Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
The best and easiest chicken ever, baked to crisp-tender perfection along with the most amazing sweet garlic sauce!
So I’ve been on a major chicken-thigh-kick lately. It’s weird because I never even thought I liked chicken thighs until I used it in this slow cooker honey sesame chicken. From there, I was hooked. But then I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the very first time in this pan roasted lemon chicken and I was in heaven.
From the honey mustard chicken to the chicken and mushroom skillet, I’m just loving the whole sear-first-then-roast method since it makes the most crisp-tender chicken thighs ever. It’s unbelievably juicy and yet you still have that amazing crust on top too.
And this sweet brown sugar, garlicky crust is to die for. I seriously wanted to guzzle it down. Or triple the sauce so I can serve it over everything and anything. I’m actually bummed that I didn’t because there was absolutely no sauce leftover here. I licked the plate clean and a single drop wasn’t left at all!
Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
- Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir in brown sugar, honey, oregano, thyme and basil until well combined. Return chicken to the skillet.
- Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Just made this for my Resurrection Sunday 2024 meal. It’s amazing! It came out beautiful looking and brown. It was easy to make. Did I say it taste so good? I wish I had made some extra sauce but it was just enough for me to drag my mashed potatoes in. Even my kids asked for more chicken. Try it…you won’t be disappointed.
Fantastic. Made it for my kids and grandkids they loved it. Served it with broccoli and egg noodles. Big hit. My grandson was in school and the teacher had them talk about their weekend and he said it was damn delicious. My daughter had to explain to the teacher. I really got a good laugh. Thanks
Excellent taste and easy to make. Didn’t know if I would like the thighs but now I am hooked.
Thanks again for another great recipe.
Delicious! Subbed onion powder for garlic because I had none and it worked great.
*When I added the brown sugar to the skillet, it would not mix with the butter. I added a splash of white wine in hopes it would help it emulsify and it did! Will turn the heat down lower next time before adding the sugar to see if it makes a difference.
**Careful with the hot pan handle after baking! I removed it from the oven with a mitt but forgot it was hot two minutes later and burned my fingers pretty bad.
Damn delicious is right! Didn’t change a thing. Will make again!
I tried your recipe today-it was delicious. Only made three chicken thighs but the whole recipe for the sauce-no other changes.
Awesome. Clean out your pan with brown rice and mixed veggies to soak up the remaining sauce.
I made one change, I used maple syrop instead of honey.
Excellent!
I have made this recipe countless times for my family. It’s always always always a huge hit!!
I made this a couple of weeks ago and just now got around to writing a review. My husband said that it was the best chicken he had ever eaten and he has eaten a lot of chicken in his lifetime! This chicken tastes absolutely wonderful and it is very easy to make. I will make this again tomorrow!
I burnt my hand the first time I made this but it tasted so good I made it again the next day. Wonderful dish. 10/10
So yummy! I love the sweetness and garlic flavor together, so good. Halfway through cooking the thighs I spoon more of the sauce over. I keep the sauce warm to pour over and OMG. YUM.
My all-time favorite chicken recipe! We eat this at least 2-3x/month! My husband always asks me to make the “Dang Good Chicken” recipe because…well, it’s that good! I’ve made it with boneless/skinless chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins, chicken breasts and it always turns out delicious. Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe!!
This did not turn out for me… I followed exactly but brown sugar was completely burned by 20 mins in the oven. I always use avocado oil instead of butter when I need to bake at high temperatures, but perhaps you can’t make the swap for this recipe? I tasted the tops of the chicken that didn’t burn and I could tell it would have had a nice flavor… I guess you HAVE to use butter?
The BEST!! I want to serve this for a special occasion dinner, could this be made ahead of time? Any reheating suggestions?
OH MY GOODNESS! This was soooo delicious! I made this recipe for guests and everyone was gushing about how delicious it was! Served it with mashed potatoes and green beans! Soo good! Such simple ingredients too! Definitely making this more often! YOU NEEEEEED TO MAKE THIS!
Easy and so tasty! I’ve made with and without bone/skin. we always cook without, but for this recipe, you really need the crispy, sweet skin in all its deliciousness! I don’t have a pan that goes in the oven so I cook the chicken set it aside, then do the marinade in the same pan. Then spread the marinade in a baking dish, and place the chicken skin down. I personally turn the chicken half way through baking so both sides are coated. And it smells fabulous while baking! I use some of the liquid and saute it with mushrooms and asparagus, put it over brown rice and YUM!!
Delicious, but very sticky and caramelized sauce…..so not really a sauce, but more of a goo. Any suggestions on how to make this more sauce like?
I usually add some chicken stock to make it more like a sauce! I make this recipe all the time and it’s so delicious!
Super easy to make and was sooooo delicious!!
AMAZING
Delicious added maple syrup instead of honey and it was awesome!
Wow! This was so tasty and easy.
I cooked it in the dutch oven with the lid off. Next time I will add more garlic, for my taste. At the same time I made a side of baked potato wedges, so it was great use of my time. This recipe is a keeper!
Absolutely amazing!!! It was so flavorful and my husband loved it, which is saying a lot. Will definitely add this to future meal plans.
We’ve made this countless times with bone-in and boneless thighs. Bone-in is best, but it works with boneless well also. I don’t recommend using breasts-you’ll want the extra fat to make these savory and delicious! And some mashed potatoes or rice to soak it up.
I can’t wait to try this! Such great reviews! I have 2 questions. Can I cook this in my Dutch oven? If so, should I leave the lid off?
This is my family’s favorite recipe! It is AMAZING!
great recipe, I used Perdue perfect portions (5 pack of small skinless boneless chicken breasts, Italian) because they were on sale. I only added basil. I don’t know why the recipe says to cook to 175! I took out at 160 especially b/c I had such thin breasts and I didn’t want to overcook them and have them dry out. I doubled the brown sugar and honey and the sauce was so good over the yellow rice I made to go with it!
Best chicken thigh recipe ever! Have made this quite a few times and my family loves it!
Damn Delicious, this recipe is!
Five stars for sure. One pan, fast, inexpensive, easy, and delicious. Tips: Serve it up with some broccoli, and rice to soak up all that extra delicious sauce, and give it that Asian vibe! This recipe works really well with salmon too – with adjusted cooking times of course. Make a bulk amount of the brown sugar seasoning and keep it in your pantry, because it is so versatile. Try adding red pepper flakes for a spicier variation. If you’re a garlic head try adding a little bit of garlic powder directly to the meat as well. Happy cooking!
I’ve made this many times and it has become a regular dish for me. Turns out so good every time! It’s also really easy to make and clean up.
I’m going to make this tomorrow! What do we think the cook time would be for boneless skinless chicken thighs?
The cooking time would be a little bit less but as always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Whatever you do- read recipe thoroughly. I have 2 under 2 and missed reading… remove from heat before adding the brown sugar and honey. I have delicious, savoury caramel. I’ll still eat it though… because I have 2 under 2.
So sorry that happened, Teresa! But luckily caramel isn’t the worst! 🙂
I’m wanting to make this tonight for dinner tonight what are good sides to go with it?
My absolute favorite side dish is the garlic parmesan roasted potatoes. But please feel free to check out all of my side dish recipes here.
I tripled the sauce and had to leave out the oregano (guest sensitivities), but this does cook up well. It sounds super sweet but actually turns out just tasty. The chicken disappeared quickly, will make this again!
i
Great!
Hi. I’m loving this recipe but there were a few misleading things in your directions. You should have said not to drain the pan when setting aside the seared chicken. I made the same mistake as someone else on here & you told them it was dry because they didn’t sear it. Luckily I had reserved the drippings. The next error was not mentioning cook uncovered in the oven or which side to place up when returning the chicken to the pan. I also added an extra clove of garlic because they were small cloves. Otherwise it smells divine & based on the reviews I’m sure I will love the finished product!
Linda, thank you so much for your feedback, and for trying my recipe! This is one of my faves.
I should mention though that recipes typically specify if pan drippings should be drained or if a cover is needed. 🙂
Can you use skinless and boneless chicken thighs?
Yes, of course, but please be mindful of the change in cook time.
I made the honey baked sesame chicken thighs a couple months ago and was revisiting the website so I could make it again… I came across this recipe and decided to try… my little family if 5 ate ALL 13 thighs!! It was fantastic!! The only downside – my husband didn’t have any leftovers to bring to work next day.
Loved it. Delicious, especially the sauce.
Happy to hear it!
We called this a ‘winner winner chicken dinner’! My son could not believe how moist the chicken was and could not believe I didn’t dry it out! I doubled the sauce – we couldn’t stop dipping our potatoes in it. Definitely will make it again!
Thank you, Kim!
Made this last night for dinner. Flavor was amazing. Quick question though, do you do anything to get some of that sauce on the tops of the chicken while its baking? I mixed the sauce ingredients in the pan and added the chicken back in with the skin facing up and popped in the oven. The bottoms got healthy doses of the sauce, but not the tops. Is that what is intended?
Yes, but you can always spoon the sauce on the tops of the chicken once it comes out of the oven. 🙂
What is the nutritional info of this recipe (calories, protein, sodium etc)? Looks delicious but I need to know before making it. Thanks!
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information. Hope that helps!
I made this yesterday for my fam of 3. I used breasts and just seared them in the pan a little longer before putting them in the oven (mainly because I was already planning to cook them). I’m sure it would have been just as devine with the thighs.
The breasts were so juicy and full of flavor! I periodically basted them with the sauce.
My husband and 13-yr-old daughter LOVED them! They raved about this recipe! We had yellow rice and mixed veggies for the sides.
Like someone said earlier, the only downside was only 1 piece remained for leftovers the next day! DELICIOUS!!! Definitely easy. Will make this again and again!
I turn this into Keto. I used Truvia brown sugar.. I also sauteed bacon to the garlic sauce and added a little bit of balsamic vinegar. Came out delicious.
Awesome!
Unfortunately for this bomb recipe, I’ve got lots of vegetarian friends (cool people though) and I was wondering if you can do this recipe with a substitute … Instead of chicken? Dinner parties these days, amiright?
Thanks
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
This is one of my family’s favorite recipes. I’ve been making it ever since it was posted. My daughter requests this for her birthday every year now. I triple the sauce and we serve it as a bowl with mashed potatoes on the bottom, this chicken, and then corn on top. Use the extra sauce as a gravy over the whole thing. So. Damn. Delicious I love all your recipes. Your blog is one of my go to’s for dinner ideas❤️
This has become a go-to recipe in my house. My kids call it “the good chicken,” and I think I have to make a huge batch of it every couple weeks for 3 seasons of the year! The only change I made (because the husband complained it was too sweet the first time when I followed the directions exactly) is that I now season the thighs with salt, pepper, and cayenne before searing them. Gives a nice bite, and I love the sweet with the heat. We always serve it from the pan, with a gravy ladle, because the pan juices are great over rice!
The good chicken! That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing, Patti! 🙂
My husband and I really enjoyed this. I used boneless, skinless thighs and it was delicious. I added crushed red pepper and I tripled the sauce so there was extra to put over the chicken and the rice. I made Nishiki rice on the side. Next time I will make veggies on the side and serve it as a stir fry. I will also spice it up a little more.
This was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you!!
That sounds so yummy! Here are all of our side dish recipes for some veggie inspiration https://damndelicious.net/category/side-dish/
Yum! Made this tonight and it was a hit. It looked and tasted like $20 restaurant chicken. 🙂 I took the skin off of my thighs to cut the fat a bit, and they were still great.
Very delicious! The sauce went very well with sliced baked potatoes. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
mmm yum! Love that caramelized flavour on meat! (:
I haven’t made this yet, I want to try, the only thing I got confused at is once it says return chicken to the skillet, how long?
Cherri, the skillet is placed into the oven immediately after the chicken is returned.
This is one of my family’s all time favorite chicken dishes! Thank you for perfecting the sweet & savory flavors we crave sometimes. I make it exactly as the recipe is written and it turns out perfect every time. I’ve had to start making a double batch so everyone gets as much as they want. Fantastic!
Just so, so. Way too greasy; will not make again.
I don’t have an oven friendly pan, could I cook this on the stove in a covered pan? How long would you suggest for this? And what heat?
Yes, you can certainly try and cook this on the stovetop but without further recipe testing, I cannot advise exact cooking time/heat for substitutions and modifications.
I trasferred it to a pyrex baking dish, put some of the mix on bottom, then chicken, then topped the chicken with the rest of the mix. Didn’t cover it, turned the chicken once to get both sides cooked in the mix, yum!!
Excellent! Made exactly as recipe stated. Will be making this again and again.
This was sooo delicious! I couldn’t stop licking up the leftover sauce. I did mess it up a little because I left the heat on when I poured in the sugar and spices. Will need to pay closer attention next time. Thank you!!
This tastes pretty good except I was expecting a more garlicky flavour. Would you suggest adding more garlic or using some garlic powder?
Yes, absolutely.
my brown sugar keeps almost caramelizing when i mix it in, is my heat too high? I love this, I’ve made it a lot, but my sugar has hardened the last two times.
Yes, the heat may be too high!
My family loves this sauce. I have made this ‘as is’ at least a dozen times since you first posted it. It is always a big hit. I have also made the sauce on wings, in the crockpot for shredded chicken sliders, I have drizzled the sauce over veggies as a side, etc. this is a family favorite, even my picky eaters have seconds.
I made this today. The brown sugar sauce ended up burning and the bottom of the thighs were burnt. Either the temperature is too high or time cooked is to long. Sounded good. Might try again at a lower temperature.
My kids call this “the good chicken” when I make it. I have a very large skillet and usually make between 10 & 12 thighs. The only change I made was that in addition to the salt & pepper, I also spindly cayenne on the thighs before searing. Otherwise I follow the (scaled for more chicken) recipe as written. I serve it with rice and my family uses a gravy ladle to put the sauce from the pan on their rice, too). This is a regular in our house now, and my teenage son who is starting college has learned to make it as well.
I made this tonight with chicken quarters–thighs and drumstick attached.
It was delicious!
I just made this for dinner it was awesome
Awesome recipe. I have made it 2xs and then I made it with thick bone in pork chops adjusting the cook time. Family love love loves it. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
I just finished making this for dinner tonight. So simple, yet crispy, moist, and incredibly delicious! Love the combination of flavours! Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! 🙂 Many thanks!
That looks like some dang tasty chicken! The brown sugar sounds like an interesting touch (:
170 degrees internal seems a bit high. 162 degrees internal works great then cover for 5 min after removing from oven so it will rise to 165 degrees. the 170 degrees will also rise in temp and getting dry chicken now comes into play. At least that has been my experience. I made this recipe and it was marvelous.
This was even more delicious than I thought it would be, and I thought it would be super yummy. I followed the recipe exactly except that I only had 3 bone-in skin-on thighs, but I made the same amount of sauce since everyone said it was so good. Oh my word!! This is the best chicken I have ever tasted. I will definitely be making it again.
I cannot stress enough the importance of a meat thermometer. I was worried about the sauce sticking like some mentioned, but, even though the chicken wasn’t quite as brown as I thought it should be, I used the thermometer and it was 178 degrees, so I knew it was done. The sauce was perfect, but if I had left it in until the skin on the chicken was the color I thought it should be, the sauce would have been pretty much burnt. Meat thermometers are very inexpensive, so make sure you have one for this dish.
This recipe lives up to being Damn delicious! We used four bone-in, skin-on thighs (trimmed of excess skin). Started with 1.5 tablespoons of butter; didn’t need to add more to saute the garlic; there were plenty of juices in the cast iron. Kept all of the other ingredients as listed. Yes, there was a bit more sauce than needed, but it was fabulous! Make sure to thoroughly brown both sides of the chicken – brown equals flavor. Parsley is pretty at the end, but not necessary.
I think this recipe would work well with any pork or poultry cuts (skinless/boneless, too). Thanks for the recipe; we’ll certainly repeat it, and in our home, that’s our gauge of deliciousness!
I love that you are in love with chicken thighs as much as I am!!!
GREAT recipe… I’ve made it several times and it is marvelous!!
Started Weight Watchers and I’m wondering if you’ve tried it with boneless, skinless thighs… the points difference is pretty significant. I really love the skin though in this recipe… it just doesn’t like my butt and gut!!
I want to make this tonight but I am worried it will be too sweet.. I’m not a fan of sweet chicken 🙁
I made this tonight and it came out perfectly and was DELICIOUS!! I used a cast iron skillet and added some leftover mushrooms and bacon in the sauce toward the end of the cooking time. I also substituted avocado oil for the butter tonsear the chicken but put a pat in for the sauce. We are at high altitude so I cooked about an extra 10 minutes and left in the hot oven a few minutes more to keep warm while I finished the sides. The chicken was perfectly done and skins carmelized nicely. This will be my new go to sauce – it’s just so good! Thank you!
Looks delicious!
Hi Chungah,
Have you ever used chicken legs & if so how long would you cook it?
I actually haven’t – sorry!
I tried this brown sugar and garlic chicken it was easy and tasted great. The whole family loved it. I would recommend this to anyone.
Tonight I cooked up the recipe in a large stainless skillet pan and not in the oven as directed following the searing. My oven was dirty from our family Christmas party so I decided to use a skillet only. Results, excellent moist chicken. Beware NO sauce as per the recipe. If a oven is used I am sure there would of been sauce.
First, I would like to say I am happy to find a recipe that is NOT overpowered with the one herb, Thyme. If not used correctly it can destroy a recipe. Thank you for only using a small amount because if the recipe would of called for more then that I would have passed up the recipe.
Second, candy mess yes! I would of preferred the sauce that I kept reading about which only had during the cooking process. I almost made extra sauce on the side because I figured since I did not place the chicken in the oven as per the recipe I knew I would not have sauce to serve with dinner. I was right. I made jasmine rice and steamed garlic fried green beans with olive oil. My husband, son and I felt we were eating Chinese because I used orange honey. The flavor with the herbs and brown sugar were amazing.
I removed the chicken as soon as it was done and transferred it to a glass dish as there was too much grease from the butter and fat from the chicken. Next time (1) tablespoon of butter is plenty. It’s a good thing I removed the skin off of 4 thighs and 4 I left the skin on. I cut all the fat off and left only enough to keep the top of the thigh meat moist. The chicken was moist and delicious.
I do not cook with teflon, but with Stainless as mentioned. I had to soak the pan after pouring the grease in the trash due to the candy affect I had and no sauce.
Last, I am sure the recipe would of left me with sauce if I had been able to us my oven. If anyone questions can I use a skillet only, yes you can. The chicken stays moist, but make extra sauce on the side to go with the chicken. I will be making this recipe again, but making changes as mentioned.
Thank you!
How different do you think it will be without the tablespoon of honey?
It will taste less sweet.
I made this tonight followed the recipe exactly, this was fantastic!! Thank you for sharing.
I wanted to like this recipe. But I ended up with a candied chicken mess in a pan. I followed your instructions exactly but it was a disaster. Also, I know you’re all about taking beautiful pics to showcase your food but it’s pretty misleading to show the recipe only with the chicken just after browning and adding to the pan but not after it has continued to cook for the remaining time in the oven.
The moment the chicken began to cool a hard candy crust formed and stuck to our teeth. It was inedible. Again, I followed the recipe to the letter, used a high quality stainless steel oven safe skillet and my oven is accurate in temperature. I’m racking my brain to figure out where it went awry when it seems hundreds of others have had success. Strange.
Megan, I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well.
Additionally, these images were taken as the recipe was written so there is nothing misleading here.
I worry that perhaps your skillet was not the best to use in a recipe like this? I recommend using a nonstick pan instead. Hope that helps!
Love this! I’ve made this countless times and keep coming back for more! My only problem is, I’ve been trying to make the sauce thicker. Mine is always pretty runny. I’m still trying to tweak it to perfection.
I always make it with rice a roni chicken or pilaf flavor. The rice mixes with the sauce and it’s just heavenly!
Forgot to add in that I usually get the “picnic mix” of thighs and drumsticks. I’ve also made it with breasts with the skin. Pretty much any part of the chicken works great with this!
Can you sub the thighs for chicken breast and sub brown sugar for regular white sugar
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Not a blogger, nor do I comment on blogs. But oh my goodness, this was DELICIOUS and EASY! I used 4 large thighs but kept the mixture the same. Grilled white corn on my stove top grill, and sauteed brown mushrooms using some of the marinade for both. Served it with brown rice – YUM!
I tried again with boneless skinless which is typically what we use. For this recipe, hands down skin and bone! In my opinion, the flavor is not even close.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
Like most long days, (school age kids, work) I was a hurry to make a quick meal and this sure was quick and easy! Only had skinless chicken breast in freezer. Was worried that may get dried out. But still came out moist. The slight sweet/stickyness is to die for. Only wish i made more . Thanks for the qreat recipe!!
Hi Chunga! I just wanted to say THANK YOU for this AMAZING recipe!!! I’ve made these thighs over a dozen times now and I’m absolutely addicted! Your recipes never fail to impress. So thank you, thank you so much for this delicious and simple food. Keep on inspiring! <3
My daughter only eats chicken thigh. Just made this recipe for dinner, we love it. I will be making this recipe again. Thank you for sharing it.
Hi, I am always looking for new things too cook! I have picky eaters. Could you make this with skinless boneless thighs? It’s what I have on hand.
Thanks!
Yes, absolutely.
I am going to make this tonight for dinner…it looks delish! Quick question: if I don’t have a skillet large enough to accommodate the chicken thighs, would using a dutch oven work just as well?
Yes!
Made this tonight and oh my goodness it is one of the best chicken dishes I have ever eaten! It was damn delicious 🙂 It was simple to make and yielded a delicious and elegant meal paired with steamed broccoli, basmati rice and a salad. My 1 and 2 year olds loved it too! Will definitely be making again and will double everything just so I have more leftovers! Only thing I did different was to use boneless skinless thighs bc that is what I had on hand. Thank you for this recipe!
I made this last night for dinner and it was a hit plus I had all the ingredients on hand. Thank you for taking us out of our chicken rut. Will absolutely make again
This is SOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! My 4 year old and my husband (who is more picky) both think this is good. It’s really easy to put together too which makes my life easier. Thanks for this!
My husband and I (recently retired) having much more quality time to spend in the kitchen, have been experimenting with new-to-us recipes, mostly found through Pinterest. Yes, he uses pinterest too! 🙂
We found, pinned and made your chicken thigh recipe a couple of months ago and it was absolutely, mouthwateringly delicious! Truly, the best we’ve ever had. Even the left over re-heated thighs were fantastic! BTW, we made them in our large, seasoned cast iron skillet, preheated to 400° in the oven before browning the thighs, then baked in same skillet per recipe instructions.
We’re planning to make them again this weekend… so I’m back to make sure I have all of the ingredients.
I was reading through some of the comments though and came across one by someone who is a diabetic or cooking for someone with diabetes. I happen to be diabetic myself so often have to get creative with recipes that call for adding sugar/brown sugar, etc.
There’s a recipe on pinterest for making low carb/sugar free brown sugar that I’ve used many times with great success and wanted to let you know, in case you want to add it as a suggestion for carb watchers and/or diabetics.
Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe! ❤
Absolutely awesome recipe! I tried it a few months ago and hubby raved about it! The first time, I read the recipe before I bought the chicken, so left the skin on. This time, I pulled some from the freezer (mixed thighs and legs) where I’d pulled the skin off the thighs. But, I’m going to try them. I’m making a breast too for my mom since that’s the only chicken she eats. I have no doubt it will turn out awesome. I use an iron skillet and wanted twice as much of that awesome sauce… that was SOOOOO good!
Awesome, awesome recipe for chicken thighs!!
The sauce i made isn’t really sauce but a sort of sticky goop. I topped it on my chicken breast and hoping for the best. It wasn’t a sauce consistency and I’m wondering where i went wrong.
Perhaps your heat source was set too high?
I’ve tried several of your recipes and have found them to be yummy and easy, a must for my family! I hope you don’t mind, but I’m linking this recipe in my newfound blog (momsmomentsofmayhem.com). Thanks for all your food suggestions!
I made this last night and it was delicious. Only trouble- the chicken shrunk- 6 thighs for four people was not enough. Need to use more chicken!
Thank you for this recipe! Made it tonight for my husband and his best friend who enjoyed it very much. Hubby gave me the thumbs-up to add it to the recipe rotation for our family. I served it with oven-roasted potatoes and sauteed zucchini. I would just caution other readers that if you have adults with healthy appetites, this will not serve 8! I cooked 6 thighs and they each ate three. 🙂 I have read through page after page of your recipes over the last few weeks and look forward to trying many of them. Your photography is terrific!
I just made this and when I added the brown sugar and mixed it, it clumped into a paste and separated from the butter. Reminded me of failed batches of caramel. What should I have done?
It is very hard to say as I was not in the kitchen with you but perhaps your heat source was set too high?
Some of the best chicken I’ve ever had!!!! Wonderful recipe.
Made this last night…….I, too ended up with a burnt mess in the pan. Next time, have the chicken all but done then put in the oven for a few minutes. The sauce was inedible…..I also would use olive oil rather than all butter. Mine looked like your picture going in the oven……25 minutes later a disaster.
Penny, what kind of pan did you use?
I have a pan with a handle, and it says it’s oven safe up to 350 degrees, so how long to cook it at 350 degrees versus 400 degrees ?
Cooking time will have to be extended as needed to ensure that the chicken is fully cooked, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F.
I made this tonight and it was so easy! It was a definite make again recipe!! I used my regular country crock butter as that is what I had on hand, I did use the kosher salt, I used minced garlic that I always have on hand . other than that I followed the recipe. I cooked mine in an iron skillet and it turned out great! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
This recipe looks amazing! I have boness and skinless thighs …….how many degrees would you put this in for?
The oven temperature should still remain the same.
I didn’t have oregano or parsley handy, so i used dried thyme, fresh cilantro and fresh Basil. I tossed the thighs in s&p seasoned flour rather than just s&p before browning. I like my chicken crisp on the outside, but moist and flavourful inside, and was worried it would dry out in the oven, so i added a bottle of IPA before putting in the oven. It’s fall here, which screams maple, so instead of adding honey with brown sugar, I poured maple syrup over the chicken after the IPA
.when done I removed the chicken, and boiled the IPA maple syrup sauce down to a syrupy consistency and drizzled over the chicken. I served it with Parmesan garlic mashed potatoes and rapini tossed with evoo, garlic and chili flakes to contrast the syrup and brown sugar of the chicken
Served with J Lohr chardonnay
Everyone raved. Said it was better than a restaurant!
Just made this for my family for dinner and it was outstanding. I used chicken breast instead, and it was outstanding. I had defrosted frozen chicken and my wife thought I had used fresh from the store because of the juicieness and flavor. Kids loved it too, so this will be made again.
We just had this for lunch, and, I must thank you for such an easy and delicious recipie. I usually do take the skin off and use boneless, however, I followed your recipie exactly, and, it was very moist and wonderful.
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Just baked this…it is so good! I used 4 bone-in skin-on large thighs ( it’s just hubby and myself), but kept the same amounts of sauce so I would have plenty. I also used a cast iron skillet…that’s what I always use as the taste can’t be beat!
To those who have ended up with a burnt mess…I suggest cooling your pan a little before adding the brown sugar as it hardens as it is cooked, plus using an oven thermometer and watching your time. Deliciousness!
I made this a few months ago and it was a big hit. Tonight, I made it for my whole family by doubling the recipe. They were blown away by this dish, and I was told that it tasted like something you could get at a great restaurant. Thanks so much–this will be a recurring favorite!
This is soo good. Thank you.
My husband and I loved it! Used boneless, skinless thighs and served with fresh green beans from my garden with a cheesy pasta side dish! There were no leftovers, thank you for another Damn Delicious recipe!!!
If I use tenderloins do I need to still cook in the skillet before baking? I’m going to make this tonight 🙂
It’s really up to you – I always like a nice sear since it brings in so much flavor but it all depends on you and your personal preferences.
i can’t praise this sauce recipe enough!! I had a whole chicken I needed to cook for a meal with another couple, but I really wanted something new to do with it. This recipe looked so yummy, so I decided to use your idea about making extra sauce and using it on other things. I cooked the whole chicken in my electric pressure cooker, then doubled the rest of your ingredients and used the sauce to oven-roast vegetables (3 colored bell peppers, 2 onions, a bag of frozen broccoli florets, 5 carrots, all sliced fajita-style) at the same temp and length of time as your recipe. Chunked up the chicken, added it to the roasted vegetables and sauce and tossed it all together, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, then served it over a bed of quinoa cooked in the stock from the chicken. My house smelled heavenly, everyone raved over the meal, my husband ate three helpings, and the other male ate two!! The only bad part was I had no leftovers!! This sauce is sooo good, light and fresh, and such a yummy blend of sweet and savory. My husband asked me to make this chicken on a regular basis, so it’s going into the dinner rotation. I’m looking at your website for more of your easy and delicious recipes, and I have now subscribed to your blog!! My heartfelt thanks!!
found this on Pinterest and I’m going to try it out tonight :). Random question – in this step, what exactly are we removing from the heat or pan? Thanks.
Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
This is referring to the entire pan and its contents.
so you’re supposed to remove it from heat (turn heat down or off), add the spices, and then put into the oven?
Yes, that’s exactly right.
I forgot that step and had a charred mess, lol. Redid the recipe but the sauce was kind of watery … boyfriend thinks that I didn’t sear the chicken long enough. The sauce should be almost solid near the end, I believe?
Liz, it’s not actually going to be completely solid but it should definitely have more of a glaze texture.
I made this tonight- it was fabulous!! I made it with boneless and skinless chicken thighs- just had to decrease the cooking time a bit. Still tasted wonderful!
Hi im wondering if this will taste just as good with out the honey?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer this with certainty. Please use your best judgment.
I am allergic to honey so i used molasses as an alternative came out good to me
Made this tonight and the sugar turned into a paste did I do something wrong?
I’m not entirely sure – that certainly shouldn’t be happening though!
excellent! delish!
This sounds delicious and I always buy chicken thighs as they are so moist whereas breast is tasteless and often dry. I think eight thighs for eight people is not enough, I always cook two thighs per person with any recipe.
I can’t believe some of the silly q
Made this tonight – it was delicious!! There are just two of us, I made six thighs and we decided no need to cook tomorrow because we’re stoked to have leftovers. Thanks for a great recipe.
Finally! A great chicken recipe! I found you today on Pintrest & boy am I grateful. I read & re-read this recipe today & could not believe I had every single ingredient! Then I read every comment & of course decided, “That’s what’s for dinner!” It was only my son & I, so I was excited that I wouldn’t be like some of the commenters & that we’d have no leftovers. Well, a friend of his came over surprisingly. we ALL LOVED IT SO MUCH! And the sauce on the mashed potatos…awesome. When do you love mashed potatos without gravy? Well with sauce from this chicken, it’s just as good as gravy if not BETTER! Thank you so much for this posting! Making again soon for my daughter because….we had no leftovers.
i have this in the oven now. Hope it is as good as everyone says. One question. Are you supposed to leave all the fat in the sauce that is left after you brown the chicken? I took most of it out. Looked like a lot of fat.
That really depends on personal preference, but if your chicken thighs rendered a ton of fat, I recommend draining as needed.
Awesome. Making this a third time as I compose this email.
So easy.
Thank You
When you add the chicken back in do you do it skin side down so the sauce gets on the skin? This looks delicious, I’m going to make it this week! 🙂
It is best to add the chicken skin side up as pictured.
hello! can i substitute olive oil for the butter? if so, how much olive oil would i use? thanks so much! i’ve had so much fun checking out your website. beautiful pix!
Sari, you should be able to substitute olive oil for the same amount, although using butter is really best!
This was absolutely delicious !!! Thank you for All of your Outstanding recipes
This recipe is quick, easy and delicious.
Can you substitute agave nectar for the honey?
You can certainly try substituting agave but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. Using a substitution may also result in a mediocre outcome.
I tried this recipe last night for dinner. I used split chicken breast instead of thighs and it was A-MAZING!!!! I used a cast iron skillet and that worked very well. Thanks for this recipe definitely will be saving this to use again. maybe even for a potluck 🙂
This was delicious and easy! Thank you!
I really enjoyed this recipe I’ve made it a couple of times now, I even included in my newest blog post, I gave you all the credits by the way.
http://livingwithjuan.blogspot.com/2015/03/10-cheap-and-easy-chicken-recipes.html
I made this tonight and it was amazing! My husband and I couldn’t get enough of it that’s how delicious it was. I never cooked chicken thighs before so I didn’t know how it was going to turn out but it was so good. I followed the recipe exactly except I transferred the chicken to a casserole dish and poured the garlic brown sugar sauce over the top. It gave the chicken a nice caramelized skin which was amazing. I will definitely be making this again soon!
We made this for dinner a week ago. I loved it! My husband thought the sauce was very sweet, and was surprised that it actually came out so good. I could drink that sauce. Omg. Also, leftovers heated up great!
Hi! I will be making this tonight I just had a question.
After adding the garlic and herbs and honey and putting the chicken back in to put in the oven. do you put the side with the skin down or up?
It is best to return the chicken skin side up.
I made this chicken last night for dinner and it was amazing! I don’t have on oven safe pan so I transfered the chicken and sauce to a casserole dish and it turned out great. Thanks for a great recipe!
Like thighs, but not a fan of baked chicken but this sounds really good so giving it a try.
Usually my wife just throws it in the oven, smoke alarm goes off…dinner is ready.
I made this last night. The flavors were great, the chicken was done perfectly. However, I too had a bit of burnt skin. When I also added the butter then garlic to the pan that the chicken was in (non stick), it immediately cooked way too fast and burnt (should I take if off the heat or lower before adding?), it also seemed the brown sugar, and honey and the herbs I added to the pan seem to burn on the bottom of the pan, would like to try a stainless steel pan next time, but concerned that the sauce with the sugar and honey will just burn to the bottom of the pan. Any suggestions to avoid?
Thanks!
Julia, it seem that your heat source was set too high.
Such a quick and easy recipe! The thigh is my favorite part of the chicken. I had to cut the ingredients in half because I only had 4 thighs. Other than it needing a little bit more salt, it turned out great!
Thanks so much!
I made this about 3 weeks ago, and since then I’ve made it 3 or 4 times already – SO yummy, and SO simple!! The thighs freeze really well, too, so I can take them to work for lunch!
I found this on Pintrest and made it tonight and it was great! I only did 4 thighs and I used a cast-iron skillet. Other than the number of thighs, I followed the recipe exactly. This is a winner! My husband had me go back to put some sauce on the rice too. I imagine the sauce would be good on a bunch of different things. Salmon comes to mind! I have a church carry in soon and I think I’ll do some boneless thighs and legs chopped into smaller pieces and cooked like this. Ought to be a hit. Thanks for the great recipe.
Hi! I’m so excited to try this recipe tonight! Do I baste the chicken with the sauce? or just lay the chicken on top of the sauce in the skillet?
You can baste as needed to let the sauce really soak into the chicken.
I made this tonight with chicken breasts and it was four star awesome!!!!!! Thank you for posting this recipe. I used some corn starch to thicken the sauce before serving….yum yum!
want to try this but I don’t have a skillet/frying pan that could go in the oven. All have plastic handle. Any suggestions? I read a few of the comments and noticed that pouring the sauce over chicken didn’t go so well??? So not sure if I’d be able to transfer it to a baking dish for baking?
It should be fine to transfer the chicken to an oven-safe baking dish.
This looks so delicious!
I wanted to know can i substitute the thighs for breast?
Also I wanted to say for every recipe I have tried ( about 5 recipes so far), I kid you not, they have all come out “Damn Delicious” LOL. You are my go to when I need help deciding what to cook and know it will come out awesome. So I want to say thank you and keep up the excellent work dear.
Yes, chicken breasts can be substituted but you may have to adjust cooking time as needed to ensure that the chicken is completely cooked through.
im goin to try this on my smoker 🙂
do you think this is doable in a crockpot?? It sounds delicious! 🙂
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-converting-recipes-to-the-slow-cooker-189343.
Has anyone tried without skin? In need of a recipe similar to this but must be skinless.
Made this for dinner tonight with some roasted garlic potatoes & roasted broccoli and it was finger lickin GOOD! I was a little hesitant b/c I normally don’t choose to cook with thigh meat but hot diggity I’m glad I did this time. 8 pieces of chicken went WAY too fast lol! Yum. This recipe is definitely going into the rotation- thanks!
I have to say first, I love your website. I made the crisp lemon butter chicken thighs with the parmesen coated asparagus and my own hacked mashed potatoes. I felt like a chef, and the pictures that resulted were even better! Now I’m doing this chicken! It’s actually a play on stewed chicken from the caribbean! I used burnt brow sugar and the girls crimping method and cut the cook time down! Great recipe!
Garlic crisping * (silly autocorrect)
i just happen to have leg/thigh pieces, can I use the leg too,just separate the pieces ? Don’t want to waste.
Yes, of course, but you may have to adjust cooking time, as needed.
I MADE THIS DISH TWICE IT WAS REALLY AWESOME THE SECOND TIME AROUND
I WANTED TO MAKE IT AGAIN TONIGHT, HOWEVER MY PROPANE ON MY OVEN RAN OUT
I HAD NO CHICKEN THIGHS EITHER!
SO I ENDED UP USING MY ELECTRIC SKILLET I USED BONELESS BREAST IN PLACE OF THE THIGHS. I CUT UP THE CHICKEN IN NUGGET SIZED PIECES BROWNED THEM IN BUTTER AS THE RECIPE SAYS, REMOVED FROM SKILLET AND PUT TOGETHER THE SAUCE AS DIRECTED THEN PLACED CHICKEN BACK INTO THE SKILLET SPOONED THE GARLIC BROWN SUGAR SAUCE OVER THE PIECES AS THEY COOKED
IT WAS REALLY GOOD DONE THIS WAY BUT NOT AS GOOD AS THE THIGHS AND OVEN METHOD. IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO SATISFY MY DESIRE TO MAKE THE RECIPE!
I ALSO WANTED TO ADD THAT THIS IS A GREAT WEBSITE THE RECIPES ARE TASTY EASY TO PREPARE AND VERY PRECISE IN THE DIRECTION I ALSO APPRECIATE THAT CHUNGAH TAKES THE TIME OUT TO MAKE SURE ALL QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED. SO MANY BLOGS MISS THAT PEOPLE WILL INQUIRE ABOUT RECIPES AND NOT RECEIVE AN ANSWER!
Can I do this with a whole chicken? Would I need to cover it? Help!! Making it tonight. Thanks!
Unfortunately without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty if this recipe would work with a whole chicken. Please use your best judgment to ensure that the chicken is completely cooked through.
Oh my goodness. If I hadn’t had to share with my husband and daughter, I’d have eaten all 8 thighs by myself. This was wonderful! My (stainless steel) skillet wasn’t large enough to cook all 8 at the same time so I used a smaller pan for the last couple thighs – a cast iron. Oh my, what a difference! crispy and brown and gorgeous! I’m going to find a larger cast iron skillet now. I also need to buy way more chicken thighs!
I read through this, and now I’m dying to try it. Though if I don’t have a skillet, what’s the next best thing to use?
Do you have an oven-safe pan?
THIS TURNED OUT PRETTY GOOD I WAS IN A HURRY SO IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BIT BETTER IF I TOOK MY TIME I USED THE THIGHS BUT THEY HAD NO BONE DODNT REALIZE THIS UNTIL AFTER I WENT TO COOK?
WAS WONDERING IF YOU THINK MAKING THE SAUCE AHEAD OF TIME THEN BASTING AND COOKING WOULD WORK OUT? I WOULD TO START THE SAUSE EARLIER MAYBE LET IT SIT IN SAUCE IN FRIDGE UNTIL DINNER HOUR
DO YOU THINK IT WOULD WORK OUT OK BY DOUNG THIS.
I actually haven’t tried making the sauce ahead of time but I would advise against it as the sauce may thicken up too much prior to cooking the chicken.
Thank you so much for the recipe! Made it tonight for my parent’s anniversary and it was delicious. I doubled the recipe and didn’t have skillet big enough to accommodate so I used a foil lined baking pan and clean-up was a breeze!!! Mine didn’t come out tasty enough without the sauce so I collected all the sauce-drippings and skimmed off most of the fat to get to the brown sugar, etc. and that made a world of difference poured over the chicken meat. Will definitely be making this for years to come!
I followed the recipe exactly and also ended up with a blackened thick mess in the bottom of the pan. Used a high quality pan so do not think that was the problem. We live in a high altitude area, so should I alter to take that into account? Jealous that so many said it is the best chicken ever and mine wasn’t!
What kind of pan did you use?
Can I try this with chicken wings?
I haven’t tried it myself but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, although cooking time will have to be adjusted as needed.
This has turned out totally burnt both times I have cooked it. Even turned it down 15 degrees last time.
I’m not entirely sure why it’s getting burnt at 400 degrees F. It may be best to invest in an oven thermometer – it’s reliable enough to tell you what’s really going on inside your oven!
Have done that and that is why I cook it at 375. It tastes great but takes a day to clean the pan after cooking because of the thick burnt surface. Will keep keep tweaking.
It may be best to try using a different kind of baking dish then.
Hi! Thank you for posting this recipe, I’m making it tonight with boneless skinless chicken breasts. Should I make any modifications for cooking time? I will be using a medium skillet for stove top cooking and a glass baking dish for the oven. Your recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Based on the reviews I’m very excited to try this dish 🙂
Emily, you may have to adjust cooking time as needed – other than that, you should be good to go!
Hi Emily, I’m interested to learn how this turned out with skinless chicken breasts. I wanted to do the same thing (hubby won’t eat chicken skin) but it seemed like the skin is the best part of the dish! How was it??
Pinned this months ago and now I’m finally getting around to cooking this! Looking forward to making this Tuesday for my husband and son. Anyone have suggestions on side dishes that pair well?
This dish will really go well with anything, like these baked parmesan mushrooms, roasted vegetables, and/or garlic parmesan roasted potatoes.
Made this recipe last night with Boneless Skinless Thighs. I just adjusted the time since they are a lot thinner. They were FABULOUS! My husband gave it two huge thumbs up. Will definitely keep this recipe on the regular rotation. Served it with mashed potatoes and salad. That sauce made those mashed potatoes go out of bounds!
I tried this recipe tonight after finding it on Pinterest and I got an enthusiastic “do again!” from my family, which is high praise at our house. I used boneless skinless thighs because that is what I had and just added some chicken broth to make the sauce since there were less pan juices. It worked a charm! Thanks for the great recipe!
How much broth did you add? I’m thinking about doing this recipe with breasts instead! Thanks!
When I made this I was under the influence, and in a weakened state, I added a blanket of thick cut bacon over the top. The reault was an awful, wonderful experience. As a teenager I was fond of peanut butter and bacon on toast. Tonight I felt young again until the chest pains. Lovely your recipe. 10,000 Thanks!
Spotted your Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken on Pinterest last week and was determined to try out the recipe as soon as I could. WOW, what a great dish! And the sauce—AWESOME!!! My husband wanted to double up on the chicken while I was searing it. Both he and my son loved it and like others have stated—no leftovers! My picky 20 yr. old son loved it so much, he said I should make it often and even requested the recipe so he can take it with him when he leaves home (NOT ANYTIME SOON
We loved this. I forgot the honey, but it was still great. Thanks for a quick easy recipe.
Hello 🙂 Currently this recipe is cooking in the oven.. I came back to read all the comments because I am a bit nervous this wont turn out :/ When I poured the garlic/brown sugar mix over the chicken it literally was so hot it started to cook the chicken and then as it cooled it hardened. So I could literally pull it all off the chicken in a nice intact hard piece of brown sugar mass. So I left it on there and put it all in the oven to continue. I’m hoping it will turn out but I am not so sure 🙁 I am thinking maybe I over cooked it…
Pulled it out of the oven and the topping of brownsugar and garlic are black. O_O But under it the chicken is fully cooked and looks fine. Oh my….. I think I messed it up somehow 🙁 But.. it smells fabulous in my house! 😛 Well I am glad it worked out for everyone else here that posted.
Avei, yes, it seems that something went terribly wrong. And I am confused as to why you “poured” the garlic/brown sugar mix over the chicken. The chicken thighs are first cooked, then set aside, then the sauce is made and the chicken is returned to the skillet. There should be no pouring of any kind happening here.
Well I have read a few recipes for this and after I came upon yours I think I mixed it all up. There are other recipes out there that say to pour it over the chicken and then bake. Yours was the only one that was a bit different. So no fault at all to your recipe! 🙂 I will do this again and follow only your recipe because I printed it out finally. Overall….. the chicken was good once we scraped everything off of it 😛 Thank you for your time! Surprisingly everyone I cooked for ate it all without complaint so I am thankful for that. * Im learning to cook *
No worries on mixing up recipes. I have definitely done that before! But I do hope you get a chance to try this again as written – it’s truly one of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever had!
Tried this without the bone and it was GREAT!!
This is hands down the best recipe I’ve grabbed from Pinterest so far. The cost, ease of preparation, time invested, and end result (DELICIOUS) cannot be beat. I’ve made it three times now, and it has become my go-to chicken sauce. Thank you!
Made this for dinner tonight. I thought it was excellent. Kids thought it was good. Husband thought the skin wasn’t crispy enough, but that it had good flavor. I will definitely make it again and try a little harder to get the skin crispier.
How do you cook this without an oven?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise how to best cook this on the stovetop. Please use your best judgment to ensure that the chicken is completely cooked through without baking.
I saw this on a weight watchers board. Do you know the Points Plus value for this?
I try my very best to provide nutritional information for my recipes. However, if they are not available, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can gooogle “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
My 4 yr old daughter loves crispy chicken skin so I decided to make this for her tonight and the skin turned out super crispy! The chicken rendered some fat while searing so I didn’t add the second round of butter. It turned out great! I made roasted mustard potatoes and onion in the oven at the same time, so dinner was such a breeze. Thanks for sharing! The technique was spot on for crispy skin which is a must for chicken. ☺️
Made this tonight and it was great! Family of 3 devoured it. Only change, I removed the skin. Thanks for sharing
I made this recipe tonight, but used chicken beasts instead of thighs. It was great! My family loved it and I had ZERO leftovers. 😉
This was awesome! The only thing I did different was instead of cooking the chicken in butter, I cooked it in coconut oil, that helped cut down on some fat. Thanks too for your suggestions on what to serve with it.
This sounds delicious! I have a huge pack of pork chops in the fridge that I feel obligated to cook tonight – gonna try this on pork! *fingers crossed* Thanks!
we used the chicken thighs. Was truly amazing! Thighs were 99c a pound. What a great budget meal with carrots and baked potatoes. I can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow
Can I use cast iron? If so, what modifications do I need to make, if any?
Yes, it is fine to use a cast iron without any changes.
Where is the Amazing Sweet Garlic Sauce??? Did I miss it?
Bob, the garlic sauce is listed in the recipe. It is made from scratch with the butter, garlic, brown sugar, etc.
Oh my goodness! This was stunningly delicious. I couldn’t even save the leftovers, I was sucking the chicken off the bone after dinner! Thank you.
I tried this one tonight with 5 split breast and cook for 30 minutes. It was DELICIOUS!
Thank you for this addition to my family’s regular menu!!
Would this be ok to cook in a Dutch oven? I want to try this tonight!
Yes, that should work just fine!
Excellent recipe! I’ve been in a food rut lately and this recipe revived the dullness.
I almost never comment on blogs, but I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it tonight. Holy crap, it’s good. Some of the best chicken I’ve ever made (or had). Thanks for this!
I am doubling this recipe for a family dinner, and I was wondering if I can transfer the chicken from the skillet to a glass baking pan and bake the rest of it that way?
Yes, that should work just fine.
This looks and sounds delicious! In your picture it appears as though the sauce was on top of the chicken also. Do we baste the chicken with the sauce before baking? Thanks…and Merry Christmas!
You can baste before or after or even both – it’s really up to you!
Just cooked this tonight, and very tasty still licking my fingers.
Do you think this would be tasty using cornish hens instead? Would it cook in the same way (adjusting cooking time obviously)?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I do not have any experience cooking with cornish hens. Please use your best judgment to make the appropriate substitutions.
If you butterfly the hens, you could do the pan to oven like above. But if you want the hens to stay whole, you’ll have to go from oven to stove top, get your crisp after the baking time. (I love game hens for entertaining as well as adult nights in with hubby, they are super fun and easy to cook up)
much prefer chicken thight to breast, I prefer the redder meat, its so much more tasty!
I am trying this tonight with split chicken breasts (not a thigh fan). I can’t wait! We are totally stuck in a chicken rut and I think this is just the thing to wow the family. 🙂
I’ve used soooo many of your recipes for an in-class assignment, and they all look so yummy! I haven’t tried any out yet, but I really want to. Your recipes are all so easy to make and they all look delicious! This one in particular looks sooooo yummy! I’m gonna make this one day, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out!
How well would this recipe work for someone who is diabetic? Are there any recipes that give a similar flavor with out having so much sugar?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise an appropriate substitute that will not alter the overall taste/texture of the dish. Please your best judgment to make the appropriate substitutions to fit your dietary restrictions.
Hi! Just wondering what you served with this chicken!?
We served this with roasted potatoes and a salad.
I made it in a cast iron skillet and the sugar burnt completely black and yucky.
The only oven safe skillet I have is a cast iron skillet. Will that be ok?
Yes, that should be just fine.
I’m going to try this tonight. Once the chicken is seared, can I transfer it all to a glass baking dish? And does the sauce need to cover the chicken? Thank you
Yes, absolutely! A baking dish will work just fine. And no, the sauce does not have to completely cover the chicken.
I made this last night and it was really great! The perfect amount of sweetness for the dish. Question though – does this reheat well? I stored the leftover thighs with the sauce in the fridge, but have now found that since the base of the sauce is chicken grease, it has hardened up in the fridge like grease usually does. Will it reheat OK or will it be way too greasy?
Maggie, it will reheat just fine.
is having the bone in important or is it just your preference can you use boneless if you wanted to?
Yes, having bone-in is important as it brings a lot more flavor than boneless chicken thighs (or breasts).
Chicken skin side up or down?
Skin side up.
Can this be made with all parts of the chicken?
Side note…I love your recipes! I’ve made so many of them, they are all so good!
Yes, absolutely! Although you may have to adjust cooking time as needed.
This is cooking in my oven at this very instant.
I LOVE your website! All of your recipes are so beautifully photographed, it makes me want to make everything.
I plan to try this recipe this coming Wednesday–thatistge day I choose for new additions. Looks really good with a little salad plus rice. Thankyou for posting it.
I did fix the garlic brown sugar chicken tonight. It was perfect. My picky husband even asked for seconds. I plan to fix this for company too. I will definitely try more of your recipes.
Chicken Thighs are my favorite, but since we’ve been trying to be healthy & watching our diet since last Mar – Thanksgiving included & BTW was my best holiday meal ever! – I’m going to try it with boneless skinless thighs! Bet it will be delish!!! Thanks for another great recipe!
Mmm chicken thighs are so much more succulent (and cheaper, result!) than chicken breasts, this looks amazing! 😀 x
I am already fond of chicken thighs and this recipe of yours gave me more reason to just love them! Looks absolutely delicious! In my must-try list!
Not a fan of chicken thighs; how would breast work?
Yes, chicken breasts would be a great substitute!
what is the qty of chicken breast recommended to replace 8 pcs of chicken thighs as in this recipe?
Generally, half of one breast (breasts are usually split) would be equal to 2-3 thighs.
This looks too good. I definitely have to try it!
Sounds really good. Thank you.
It was sooooo delicious the first time I made it!
I love chicken thighs with the bone – I always feel like they’re so much tastier!
I made this tonight w boneless skinless thighs because I hate delicious things and my 6yr old asked for seconds and for me to pack the chicken in his lunchbox….this has happened….let me count….never!
Thanks for the post Elba. I bought skinless thighs today but when I got home, I found out that they were boneless (didn’t read the package beforehand) and I was wondering if the boneless would work.
I realize this is an older post, but for future reference you can generally use boneless in any recipe. The only difference is that chicken with the bone in generally is more moist!
It’s a THIGH. There is so much fat in it anymay. How moist and caloric do you need it??
Is it covered while its roasting?
Nope, no lid needed here!
Can you make this in a Dutch oven??
This is really best when seared first and roasted in the oven – but as always, please do what works best for you.
If you’re still on here when I’m addingthe honey and the brown sugar and all it begins to hardenup not like a sauce. Is this supposed to happen?
Not at all! I worry that your heat source is set too high.
I’m confused it’s roasting in the oven? How can you stir it or do you cook it on the stove n move down to the oven ??
The chicken is not placed in the oven until step #6.
CAN THIS BE DONE IS A SLOW COOKER?
It is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide. Hope that helps!
Love this recipe, but needed the oven for other things. Just finished a batch in a slow cooker. I chose to cut up my boneless/skinless thighs into bite size pieces and then seasoned them and put them in crock pot. Melted the butter and sauteed the garlic per instructions. Added sugar and other ingredients to sauce and then poured over chicken. Cooked on high 3 hours. Turned out pretty similar, though obviously more juice. Would suggest adding extra spices to account for this. Enjoy!
so did you sear the chicken at all or just put the chicken straight in the crock pot
You had me at garlic and brown sugar, chicken perfection!
I love how simple this is! I also never liked chicken thighs, but I think I just didn’t how to prepare them in a way that seemed appetizing. The crispiness and juiciness look awesome and I’ll definitely be trying them out this week!
This is an amazing recipe! I made this dish for my husband, he absolutely loved it. This chicken was juicy and very flavorful, I regret not making more. This will be a great addition to my dinner menu.
Just made this recipe myself. I changed it a little by adding a dash of balsamic vinegar, and, when I returned the chicken to the pan, I first placed each piece in skin down, then turned it over to skin up to get some of the sauce on top from the outset. It was quite tasty, but next time I think I’ll make sure the chicken is fully thawed so I can get a browner, crispier skin. All in all, it was a tasty meal with rice pilaf and steamed broccoli.