicken breasts (bone-in skin on)?
I’m making this with boneless chicken breasts. I saw someone had done this (yay!) and someone asked if you lowered cooking temperature to 350 which is what I was thinking since I don’t have skin. can someone advise? making for a seder.
350 degrees F should be fine, just make sure you don’t overcook them or they’ll become dry. You might want to pound the breasts flat before cooking for a faster and more even result. Good luck
Haj Tori it is first time for my to write and I file too much good with your recepi .All it is very good thanks a lot
Mine is still marinading for the night but I did a test run on a chicken piece. It was really delicious, though I did make some tweaks. I added 2 tbsp of worcester sauce, about 1 tbsp of powdered ginger( was too lazy to grate fresh), and a heapful tbsp of black pepper. It was absolutely fantastic on the wing I baked. Thanks for the simple yet flavorful recipe.
This is the best homemade chicken glaze that I have ever had. I marinated chicken breast fillets overnight in this sauce which made it have outstanding flavor! I barbecued my chicken instead of baking it, I think it turned out even better that way, I also didn’t even have to add the extra glaze on top after it was cooked. The overnight soak really added all the flavor it needed.
HI
I see you are baking just chicken tights.
Will it work with the whole chicken?
I like chicken baked whole better (plus my family is divided on tight eaters and breast eaters 😉 ), but I see a problem with the marinating process. Would require a lot more marinade.
Have you tried it ever this way?
Hi Magdalena– the recipe is for 4 pounds of chicken pieces. They can be any cut, dark meat or light meat, as long as there are 4 pounds total there will be plenty of marinade. Enjoy!
Made it last night and it was a huge hit. We didn’t use the honey sauce as it would’ve taken too long in the middle of the seder. The chicken was flavorful and tender. Definitely cook it until it is a deep golden. Didn’t dry out at all. Next time we’ll make the sauce!
So happy to hear that MJS 🙂 Chag Sameach
Super yummy! Sauce was perfect and chicken really moist. I actually did not cut up my chicken but used a whole 3 lb bird. I love that the sauce was not too over powering. My 2 year old kept asking for more
How do I find and save this recipe on pinterest?
Hi Heidi– you can use the “Pin it” button (button at the top of this post) to save it to your Pinterest account, or you can follow my Pinterest boards here:
http://www.pinterest.com/toriavey/
This was beautiful. I had no cayenne pepper or chicken broth/white wine so I substituted with paprika and a weak traditional gravy mix in around 250ml of water. So good. Thanks for the recipe:)
*sorry, I meant about 1/2 cup weak gravy mix
You’re welcome! 🙂
Tori how would i reheat the honey garlic chicken i made this evening and my dad wasnt feeling well so he left it thanks
Hi Cheryl, I would reheat it in a roasting pan/dish in the oven at 325 degrees F with perhaps a bit of chicken broth in the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t go dry, for about 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.
Thanks tori did exactly that and it worked out fine love this recipe do it all the time thanks for your wonderful recipes always
You’re welcome! 🙂
Tori
I want to do this with 4 drumsticks made marinade should i just do the same cooking time as the chicken .What do you think .Thanks
Hi Cheryl– if they are small drumsticks, try roasting them covered for 45 minutes then uncovered until brown. For larger drumsticks (attached to thighs) stick to the recommended cook times.
Hello tori. Is your honey garlic sauce the same recipe as the Chinese honey garlic sauce?
Hi Hansy– no, this is different. Still yummy, but different. 🙂
I made this for our seder last night! except I used maple syrup instead of honey. It was DELICIOUS. I put it together in the morning and let it marinate all day. I used kosher chicken – the sauce at the end was perfect.
Great Nina! Thank you for reporting back.
I LOVE this recipe. It has become my go to chicken for Shabbat. I would like to make this for Passover but for later in the holiday (maybe Shabbat or after). Does it freeze well? Thanks!
Hi Sharon, I’ve never frozen cooked chicken on the bone like this so honestly I’m not sure how it will turn out. Theoretically it should work, but you need to be sure and freeze it as soon as it cools after cooking– don’t leave it out or bacteria will start to grow. I can’t speak to quality and flavor here, as I haven’t done it myself. Here are some freezing guidelines from the FDA that might help:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/ucm109315.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm093704.htm
Thanks that is exactly how it turns out So I am good on this one as always
Thanks Tori
Its browning but is it supposed to get crisp the skin .Just wondering .
Have a happy passover to you and yours ..
The skin won’t be super crispy, but it shouldn’t be wet or soft either. As long as it’s browning, that is the most important thing. Happy Passover. 🙂