Description
Sticky Sweet Chili Chicken Thighs are crispy, tender chicken thighs glazed with a deliciously sticky and sweet chili sauce. This flavorful dish combines honey, soy sauce, and sweet chili sauce for a perfect balance of sweet and spicy, baked to juicy perfection and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds for an extra burst of flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking the chicken thighs.
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, which helps to achieve crispy skin.
- Season the Chicken: Season both sides of the chicken thighs evenly with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the Skillet: In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot enough to sear the chicken.
- Sear the Chicken Skin-Side Down: Add chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for 5-7 minutes until the skin turns golden and crispy.
- Cook the Other Side: Flip the chicken and cook the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes to get a good sear.
- Make the Sauce: While the chicken cooks, whisk together soy sauce, honey, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Remove Skillet from Heat: Take the skillet off the heat once the chicken is seared on both sides.
- Add the Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken, coating each thigh evenly.
- Bake the Chicken: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Prepare Garnish: While baking, slice green onions and set aside for garnish.
- Add Sesame Oil: After baking, remove the skillet from the oven and drizzle sesame oil on the chicken thighs.
- Garnish: Sprinkle the sliced green onions and sesame seeds over the chicken for added flavor and crunch.
- Rest the Chicken: Let the chicken rest a few minutes to redistribute the juices.
- Serve: Serve the sticky sweet chili chicken thighs hot with your choice of sides and enjoy the crispy, flavorful meal.
Notes
- Patting the chicken dry before searing is essential for crispy skin.
- The cornstarch in the sauce helps thicken it during baking for a beautiful glaze.
- If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, transfer the chicken and sauce to a baking dish for baking.
- Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure chicken is safely cooked.
- Adjust the amount of sweet chili sauce or honey according to your preferred sweetness and spice level.
- Letting the chicken rest after baking results in juicier meat.
