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–+ servings
Honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs in a skillet with lemon wheels and a spoonful of sauce.

Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

Juicy, crispy pan-seared chicken thighs bathed in an incredibly sweet-and-savory sauce made with honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Yield:6 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Medium bowl
  • whisk
  • Cutting board
  • Large oven-safe skillet
  • stovetop
  • Tongs
  • Potholder or thick kitchen towel
  • Large spoon
  • internal meat thermometer
  • Large plate

Ingredients

For the Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Sauce

For the Chicken Thighs

  • 6 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs approximately 3 pounds total
  • salt to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil avocado oil, canola oil; see Notes
  • 1 medium lemon thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon butter at room temperature

Serving Suggestions (All Optional)

  • thin lemon slices
  • cooked rice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Adjust racks as needed so skillet will sit in center of oven.
  • Add ½ cup honey, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 large pinch crushed red pepper flakes to medium bowl. Whisk ingredients vigorously until mixture is smooth. Set sauce aside.
  • Place 6 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs on cutting board or plate. Pat chicken thighs completely dry on all sides with paper towels. Season chicken thighs generously on all sides with salt. Set aside.
  • Heat large skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add 1-2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil and swirl pan to distribute oil across surface. Continue heating pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
  • When oil is hot, place seasoned chicken thighs skin-side down in skillet, being careful not to overcrowd pan. Cook chicken thighs 5 minutes, or until skin begins to crisp and turn golden, and skin releases easily from surface of skillet.
  • Flip chicken thighs over and cook, skin-side up, 2 minutes more. After 2 minutes, carefully remove skillet from heat and drain all but 4 tablespoons liquid from skillet.
  • Place skillet on cool stovetop burner. Use tongs to carefully arrange thin slices of 1 medium lemon around and between chicken thighs. Once all lemon slices have been placed, pour prepared honey sauce into skillet, covering chicken thighs evenly.
  • Place skillet in preheated oven. Roast chicken thighs 9 minutes, then carefully remove skillet from oven and spoon sauce from skillet onto tops of chicken thighs, basting chicken thoroughly.
  • Return skillet to oven and roast chicken thighs 9 minutes more or until internal temperature of chicken thighs reaches 165° Fahrenheit when checked with internal meat thermometer.
    Honey chicken thighs in a large silver skillet with lemon slices.
  • Once chicken reaches target temperature, carefully remove skillet from oven. Transfer roasted chicken thighs to large plate and set aside.
  • Return skillet to stovetop over medium heat. Bring sauce in skillet to gentle boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened enough to coat back of spoon.
  • Remove skillet from heat and let sauce cool slightly. Add 1 tablespoon butter (at room temperature) and whisk until butter is fully incorporated into sauce.
  • Return chicken thighs to skillet, skin-side up, and spoon sauce over tops of chicken thighs. Serve chicken thighs warm with thin lemon slices and additional sauce over a bed of cooked rice if desired.

Notes

  • Skillet: Use a skillet that can hold all 6 chicken thighs at once but doesn't leave a lot of empty space around them.
  • Oven-Safe Skillet Alternative: If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, use a regular skillet for the stovetop portions and transfer everything to a baking dish for the oven steps.
  • Neutral Oil: Make sure the oil you use has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point.
  • Make it Paleo: Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and use ghee instead of butter. Serve over cauliflower rice instead of traditional rice.
  • Make it Keto: Use a honey-flavored keto liquid sweetener instead of honey.
  • Make it Gluten Free: Use a gluten-free soy sauce.
  • Make it Dairy Free: Use a plant-based, dairy-free butter.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1serving (1 chicken thigh with sauce) | Calories: 559cal | Protein: 33g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 459mg | Total Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 24g | Net Carbs: 26g | Vitamin A: 218IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe By:Cheryl Malik