I love creating recipes, restaurant reviews and travel guides, but to keep this site going I sometimes feature sponsored posts (which are all clearly marked) and I also use cookies and affiliate links (so if I link to a product I love, and you click my link and buy it, I make a bit of money!) In recent posts these are all clearly marked with *. Please note archive posts are still being updated. Additionally, I use Google Analytics to collect some (anonymised!) data about your visit. You can find out more by reading my Privacy Policy.
By hitting okay and proceeding to my site, you are agreeing to your data being used in this way.
Sometimes you just want to throw some chicken in a dish with some sauce and leave it to bake for dinner so you get something simple, saucy, and perfect to serve with a quick bowl of rice and perhaps some quickly blanched pak choi on the side. For evenings like that, you need to try these Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs. I know so many recipes say this, but they really are super-simple to make!
All you need to do is combine the sauce ingredients in the bottom of a baking dish, give them a mix, add the chicken, mix again and bake, just turning halfway. Honestly, the trickiest part of this recipe is peeling the ginger and the garlic, and making quick work of them on your finest grater or microplane.
Sambal or Chilli Bean Sauce?
To give this chicken a bit of a kick, you want a paste with a bit of heat. I tested this with a few different options I had in the fridge, and looking for something that added flavour without overwhelming the main honey-soy thing this chicken has going on I settled on either sambal (a pounded chilli paste found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore) or Chinese chilli bean paste to give the best results. It honestly doesn’t matter which you use. If you don’t have either of them and you’re wondering what else you can do with the jar you’ll be getting for this recipe, I use sambal in my Chilli Garlic Courgette Stir Fry and my Spicy Prawn and Avocado Bowls. I use chilli bean paste in my Wild Garlic and Chicken Stir Fry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this honey soy chicken recipe make good leftovers?
Yes! You’ll notice most of my recipes serve two, or serve four because the leftovers keep. This recipe serves 3-4 and I always make the full amount as the chicken is delicious sliced into wraps and over the top of future rice bowls.
What should I serve this chicken with?
I’ve pictured it above with my Thai Coconut Rice and it is an absolutely delicious combination, and it also works really well with my Sesame Pak Choi. But, any slightly sticky, aromatic rice and light Asian-style green will work well – perfect for soaking up all that delicious sauce!
Can I make these honey soy baked chicken thighs gluten free?
I know I’m probably preaching to the choir of those of you who need a gluten free diet, but if you’re cooking for someone else and you’re unsure you need to swap the soy sauce for tamari, and check your brands of hoisin sauce / sambal / chilli bean sauce to make sure they’re gluten free friendly!
Just mix the marinade in the bottom of the baking dish, toss in some chicken and bake – that is all you need to do to make this super simple, super delicious Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs recipe for dinner tonight!
Ingredients
Scale
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp sambal or chilli bean sauce
1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 garlic garlic clove, finely grated
thumb size piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
6 skinless boneless chicken thighs
toasted sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
In the bottom of a baking dish about the size to fit the chicken pieces snugly, whisk together all the ingredients except for the chicken and the sesame seeds. Add the chicken, and toss until it is well coated in the marinade. Arrange in a single layer.
Bake for 30 minutes, turning the chicken pieces halfway.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds just before serving.
I'm a food writer, professional recipe developer and cookbook author living in the English Countryside. I love creating easy, accessable recipes filled with vibrant world flavours that are manageable on busy weeknights. Simple and delicious dinners, from my kitchen to yours!
One Pan Pescatarian: 100 Delicious Dinners – Veggie, Vegan, Fish
My second cookbook contains 100 delicious dinner recipes, all of which are either vegetarian, vegan or which celebrate fish and seafood - all cooked in either one pot or one pan.*
Discussion