• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Pink Owl Kitchen
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Work with Me
  • E-Cookbook
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Work with Me
    • E-Cookbook
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Pink Owl Kitchen » Main Courses » Hot Honey Butter Chicken Thighs

    Hot Honey Butter Chicken Thighs

    Published: Mar 1, 2022 · Modified: Mar 8, 2022 by Ashley Boyd · This post may contain affiliate links

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    These chicken thighs are crispy on the outside, amazingly tender and juicy on the inside, and slathered in flavorful sweet and spicy hot honey butter! There is so much flavor in this chicken and the sauce creates a deliciously sticky, caramelized exterior.

    overhead shot ofHot honey butter chicken thighs on a parchment lined black pate sitting on a wooden surface with a orange linen underneath.

    Your weeknight chicken dinner will never be the same after trying this recipe! If you are a fan of Nashville Hot Chicken, then you will love these saucy, sweet, and spicy chicken thighs. The chicken thighs are first pan-seared to crisp the skin and seal in the juices, then covered in hot honey butter sauce and finished in the oven.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You Need to Make This Recipe
    • How to Make This Recipe
    • Variations and Substitutions
    • How Do I Make Sure My Chicken Thighs Turn Out Crispy on the Outside?
    • Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
    • Recommended Tools for This Recipe
    • More Flavorful Dinner Recipes You Will Love!
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients You Need to Make This Recipe

    Hot Honey Butter

    • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
    • ¼ cup of honey
    • 2 tablespooons of sriracha sauce
    • 2 cloves of minced garlic
    • ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
    • ½ teaspoon of salt

    Chicken Thighs

    • 4 bone-in chicken thighs. You need about 2.5 pounds of chicken thighs with the skin on and bone in.
    • Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. These spices are to used to season the chicken thighs.
    • Extra virgin olive oil. The chicken is seared on the stovetop in one tablespoon of oil. You can also use vegetable or canola oil.
    side angle detail shot of Hot honey butter chicken thighs on a black plate.

    How to Make This Recipe

    • Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 °C).
    • Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Place chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Make sure the chicken is evenly coated with the spices and set aside.
    • Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the honey, sriracha, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the sauce for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
    overhead shot of hot honey butter in a small saucepan
    • Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. I used a 10.25 inch Lodge Cast-Iron Skillet. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side down, and cook for 7-10 minutes until the skin is browned and crispy. Flip the chicken and cook for 7-10 minutes on the other side.
    • Pour the hot honey butter sauce over the chicken thighs and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Cook the chicken in the oven for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
    • Using a spoon, carefully drizzle sauce from the skillet over top of the chicken, then turn on the oven broiler and broil the chicken for an additional 2-3 minutes until the exterior is browned and caramelized. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and enjoy!
    overhead detail shot of Hot honey butter chicken thighs on a parchment lined black pate sitting on a wooden surface with a orange linen underneath.

    Variations and Substitutions

    • You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe if you prefer. Just be sure to adjust your cooking time accordingly.
    • You can use this sauce for baked or fried chicken wings, fried chicken tenders, fried or pan-seared shrimp, or baked fish.
    • If you would like to make your sauce a little spicier, feel free to add cayenne pepper, or a hot sauce such as Frank's RedHot.

    How Do I Make Sure My Chicken Thighs Turn Out Crispy on the Outside?

    • Be sure to remove excess moisture from the chicken with paper towels before you begin. This helps the skin get really crispy.
    • Sear the chicken, undisturbed, in the hot skillet for 7-10 minutes per side. Ideally you want to flip the chicken only once so that the skin has time to crisp up.
    • Do not skip broiling the chicken. Once you pour the sauce over the chicken it will cause the skin to lose some of its crispiness, but broiling it for 2-3 minutes with the sauce gives you a crispy, caramelized exterior that tastes amazing!
    45 degree angle shot of Hot honey butter chicken thighs on a parchment lined black pate sitting on a wooden surface with a orange linen underneath.

    Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions

    You can make the hot honey butter sauce a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to cook to your chicken. Just heat the sauce in the microwave before pouring it over the chicken.

    Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

    Recommended Tools for This Recipe

    Mixing bowls

    Small saucepan

    Cast-iron skillet

    Tongs

    Wooden spoon

    side angle detail shot of Hot honey butter chicken thighs on a black plate.

    More Flavorful Dinner Recipes You Will Love!

    • One Pan Sage Butter Chicken and Orzo
    • Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Gnocchi Skillet
    • Easy Southern Baked Spaghetti
    • Creamy Garlic Tuscan Salmon
    • Blackened Catfish and Smoked Gouda Grits

    📖 Recipe

    overhead shot of Hot honey butter chicken thighs on a parchment lined black pate sitting on a wooden surface with a orange linen underneath.

    Hot Honey Butter Chicken Thighs

    Ashley
    These chicken thighs are crispy on the outside, amazingly tender and juicy on the inside, and slathered in flavorful sweet and spicy hot honey butter! There is so much flavor in this chicken and the sauce creates a deliciously sticky, caramelized exterior.
    4.84 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 290 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1, 10-inch oven-proof skillet

    Ingredients
      

    Hot Honey Butter

    • 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
    • ¼ cup of honey
    • 2 tablespooons sriracha sauce
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
    • ½ teaspoon of salt

    Chicken Thighs

    • 4 bone-in chicken thighs about 2.5 pounds
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 °C).
    • Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Place chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Make sure the chicken is evenly coated with the spices and set aside.
    • Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the honey, sriracha, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the sauce for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
    • Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side down, and cook for 7-10 minutes until the skin is browned and crispy. Flip the chicken and cook for 7-10 minutes on the other side.
    • Pour the hot honey butter sauce over the chicken thighs and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Cook the chicken in the oven for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
    • Using a spoon, carefully drizzle sauce from the skillet over top of the chicken, then turn on the oven broiler and broil the chicken for an additional 2-3 minutes until the exterior is browned and caramelized. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    • Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 21.1gProtein: 16.1gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 688mgPotassium: 189mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 17.9gCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword chicken recipes, easy chicken recipes, easy dinner recipes, honey chicken
    Tried this recipe?Tag @thepinkowlkitchen on Instagram! And don't forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and review!

    More Main Courses

    • Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Corn Chowder
    • Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Gnocchi Skillet
    • Creamy Cajun Mushroom Pasta
    • Easy Southern Baked Spaghetti

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debbie

      March 08, 2022 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      I made the hot honey chicken thighs and added brussel sprouts and bacon before I put them in the oven…. delicious!!

      Reply
      • Ashley Boyd

        March 21, 2022 at 10:48 pm

        Hi Debbie! I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Adding brussel sprouts sounds scrumptious!

        Reply
    2. Tonie Montgomery

      May 10, 2022 at 1:03 am

      I have made the recipe twice and it is soooo good! The combination of sweet and heat is so perfect. Thanks for the recipe!!

      Reply
      • Ashley Boyd

        May 11, 2022 at 3:46 am

        Hi Tonie, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for trying it!

        Reply

    Share Your Thoughts! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Ashley Boyd - creator of Pink Owl Kitchen

    Hi! I'm Ashley.

    I am a new mom, wife, and creator of all you see here at Pink Owl Kitchen. All of our recipes are influenced by my southern upbringing and are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients to encourage families to come together around the dinner table more!

    Learn more about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • Blackened Redfish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw
    • Chocolate Cream Cold Brew (Starbucks Copycat)
    • Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
    • Strawberry Buttermilk Biscuits

    As Seen In!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy and Disclaimers
    • About

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work With Me

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Pink Owl Kitchen LLC | All Rights Reserved