Baked Honey Sesame Chicken
Skip the take-out and try this easy homemade version instead – it’s unbelievably crisp-tender and packed with so much flavor!
Forgive me if I have been making too many chicken thigh recipes lately. It’s clearly become an obsession of mine, and this Asian twist has quickly become my favorite one of all.
The chicken turns out to be wonderfully crisp and tender, packed with a sweet-savory goodness to it all – the absolute perfect flavor combination.
And it goes beautifully over a bowl of rice, especially when you mix in that leftover sauce. But you should be warned that with this sauce, you’ll just skip over the chicken and make a meal out of the rice!
Baked Honey Sesame Chicken
Skip the take-out and try this easy homemade version instead - it's unbelievably crisp-tender and packed with so much flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
For the sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- To make the sauce, whisk together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, ginger, Sriracha, sesame oil, cornstarch and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
- Melt 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. Stir in honey mixture.
- Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.
- Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Made as directed. Damn good. Occasionally I will find myself thinking about this dish. Time to thaw out some thighs!
I used half the soy, using lower-sodium soy, avocado oil instead of butter, and tomato paste instead of ketchup. Lower sodium and lower fat due to dietary restrictions. Still tasted great! Thank you.
SUPER delicious! perfect for drumsticks
So good! Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Had no ginger or ground ginger, so I used a 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and it still was yum! I also had no rice vinegar, so I substituted with apple cider vinegar, it was still delicious! I did not want to ruin any of my pans, so instead of sticking them into the oven, I put a casserole dish into the oven while everything was getting cooked uptop, I think it worked out well, speaking this was the first time using the recipe! I will be enjoying this throughout the week!
Once again, you’ve made a fool-proof, perfectly balanced recipe! My husband said (as other reviewers commented) that he could have the sauce on anything, “even a cardboard plate”. Sticky, sweet and spicy. I used both bone-in skin-on thighs, as well as chicken wings. I wasn’t able to pre-sear on the stovetop, but it still caramelized wonderfully with an extra 10 minutes in the oven. I also marinated the chicken pieces for about 30 minutes beforehand at room temp, then boiled the remaining marinade for an extra dose of glaze at the end of baking. Thank you!
We just made this for dinner and it was delicious! So easy and tasty, everyone from my 18 month old through to husband loved it!
Incredibly flavorful, juicy, and crispy. Everything you want in a chicken dish. This is now in our regular rotation at our home. Both my husband and I love to cook and we fight over who gets to make this one.
I made this last night for couple of friends and everybody loved it.I made it with 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs and 1 5 oz skinless boneless chicken breast since 1 person didn’t like dark meat and it was great. So easy and damn delicious!
OMG! This was so very tasty. Loved the crunchy carmelized topping. The sauce was so incredible that my husband was scooping out every last drop from my skillet. I roasted asparagus and broccoli and served steamed jasmine rice along side the chicken.
This recipe is going in my “keeper” file for sure. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes with us.
Absolutely amazing. Seriously, it’s ridiculously good.
I don’t like chicken thighs personally but the rest of the family does and when they went on sale for super cheap this week I decided to try this recipe out. I had 9 thighs in the package I got that were pretty large so I 1.5x the sauce recipe but followed directions exactly and these were a huge hit. I made with stir fry veggies and coconut rice. I am bringing leftovers to the grandparents for them to eat for dinner tonight. I have no doubt they will also enjoy it.
Delicious! Turned out tangy & flavorful. Will definitely be making again! Only difference was I added sandal oelek to the sauce since I like it extra spicy! Beautiful to look at too. Thank you!
Absolutely delicious!!!
This recipe is delicious! This is probably the fourth time I’ve made it and I’ve been meaning to leave a review. Served with with rice and sugar snap peas.
I’ve made this recipe at least 12 times– it’s perfect when friends are over for dinner! Typically I use boneless skinless chicken thighs, annnnd I double the sauce because it’s just that good. Thank you!
It’s such a good one!
Made this last night to use up some chicken thighs taking up room in my freezer. Unfortunately, I spaced the ginger. Even with that omission, it was wonderful. Served over Ancient Grains with chopped roasted root vegetables. Next time, I will drain off more of the fat (drained off 2/3, will drain off much more) and will double the sauce (sharing it caused family strife). I didn’t bother broiling since the chicken caramelized nicely during baking.
I made this recipe last week for my husband and myself, and hubby cannot stop talking about how good this tasted. He wants me to add it to my “regular receipe rotation.” Compliments are sometimes hard to come by, so I wanted to let you know. Thank you!!! 🙂
I love your easy to follow, delicious recipes! I especially like the recipes that are completed in one pan/baking sheet. Keep them coming!!
You rock!!!
Thank you so much, Linda!
I made this last night along with the Pork Potstickers and both were amazing! The sauce in the chicken dish tasted restaurant quality! Another great recipe! I’ve been making suppers exclusively from your site for about 2 weeks now and I haven’t been disappointed yet! Thank you!!
This is one of the best recipes ever! The chicken thighs are fantastic! Been sharing with everyone!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Soooooo good! Thank you for all the amazing recipes.
Is there a vegetable option that would work well in place of the chicken?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
This was amazing. So delicious. Better than our favorite Asian restaurant. I served this on top of a bed of your pineapple fried rice, minus the ham.
Your recipes always taste great. And they turn out just like your photos. I have gained all sorts of cooking confidence. My major foodie boyfriend was impressed. Again.
I’ve made this recipe many times! My family loves it!!!! Never do we have leftovers and that’s even doubling the recipe!! Friends have had it as well when they’ve been over for dinner…and…they too loved it and took your recipe home with them. They enjoy it as well with there family’.
I believe I have commented before on this great recipe, however..I felt the need to comment again to thank you for sharing this yummy, yummy recipe with all of us!!
God Bless ♥️
Hi, I am curious as to why you sear your chicken before you bake it?
I prefer to sear for a few reasons: color, flavor, and “sauce foundation”.
You can read more about it here:
http://www.thekitchn.com/does-searing-meat-really-seal-in-the-juices-food-science-218211. Hope that helps!
This sounds amazing!! Can’t wait to make it tonight! I do have a question though. My little guy is allergic to sesame. I know I can omit the seeds but the sesame oil. If I don’t use it will it change the flavor greatly? Thanks!
Not at all!
I found a crock pot recipe for honey sesame chicken, and did not prepare it for the crockpot before I left for work. I stumbled upon this recipe when searching for an alternative to crockpot cooking. I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS RECIPE!! It was Delicious!! It was a hit and my whole family loved it! The only complaint was they wanted more sauce for the rice I served with it. I doubled the sauce recipe because I had double the chicken as well. It turned out beautifully. I did alter it a bit, just by coating my chicken thighs in egg whites and then cornstarch. I then browned them on both sides in a thin layer of vegetable oil before placing in a dish for the oven. It just adds that crispy coating to the chicken. But the SAUCE is what makes this recipe!! It is a MUST try if you are browsing for a new recipe!
I’ve made this dish as is more times then I can remember and like everyone has already said, it is Damn Delicious! How do you think leg quarters would work in this dish? I don’t see how a little more dark meat could hurt ☺
Not at all!
Used ur sauce ingredients and baked then broiled. Was great!
This recipe is damn delicious! We usually double and tripe this recipe for food prepping and they taste great even after nuking them at work. Im making thwm again tonight and gonna try agave necter for a twist.
Hi is it possible for me to make this in a pan instead of baking in the oven? Thank for the help
Yes, absolutely.
Would this recipe freeze well? We rarely have time to cook on weeknights, so a few frozen meals are always handy. Your recipe is beautiful, I’ve made it twice now and both times turned out perfectly, thank you!
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Thanks for replying – will try it out and see!
Thank you! I made this tonight and this is a “keeper” recipe for my family now. We left out the Siracha because of the kids, but my husband and I added a few dashes to our plates. We also used boneless, skinless thighs. I also doubled the sauce because we LOVE saucy chicken, sauce on our rice, sauce on our broccoli, etc… but I probably didn’t really need to do that. There’s probably plenty in the original recipe.
I made this using boneless thighs which was what I had. It was simply amazing and I wouldn’t change a thing. I don’t think I’ll ever have to do take-out as long as I have this recipe. Thanks a million!
Didn’t work for me sadly 🙁 the sauce split and just turned to goop 🙁 I must of gone wrong somewhere among the lines
O my gosh I made this and it was delicious.
Hi looks amazing! What can I do if I don’t have a broiler?
You can try turning the oven up as high as it can go.
I made this reciepe last week, my husband and children asked could I make it once a week!!!! It really is damn delicious! Thanks for sharing!!! Murrays from Philadelphia
Your recipes look so exciting! I can’t wait to be trying this receipt out this weekend!! May I ask where you buy the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs? I don’t seem to see this in the grocery stores that I go to… I guess what are the brands that carry these kinds of chicken thighs? Thanks so much!!!
-Roxanne
Roxanne, most grocery stores should carry bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. There really isn’t a particular brand that I use.
Can this be done in the crock pot? I really want to try this tonight!
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!
OH MY!! Was this ever good!!!!! Family of 5 here …husband and teens simply loved it too!! All I heard was Mmmm…No leftovers either lol !!! As far as the rice….YES you will find it makes a dinner in of itself with the awesome juice from the chicken!!
Easy and quick recipe…definetly one I will make over and over again!! Thank you for sharing it with us!! Simply delicious!! Very tasty and full of flavor!! Will recommend to friends and family. God Bless!!
What temperature is the chicken cooked at? 350 degrees?
Just found this site and want to make all the foods now!!!
The temperature is listed in the recipe.
Saw the temperature immediately after I posted.
As easy as delicious. Thank you so much!!!
Thank you for these AMAZING asian inspired dishes, Chungah! You have some of the best recipes and pics on the net!!!
mmm….looks and sounds GREAT. i only have skinless, boneless breasts on hand though…how long do you think i need to bake it?
Sari, that really depends on the size of your chicken breasts. Please use your best judgment to ensure they are completely cooked through, using an instant digital cooking or meat thermometer for the proper temperature of 165 degrees F.
Most definitely cooking those heavenly-looking chicken thighs this week, as I’ve accidentally been buying each of the ingredients during the last couple of weeks…
Just made this and had to comment immediately – it was SO good! I followed the recipe exactly and it looked just like the picture. The only disappointment was that my pan was only big enough for 5 thighs, because I wish I had more leftovers! I love to cook but am super critical of myself and usually find some flaw that I focus on (I’m working on that:). But tonight I wasn’t afraid to say this was one of the best tasting things I’ve ever made. Going to look around on the site for more good recipes! Thanks!
Made this last night, and son had the leftovers for lunch today. He said it was the best sesame chicken he had ever eaten.
I made this delicious recipe two weeks ago. I made six thighs and thought my husband and I would have a few left over for lunch. No such luck. Honestly, one of the best and simplest recipes I have prepared. The flavors were perfect together and broiling the chicken at the end gave the chicken a nice crispness that complements the sauce. Mmmmm, the sauce was so tasty!
I also made the shrimp spring rolls to accompany the chicken thighs. Although the rolls were tasty, I had some trouble working with the rice paper. The rolls were good but not terribly attractive. I will keep practicing and I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it.
Hi, I am really new to cooking and I really want to try this recipe. The only question I have is what did you use to bake this in? I have a glass Pyrex 3-qt dish. Is that good enough or should I invest in something else? Also, when you seared it on the pan, did you then have to transfer the meat and sauce over to whatever you used to bake the chicken thighs in?
I am so sorry, this is all probably really simple but I like to be precise in these things.
Deanna, I used an oven-proof skillet to sear the chicken first so I did not have to transfer the chicken to a baking dish. But if you do not have an oven-proof skillet, you can simply transfer the chicken thighs to the glass Pyrex dish.
This. Was. AMAZING. Thank you so much for the recipe! My family doesn’t like dark chicken, so I substituted chicken breasts for the thighs. Even the pickiest eater (my sister) loved it!!
Delicious! Easy to make! Only thing I didn’t have on hand was fresh ginger, I added ground dry ginger (just threw some in, probably not quite a tbsp). Thanks again for a great recipe!
This dish looks great – will make tonight. Quick questions… I usually like to marinate or season my chicken in advance. Could I let it marinate it in the sauce, then take it out of the sauce to sear it and then add it back in when it goes in the oven? Also, I don’t have Srirachi sauce, what would be a good substitute? I have some garlic, chili and ginger paste – could I use that?
Yes, the marinade sounds like a great idea! As for a Sriracha substitute, sambal oelek (chili garlic sauce) would be a more appropriate substitute or you can omit it as needed.
Yum! I have everything for this except the green onions and sriracha. If I don’t get to the store I will have to skip the green onions and just use hot sauce. Is sriracha and hot sauce pretty much the same thing?
Sriracha is an Asian-style hot sauce – I highly recommend stocking up on this. It’s truly the best kind of hot sauce to have on hand 🙂
Sriracha is SO much better than regular hot sauce! It adds such great flavor to dishes. I used to hate spicy things, but sriracha adds all the flavor of spice without the pain. Grab a large bottle next time you go to the supermarket. It’s so popular now, everyone carries it. You’ll
Thank you SO MUCH for including nutritional information! There are so many yummy sounding recipes that never make it to my table because I don’t have all the info. You rock!
Chungah thank you to you and the wonderful people who tried this recipe and took time to comment on it.
Because of these two points I had to try this recipe. The recipe was so easy to follow and I managed to get my dish to nearly resemble your picture… Whoop Whoop!
I cooked this for my friends last night and I paired it with Savoury Vegetable Rice and as I dished up, the initial comments were, “WOW this smells gorgeous”
However as they tucked in, all went silent… as I slowly dished up my plate with ear slightly leaning back to see if I could hear what was being said.. nothing was being said… then suddenly the silence broke and they were “Nish you are just getting better and better”. LOL
I am a novice cook, my response was, the full credit goes to the person that created and shared this recipe and the wonderful comments left. Everything was wiped clean.
Thank you (BIG HUGS)
Nish
I never post comments but I have to say this chicken was awesome!! The flavor is amazing. I paired it with veggie fried rice. Yummy!
Yet another amazing meal! I am slowly working my way through all (yes ALL) of your recipes and they never ever disappoint. For this one even though I ran out of cornstarch I used a bit of tapioca instead. Fantastic. Thanks so much for the wonderful easy to follow recipes.
Sincerely,
a new mom with a big appetite. 🙂
We had this dish for dinner last night. Absolutely delicious. The sauce was to die for and I found the sriracha sauce in our local Tesco supermarket. Can’t wait to try some more of your dishes.
I think that take outs will be a thing of the past. Our take outs from now on will be cooked at home.
Delicious and so quick ,I had dinner ready in 45 mins, my whole family enjoyed.
Girl, your photography seriously blows me away! And now I don’t know which chicken dish I should make first?! Stop making them all look so good! 😉
I know thighs would be best, but my husband won’t eat dark meat… Do you think I could make this with bone in skin on chicken breasts? And if yes, any change in temp or time? (I may mix thighs and breasts…) Thanks!!
Yes, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts should work just fine, although you may have to extend cooking time as needed to ensure that the chicken is completely cooked through.
Damn, Chungah, this is DELICIOUS! I cooked 8 thighs for my husband, small son, and me. We just kept on eating until they were all gone! Thank you AGAIN, for supplying the dinner delights!
Chicken thighs are the best part of the chicken, in my opinion. I love a good sticky chicken recipe! Pinning.
I don’t know why people don’t cook with chicken thighs more often, they’re so flavorful and moist. These look awesome, love the Asian influence!
This looks amazing! Def going to make this?
I agree- can’t have too many thigh or wing recipes. They are the only parts of chicken I like! Tried this recipe yesterday. The second day leftovers are even better. I think I will cut down the amount of honey or increase the vinegar next time but otherwise, this is another winner. Thanks!
what can I make to go along with the chicken
We served this with brown rice and stir-fried broccoli.
This is the perfect sauce. I need to make this dish soon!
The sauce on these sounds like the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and tangy, yum!
Can’t wait to try this for dinner tomorrow night!! Your chicken lettuce wraps are my favorite. Hope to add another of your dishes to the rounds!
Your website ,recipes and photos are amazing!..everything I have made has been terrific..
You can never do too many chicken thigh recipes for me!
I, too, love your recipes and rave about them. They fall right in with my love of Asian Cuisine. I agree with Pat that your photos are fantastic; wonderful levels of flavor and healthy, also.
I love your recipes….I’ve made several of them just this past month and look forward to making many more….they are delicious and good for you, too……and your photos of your dishes are amazing
Thank you Chungah for the nice and easy recipe.
It looks delicious. Is it OK to use boneless skin off chicken tights?
Yes, that should work just fine, although the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs really have the best flavor!
I dont think you can ever have too many chicken recipes. If it i hadnt stumbled onto this site i would still be ignoring chicken thighs, because boneless brests have been what i purchase weekly usually 2 huge packs. I noticed Thighs are much cheaper, yet just as versatile as boneless breasts!
Your site is great i have been raving about it to anyone who will listen! Sending links etc.
This will be tomorrow nights dinner! Cant wait to try it!