Honey Sriracha Chicken is sweet, spicy, and addictive! Once you try this easy recipe, you'll be making it over and over again. The simple yet flavorful sauce is homemade. First we use it as a marinade for juicy chicken thighs. The rest is reserved to create this gorgeous, sticy glaze. Keep reading to get the recipe and our tips.
Honey Sriracha Chicken - Simple Recipe with Big Flavors
"What's for supper?"
That age-old question led me to this recipe. My husband ran to the store for a pack of his favorite - chicken thighs - and I started whipping up a yummy marinade. You are going to love this 6-ingredient marinade + sauce.
You probably have everything you need ot make it. If not, I'm going to give you some helpful swaps.
Ingredients Needed to Make Honey Sriracha Chicken:
- Chicken thighs
- Honey - We used locally sourced honey. 🙂
- Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce - No swaps!! You've gotta use sriracha.
- Garlic
- Rice wine vinegar - Can also use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Soy sauce
- Ginger - You can use either fresh grated ginger or the dry powder. We used the dry powder because we had in in our spice cabinet.
- Sesame seeds - Optional garnish.
For this chicken recipe we used bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. You can use boneless, you can lelave the skin on, whatever you prefer. (Note: cooking time will vary based on bone in or out.)
Chicken thighs are an economical and tasty cut of poultry that our family routinely enjoys. They are super versatile and hold up well to all types of cooking techniques without drying out.
This recipe will also work with chicken legs or hicken wings. YUM!
My favorite part about this recipe is the combination of sweet and savory-spicy ingredients. You can use a little sriracha or a lot. I am a big fan of this chili sauce. Don't let the heat scare you away. Once it cooks, it isn't as spicy...but the flavor of the chili peppers comes through.
I also like to use a lot of minced garlic in this recipe for honey sriracha chicken. The bits of garlic infuse the sauce and the chicken with another layer of flavor. In this recipe, I used 6 cloves of garlic, finely minced.
How to Make Honey Sriracha Chicken:
- First, trim excess skin from the chicken thighs. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside in a large dish.
- Next, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the honey, sriracha, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger.
- Pour about two-thirds of the mixture over the chicken. Reserve the remainder of the sauce for later.
- Using tongs or a fork, toss and turn the chicken pieces until all sides are coated in the sauce. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour.
- When you are ready to cook, heat your grill to about 350. Make sure the grates are well oiled.
- Shake the excess marinade off of the chicken, removing large pieces of garlic so they do not burn. Place the chicken skin side down and let sear for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Cook and rotate the chicken, searing each side. Turn FREQUENTLY until done. Baste every few minutes with the reserved sauce, turning and cooking to create a nice glaze.
- The chicken is done when the meat near the bone is no longer pink and juices run clear. Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees using a digital thermometer.
- Finally, transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and serve hot.
Get More of our Summer Grilling Tips Here.
Watch your grill temperature carefully and be sure to turn the chicken often. Since the marinade and sauce contains honey, it can burn quickly.
If you prefer you can start this recipe on the grill, then transfer to a 375 degree oven to finish the cooking and basting. I like to use a broiler pan for this method.
Honey Sriracha Chicken can also be prepared on the stove in a large skillet.
More Yummy Chicken Recipes You Might Like:
Country Style Chicken Cacciatore
Cajun Butter Baked Chicken Thighs
Cranberry Cayenne Smoked Chicken
The BEST Chicken Salad. Ever.
Tips + Ideas for Best Results:
- Let the chicken marinate for at least one hour before cooking to allow the flavors to soak into the chicken.
- Use more or less sriracha hot chili sauce to your taste. I used 6 tablespoons for this recipe.
- Don't skip the garlic! I really love lots of freshly minced garlic for this marinade and sauce because it adds another layer of flavor. If you don't have fresh garlic on hand, you can use the bottled variety that comes pre-minced. Garlic powder (NOT SALT) will do in a pinch.
- If you do not have rice wine vinegar, you can also use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. The acidity is needed to balance the sweet, spicy, and salty ingredients.
- If grilling, watch your grill temperature and rotate the chicken often to prevent burning.
- Optional: Start the chicken on the grill for the nice grill marks and seared flavor. Transfer to a broiler pan and finish in the oven on 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn and baste every 10 minutes until done.
- Use a digital meat thermometer to check for doneness. The FDA recommends that poultry be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees for safety.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds as a garnish before serving. Fresh herbs or green onions would be great too.
Look at the beautiful color on this chicken! Sweet, the right amount of spicy,...so good. We enjoyed our Honey Sriracha Chicken with fluffy white rice and a side of sauteed vegetables.
We can't wait for you tro try this recipe.!
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Honey Sriracha Chicken
Ingredients
- 10 chicken thighs bone-in, skinless
- ½ cup honey
- 6 tablespoons sriracha hot chili sauce
- 6 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger
Instructions
- First, trim excess skin from the chicken thighs. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside in a large dish.
- Next, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the honey, sriracha, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger.
- Pour about two-thirds of the mixture over the chicken. Reserve the remainder of the sauce for later.
- Using tongs or a fork, toss and turn the chicken pieces until all sides are coated in the sauce. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour.
- When you are ready to cook, heat your grill to about 350. Make sure the grates are well oiled.
- Shake the excess marinade off of the chicken, removing large pieces of garlic so they do not burn. Place the chicken skin side down and let sear for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Cook and rotate the chicken, searing each side. Turn FREQUENTLY until done. Baste every few minutes with the reserved sauce, turning and cooking to create a nice glaze.
- The chicken is done when the meat near the bone is no longer pink and juices run clear. Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees using a digital thermometer.
- Finally, transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and serve hot.
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