Crispy, perfectly tender, and swaddled in the most delicious hot honey sauce, this skillet chicken dinner recipe is simple but unbelievably good! My family could eat this every night, it’s just that delicious… and oh so quick and easy to make!
🥘 What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Hot honey chicken skillet is super easy to make, and it’s full of incredible flavor. Plus, it only needs a handful of pantry-staple ingredients, like soy sauce and garlic powder and cayenne and a little hot honey. Serve it with some rice or mashed potatoes or Brussels sprouts and you’ve got a delicious dinner in no time at all with practically no effort.
- If sweet heat is your jam, this is absolutely the recipe for you. Don’t panic, though, it’s not too hot. You can always turn up the heat a little by adding extra cayenne or even a little sriracha to the hot honey sauce. If you prefer to walk on the mild side, opt for a traditional honey instead and add cayenne or red pepper flakes to taste.
- We used chicken thighs to make our hot honey skillet chicken, but it works for chicken breasts and even chicken tenders, too. You’ll just need to adjust the cook time to allow for the type of chicken you’re cooking. Trust me, no one enjoys overcooked chicken breasts.
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- How do you know when it’s time to flip the chicken thighs over? Good question. When you try to lift the thigh off the skillet, the skin should release super easily. If it sticks to the skillet or you have to really pry it up, it’s not ready yet. Let the chicken sear another minute or so and then try again. If you force them to flip over too early, you’ll leave that crispy skin stuck to the pan!
- Interested in a hot honey chicken that’s crispy and breaded? Check out the oven-baked hot honey chicken recipe posted on our sister site, Easy Healthy Recipes. Our skillet version is incredible, but it doesn’t have that seasoned crushed-cornflake breading you might be craving.
- Can’t find hot honey at your grocery store? That’s ok! It’s really easy to make it at home. Depending on the amount of hot honey you want, you’ll need approximately 1 cup of honey, 1-2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Heat the honey, red pepper flakes, and ACV in a small saucepan over low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to simmer. At that point you can remove the saucepan from the heat and set the hot honey aside until you’re ready to use it. If you’re making it in advance, transfer the hot honey to a glass jar, let it cool, then store it in a cool, dry place. If you want to strain the red pepper flakes, you’re welcome to, but I don’t find it necessary.
🍗 More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Hot Honey Chicken Skillet
Tender, juicy chicken, smothered in an irresistible hot honey sauce. It’s super easy to make, and delicious with any side!
Instructions
For the Hot Honey Sauce
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Add ½ cup hot honey, ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional), and 2 tablespoons water to small mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until fully combined, then set bowl aside.
For the Chicken
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Place 6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs on cutting board. Pat chicken thighs completely dry on all sides with paper towels.
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Liberally season all sides of chicken thighs with generous amounts of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Set chicken aside.
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Place large skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, place seasoned chicken thighs in skillet skin-side down. Sear chicken thighs 5 to 7 minutes, or until skin is golden and releases easily from skillet. Note: if chicken skin sticks to skillet, let chicken sear until skin releases easily.
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When able, flip chicken thighs over and remove skillet from heat. Pour prepared hot honey sauce into skillet, covering chicken thighs, then return skillet to heat.
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Sear chicken skin-side up 5 to 8 minutes or until internal meat thermometer inserted into thickest area of chicken reads 162° Fahrenheit. Spoon hot honey sauce over chicken thighs often while cooking.
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Once chicken reaches target internal temperature, remove skillet from heat and set aside. Allow chicken thighs to rest in skillet 3 to 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165° Fahrenheit. Spoon hot honey sauce over chicken often while resting. Note: if sauce is thinner than desired, transfer chicken to large plate and set aside to rest. Reduce heat under saucepan to low and simmer sauce until thickened to desired consistency.
Notes
- Make it Soy Free: Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1serving, Calories: 299kcal, Protein: 17g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 477mg, Potassium: 241mg, Total Carbs: 24g, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 23g, Net Carbs: 24g, Vitamin A: 82IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
