Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

chicken thighs covered in a lemon garlic honey sauce sitting on a bed of rice

4.72 from 7 votes

Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

Let's make juicy honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs with a delicious garlic honey lemon pepper pan sauce. Sweet, tangy, and savory!

Prep Time5

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 10

Course: Chicken

Cuisine: American

Servings: chicken thighs

Calories: 497kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Ingredients

6 bone in skin on chicken thighs
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Honey Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce

3 tablespoon salted butter
½ cup honey
Zest and Juice from a Large Lemon
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Pan Sauce

1 small shallot finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves OR ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon salted butter cold

Instructions

Make the Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

Preheat your oven to 425ºF.
Season the chicken thighs all over with the salt and lemon pepper seasoning and put them into your oven safe braiser or large cast iron skillet. Put the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes.
6 bone in, 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
While the chicken is roasting, melt 3 tablespoon of the salted butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk the ½ cup honey, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, and the lemon juice and zest with the melted butter.
3 tablespoon salted butter, ½ cup honey, Zest and Juice from a Large Lemon, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder
Take the lemon-pepper seasoned chicken thighs out of the oven after the 25 minutes and use the silicone brush to coat the chicken skin generously with the seasoned butter and honey mixture.
Turn the oven down to 375ºF, and place the chicken back into the oven for 30 minutes, until the chicken skin is dark from the caramelized honey sauce. Or until the chicken's internal temperature is 160-165ºF per a meat thermometer.
Remove the pan from the oven and place the chicken onto a plate to rest.

Make the Pan Sauce

Remove the majority of the fat from the pan with a paper towel, keeping at least 3 tablespoon worth of fat in the pan. Add shallots, thyme, and red pepper flakes to the sauce and cook over medium heat on the stove for 3-4 minutes.
1 small shallot, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves OR ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Add the chicken broth to the pan, use a whisk to deglaze the bottom the of pan. Let that reduce by half over medium heat and thicken up a little for about 5-6 minutes.
¾ cup chicken broth
Turn the heat off. Finish the sauce with the last 2 tablespoon of cold butter, whisking it well to incorporate fully.
2 tablespoon salted butter
Serve the chicken thighs and pan sauce over your choice of sides.

Notes

Variations and Substitutions

Try marinating the chicken thighs! I love a little oil, lemon juice, some smashed garlic, salt and pepper as a simple yet powerful marinade.
Instead of making a pan sauce, serve these tender chicken thighs with a bright and herby chimichurri sauce or even a couple dashes of hot sauce.
You can use chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead but remember that the cooking time will change up! I suggest using a probe thermometer to keep track of the internal temperature.
You can use fresh garlic, but I suggest using a microplane to grate it into a paste and mix it into your tangy sauce. Chunks of garlic easily burn so we want to kind of make it almost dissolve in, giving us a smooth sauce that won't have burnt garlic.

Storage and Reheating

Store the chicken thighs and sauce separately in their own airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat in the oven at 325ºF in an oven-safe dish until warmed through, about 20 minutes.

You can also freeze the chicken thighs with the sauce in a freezer-safe zip top bag or vacuum sealed bag for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven for 30-35 minutes at 325ºF.

Nutrition