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Sweet and spicy honey butter chicken with crispy golden glaze
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Maggie's Sweet & Spicy Honey Butter Chicken

Crispy-skinned chicken thighs in a buttery honey glaze with just enough heat to make you reach for another piece. This is the viral 'swicy' trend done the way it makes sense in a real kitchen — budget-friendly, one-skillet, and ready in 40 minutes.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken recipes, main dishes, sweet & spicy honey butter chicken, weeknight dinners
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Maggie

Ingredients

  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs about 3 lbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce Frank's or similar
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season generously on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear for 5-6 minutes without moving until the skin is golden and crispy. Flip and cook 2 more minutes. Remove to a plate.
  3. Preheat your oven to 400°F while the chicken sears.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the butter to the skillet and let it melt. Stir in the honey, hot sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Let it bubble gently for 1-2 minutes until the sauce comes together.
  5. Return the chicken to the skillet skin-side up. Spoon the honey butter sauce over each piece.
  6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (165°F) and the sauce is thick and sticky.
  7. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve over rice with extra sauce spooned on top.

Recipe Notes

You can adjust the heat to your family's comfort level. For kid-friendly, use just 1 tablespoon of hot sauce and skip the red pepper flakes — it'll still have that gorgeous sweet-and-savory thing going on. For more heat, add an extra tablespoon of hot sauce. Boneless skinless thighs work too if that's what you have — just reduce the bake time to 12-15 minutes. Serve with rice and roasted broccoli, or honestly, just with some good bread to soak up that sauce.