Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
When you want a fast weeknight dinner with a little kick, try this delicious spicy honey garlic chicken. It’s one of our incredibly easy freezer meal recipes and is such a nice change of pace. I’m so excited for you to give it a try!
As much as I love kicking things up a notch with spicy heat, I also love making freezer meal cooking accessible and easy for busy moms. It was a game changer for me. You have so many more options for freezer meal recipes in the Freezer Meals 101 Club, if you haven’t signed up yet, be sure to check it out! But in the meatime, if you love spicy, you should also try the Spicy Chipotle Chicken or the Spicy White Bean and Chicken Soup to get a feel for the freezer meal cooking approach.
Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 8-10 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- salt and pepper
Assembly Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a large resealable freezer bag.
- Squish gently to combine.
- Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.
Cooking Instructions
- Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes at 425°F or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
What is the easiest way to tell when baked chicken is done?
Get an Instant Read Thermometer. When the thermometer shows 165ºF, the chicken is ready to come out of the oven.
Can I leave out the Sriracha sauce?
Yes. If you can’t take the heat, this ingredient can be omitted. Instead, try adding a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar or orange juice to balance out the sweetness.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Not necessarily. It depends on which soy sauce you purchase. Most soy sauce is made from wheat and is not gluten-free. It is easy to find a gluten-free tamari soy sauce that will work perfectly. Look for the words gluten-free on the label.
Can I cook this garlic chicken on the stovetop instead of in the oven?
Yes. Since the recipe includes liquids, be sure to choose a skillet with steep sides. You may want to add a touch of vegetable or olive oil to the pan to prevent sticking. It may take about the same amount of time, but using a thermometer to check for doneness is preferred.
Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe Ideas
While the recipe calls for boneless thighs, which work really well for freezer-to-table meals, boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenders will also work. You can even use boneless pork chops. If you purchase the large value pack of chicken breasts, be sure to halve them to decrease the thickness.
Since the chicken is baked on a sheet pan, you can add veggies to roast about halfway through the cooking time for a cook time of about ten minutes. Broccoli, asparagus, green beans, zucchini, or squash are a good choice. Vegetables that take longer but would be equally delicious include potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, or turnips. With those vegetables, you would put the veggies in first and add the chicken to the sheet pan twenty minutes later, allowing the veggies to cook for about forty-five minutes.
If you don’t love Sriracha but want to keep it spicy, you can change up the heat by using your favorite hot sauce or spicy barbecue sauce instead. You can also use red pepper flakes or ancho chili powder instead of sauce.
My family can never get enough garlic. If you feel the same, you can double the amount in this recipe and not walk away from the meal with vampire-killer breath.
Add a touch of herbs with one of the following: chopped or crushed rosemary, dill, thyme, marjoram, or poultry seasoning.
How do I store Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Leftovers should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will keep for three days or so. You may also freeze the leftovers for up to three months. Reheat the leftovers in a hot skillet or use them in a variety of dishes such as enchiladas, street tacos, casseroles, etc.
If you want to take the leftover chicken to work, it can be reheated carefully in the microwave, but will get tough really fast if you over cook it. Dice up the chicken and use it like you would rotisserie chicken. You can even add it to soups! Since it is leftover, once it is cooked a second time it should be discarded.
What to Serve with Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
We love having the spicy honey garlic chicken on a bed of rice. You might also enjoy serving it with a bed of risotto, quinoa, lentils, or even salad. If you prefer, you can serve it without a carb at all and just add side dishes like a sheet pan of roasted veggies or a salad as a side dish. For starch, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, or sweet potatoes are a nice touch. A loaf of crusty French bread or biscuits is a nice touch to round out your meal — I like to grab something from my grocery store bakery or frozen biscuits to have on hand for meals like this.
- 8-10 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
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Place all ingredients into a large resealable freezer bag.
-
Squish to combine.
-
Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.
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Thaw overnight in the fridge.
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Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes at 425°F or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.