Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
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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 Dutch oven over medium 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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Can I make the recipe ahead of time and finish the oven part later?
This is 1 of the top 10 recipes of yours that I make consistently. I just made it again tonight for supper and realized Ive been making this with 4 or 6 chicken thighs and not 8. I also love the lettuce wraps. yum. Thanks for helping get food on the table.
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!