Sizzling and packed with bold flavors, these honey sriracha glazed chicken thighs bring a delightful kick to your dinner table.
Sweet meets spicy in a mouthwatering combination that dances across your taste buds.
The glaze caramelizes beautifully, creating a golden-brown exterior that locks in juicy, tender meat.
Each bite promises a perfect balance of heat and sweetness that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
sriracha adds just the right amount of fire, while honey smooths out the intense edges with its natural sweetness.
Simple ingredients come together to create a restaurant-worthy dish that’s incredibly easy to make at home.
Get ready to turn an ordinary weeknight meal into an extraordinary culinary experience.
Quick Recipe Overview
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Calories: 380 kcal
Servings: 5
Honey Sriracha Chicken Thighs – Ingredients
For The Glaze:
Honey: Adds natural sweetness and helps create a glossy, caramelized coating that locks in flavor.
Soy Sauce: Provides a rich, umami depth and helps balance the sweetness with a savory punch.
Sriracha: Delivers a spicy kick that brings exciting heat and complexity to the glaze.
Sesame Oil: Introduces a nutty, aromatic essence that elevates the overall flavor profile.
Garlic: Adds a robust, pungent undertone that intensifies the sauce's depth.
Ginger: Brings a zesty, warming note that cuts through the richness and adds brightness.
For The Protein:
Chicken Thighs: Choose bone-in, skin-on for maximum juiciness and crispy exterior; organic or free-range preferred for better flavor.
For Cooking And Finishing:
Vegetable Oil: Creates a perfect searing surface with high smoke point for golden-brown crust.
Cilantro: Adds fresh, herbaceous brightness that complements the spicy-sweet glaze.
Green Onions: Provides a mild, crisp onion flavor and beautiful green color contrast.
Toasted Sesame Seeds: Introduces a delightful nutty crunch and visual appeal to the dish.
What You’ll Need to Cook Sriracha Chicken
Large Non-Stick Skillet: Essential for achieving golden-brown chicken and preventing sticking.
Whisk: Perfect for blending honey, soy sauce, sriracha, and other glaze ingredients smoothly.
Mixing Bowl: Needed to combine sauce ingredients and create a flavorful glaze.
Measuring Spoons: Helps accurately measure sriracha, sesame oil, and other seasonings.
Meat Thermometer: Crucial for checking chicken's internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Cutting Board: Used for chopping cilantro and green onions for garnish.
Sharp Knife: Helps chop fresh herbs precisely and cleanly.
Instructions for Glazed Chicken Thighs
Fiery Sweet Chicken Delight
Flavor Foundation Mixing a zesty blend of honey, sriracha, and aromatic ingredients creates the magic sauce that will transform ordinary chicken into an extraordinary meal.
Chicken Prep Massage the chicken thighs generously with spicy sriracha, ensuring every inch gets coated with bold flavor.
Searing Magic Heat a non-stick skillet until it's sizzling hot, then introduce the chicken skin-side up to develop a gorgeous golden crust that locks in juiciness.
Sauce Symphony Pour the prepared sauce around the chicken, allowing it to bubble and caramelize, creating a glossy, sticky glaze that clings to every curve of the meat.
Final Flourish Once the chicken reaches perfect temperature and the sauce reduces to a luscious consistency, plate with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and toasted sesame seeds for a restaurant-worthy presentation.
Serving Elegance Transfer the glistening chicken to warm plates, drizzling any remaining sauce alongside, inviting diners to dive into this mouthwatering culinary experience.
Tips for Balanced Heat and Sweet
Adjust the amount of sriracha to match your heat tolerance, ranging from mild to fiery hot for personalized flavor.
Let chicken thighs soak in the honey sriracha mixture for 30 minutes to 2 hours before cooking to enhance depth and tenderness.
Replace chicken thighs with chicken breasts, pork chops, or tofu for a versatile dish that adapts to different dietary preferences.
Pat chicken skin dry before cooking and use a heavy-bottomed skillet to achieve that coveted golden, crispy exterior without burning.
Cook extra chicken thighs and store in airtight containers for up to 4 days, making quick lunches or dinners a breeze with pre-prepared protein.
Serve Honey Sriracha Chicken Right
Flavor Fiesta Plating: Create a vibrant plate by nestling the glazed chicken thighs on a bed of steamed jasmine rice, allowing the golden-brown meat to peek through the grains.
Asian-Inspired Side Harmony: Pair the spicy-sweet chicken with quick-pickled cucumber ribbons or a crisp Asian slaw for a refreshing contrast to the rich, bold glaze.
Garnish Excitement: Sprinkle a generous handful of toasted sesame seeds, finely chopped green onions, and fresh cilantro leaves to add texture, color, and an extra layer of aromatic freshness to the dish.
Sauce Lover's Dream: Serve the extra sriracha-honey sauce in a small dipping bowl on the side, allowing diners to customize their heat level and add an extra punch of flavor to each bite.
How To Keep the Chicken Thighs Fresh
Advance Prep Power: Marinate chicken thighs in the honey sriracha sauce up to 24 hours before cooking for deeper flavor infusion and time-saving meal preparation.
Refrigerator Longevity: Store cooked chicken in airtight containers for 3-4 days, keeping the sauce separate to maintain the crispy skin's texture and prevent sogginess.
Freezer-Friendly Strategy: Wrap individual chicken thighs in freezer-safe plastic wrap, then place in a sealed container. Freeze up to 2 months for quick future meals – thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating Magic: Warm leftover chicken in a skillet over medium-low heat to restore crispiness, adding a splash of extra sauce to prevent drying out and refresh the glaze's vibrant flavors.
Succulent honey sriracha glazed chicken thighs offer a perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors from Asian cuisine. Diners savor complex layers of tangy marinade complemented by caramelized edges that elevate this simple protein to gourmet status.
Ingredients
Scale
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
¼ cup (60 ml) honey
1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) sriracha, divided
1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) water
1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
½ tsp finely minced ginger
Fresh cilantro
Sliced green onions
Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Glaze Preparation: Whisk honey, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a bowl. Blend with water to create a smooth, cohesive mixture.
Chicken Preparation: Thoroughly coat chicken thighs with additional sriracha, ensuring an even, spicy coverage on all surfaces.
Searing: Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with vegetable oil until it ripples. Carefully place chicken thighs skin-side up, allowing them to develop a golden-brown crust for 5 minutes.
Browning and Glazing: Flip thighs and continue cooking until skin becomes crispy. Pour prepared glaze over chicken, partially covering the skillet to trap heat and moisture.
Finishing: Simmer for 10 minutes, letting sauce thicken and become bubbly. Confirm chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Serving: Transfer glazed chicken to plates, drizzling remaining sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, and toasted sesame seeds for a vibrant, textural presentation.
Notes
Glaze Consistency Check: Whisk ingredients thoroughly and add water gradually to prevent a too-thick or too-thin sauce that might impact coating quality.
Skin Crispiness Tip: Ensure skillet is truly hot before adding chicken to achieve that perfect golden-brown, crispy exterior without burning.
Temperature Safety: Always use a meat thermometer to confirm chicken reaches 165°F internally, preventing any risk of undercooked meat.
Flavor Layering Technique: Pre-coating chicken with sriracha before glazing creates deeper, more complex spicy notes throughout the meat.
Degree: Certificate in Food and Beverage Management
Focus: Essential knowledge of recipe development, ingredient sourcing, and food business basics.
Mia Reynolds fell in love with baking as a teenager experimenting in her family kitchen. Her passion took her to New England Culinary Institute, where she learned practical pastry techniques, and later to Community College of Vermont to deepen her understanding of food management.
Mia combines clear, simple baking instructions with heartwarming stories, making home baking approachable for everyone.
Mia Reynolds
Food Writer & Home Cooking Specialist
Expertise
Easy Home Baking, Recipe Writing and Storytelling, Local and Seasonal Ingredients, Baking for Beginners
Education
New England Culinary Institute (NECI), Montpelier, Vermont
Community College of Vermont, Winooski, Vermont
Mia Reynolds fell in love with baking as a teenager experimenting in her family kitchen. Her passion took her to New England Culinary Institute, where she learned practical pastry techniques, and later to Community College of Vermont to deepen her understanding of food management.
Mia combines clear, simple baking instructions with heartwarming stories, making home baking approachable for everyone.