Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
These Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken thighs are your new favorite chicken dish, believe me it’s just that good. Not only are they perfectly cooked and scrumptiously moist, but they’re swimming in a sweet, savory, and slightly spicy sauce that is perfect for spooning over your favorite starches.
Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Are you looking for something to whip up tonight that is savory, sweet, positively bursting with that aromatic garlic flavor, and swimming in a sauce that is down right drinkable? If you’re nodding your head to all these points then let me just say that this dish is your match made in heaven. It’s easy and relatively quick, and best yet easy to pair with your favorite salad or starch.
The brown sugar in this dish adds some really beautiful caramel notes to our dish that pair well with all that umami soy sauce. I used 8 yes…8 whole cloves of garlic all minced up in this dish to make it truly crave-able. A little hint of sriracha will heat up this dish, but if you don’t have much tolerance for spice feel free to leave it out!
Sweet And Savory Chicken
Now I love cooking with chicken, I mean who doesn’t? It’s such a perfectly plain protein that allows for it to be the base for wonderful sauces and dishes. The sauce I created today combines the best of every world you can think of; it’s spicy, sweet, savory, and with more than enough for spooning over some fluffy mashed potatoes.
This dish will become your new go to for those nights when you don’t really want to put too much thought into dinner, just whip it up and stick it in the oven. Even better? This dish freezes nicely too so it’s perfect for your next meal prep!
How To Ensure Your Chicken Thighs Are Cooked Through
If you’re used to only really cooking with chicken breast just keep in mind that the color of the cooked meat will be different. Chicken breast cooks from pink to white whereas chicken thigh will cook darker, even a little pinkish even when done. So fear not if your thigh still has some color to it, as long as the internal temperature is 165 F degrees you’re good to go!
Keep in mind that we want a really moist end result with our chicken, so you’ll need to trust me on this one and shelve your fears of not completely stark white cooked chicken. I know it can be hard to say good bye to this age old belief, but for your taste buds sake I recommend letting go and embracing the pinkish hue!
Ingredients In Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Chicken – Today we are using boneless and skinless chicken thighs, if you’d prefer to use bone in or skin on feel free! Just keep in mind that bone in will take longer to cook.
- Sugar – When using sugar in savory recipes like this one, I recommend using a sugar like brown that’ll add caramel notes and some dimension to your dish.
- Garlic – Fresh is best, especially when it comes to the garlic in this recipe. If jarred is all you have on hand just keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons equals 1 fresh clove.
- Sauce – Sriracha and soy sauce, regular as it’ll provide our dish with the salt needed for this recipe.
- Broth – I recommend using regular chicken broth for this recipe, we want that chicken flavor throughout and this liquid will give us that finger licking sauce.
- Seasoning – Just pepper to taste!
How To Make Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
This chicken really is incredibly easy to make. Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat the oven and prep the chicken: Preheat your oven to 425 F degrees. Remove the chicken thighs from their packaging and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Combine the sauce: Add all the sauce ingredients together to a sauce pan and whisk over medium heat until all the sugar dissolves. Pour about half of the sauce in a large casserole dish, arrange the chicken thighs in the dish, then pour the remaining sauce over the chicken.
- Bake the chicken: Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, basting with sauce every 10 minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro if preferred, and serve.
Can I Use Chicken Breast?
Absolutely! Just keep in mind that chicken breast if boneless and skinless will cook quicker, it should only take about 20 to 25 minutes. Best way to tell when the chicken breast is when the internal temperature is 165 F degrees.
What To Serve With Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
When you try a little bit of this sauce, you’ll fall in love with it as much as I have – believe me on that one. You’ll want to spoon this sweet, savory, and ever so slightly spicy sauce over the carbs of your choice. Here are some of my recommendations below but feel free to whip up whatever strikes your fancy!
Cooking With Bone In Skin On Chicken Thighs?
Now I love chicken thighs any way you slice them, but my thigh recipe today will be slightly different if you choose to use this style of chicken thigh. You want to make sure that the skin still turns out crispy and the chicken is completely cooked through. If you’d like to ensure your chicken is cooked through completely, check out this recipe on my sister site, Craving Home Cooked.
How To Brine Your Chicken
If you’ve got the time, brine your chicken for 2 to 4 hours in a solution made with water, salt and other things you may prefer like soy sauce or beer. Basic brine ratio is 1 tbsp salt to 1 cup of water. This will allow that seasoning to penetrate into the meat and result in juicier, more flavorful, and more tender meat.
How To Store Leftover Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Fridge
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Freezer
Absolutely! Freeze this stored in airtight containers for up to 3 months! Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before heating back up in the oven, on the stove, or on the microwave.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes To Try:
- Coq au Vin
- Roast Chicken
- Chicken Rice Pilaf
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Chicken Parmesan
- Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
- Garlic and Paprika Chicken
- Chicken Schnitzel
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Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 45 mins
Serves: 8
These Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken thighs are your new favorite chicken dish, believe me it's just that good. Not only are they perfectly cooked and scrumptiously moist, but they're swimming in a sweet, savory, and slightly spicy sauce that is perfect for spooning over your favorite starches.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prep the chicken: Preheat your oven to 425 F degrees. Remove the chicken thighs from their packaging and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Combine the sauce: Add all the sauce ingredients together to a sauce pan and whisk over medium heat until all the sugar dissolves. Pour about half of the sauce in a large casserole dish, arrange the chicken thighs in the dish, then pour the remaining sauce over the chicken.
- Bake the chicken: Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, basting with sauce every 10 minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro if preferred, and serve.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- Freeze this stored in airtight containers for up to 3 months! Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before heating back up in the oven, on the stove, or on the microwave.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 435kcal (22%)Carbohydrates: 16g (5%)Protein: 28g (56%)Fat: 28g (43%)Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)Cholesterol: 167mg (56%)Sodium: 489mg (21%)Potassium: 404mg (12%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 14g (16%)Vitamin A: 133IU (3%)Vitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 32mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Kathy says
Delicious 😋! The whole family enjoyed this and couldn’t believe how easy it was to make.
Terra Crihfield says
I made this recipe last week and while I was reviewing it for my blog the thought hit me if this could be made in a slow cooker while I was at work. Any thoughts?
jo says
Absolutely. You can cook them on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.
Tracy Parks says
This is so easy and good! I made it for a group and everyone loved it..hint…if you make this..after I put thighs in pan over sauce…i flipped them over then poured the rest of the sauce on top.
jo says
So glad you enjoyed it!
K b says
Hi Joanna, your picture shows lemon juice (but not broth), as the written recipe says. I’m going to assume you meant broth and try this tonight.
Joanna Cismaru says
I wrote it wrong on the image, it’s supposed to be chicken broth. I’ll get the image fixed.
Dianne Rioux says
Hi Joanna, if l don’t have sriracha sauce what can l use?
Joanna Cismaru says
Use your favorite hot sauce! You can also skip it if you don’t like the spice. 🙂
santina e curaney says
What can i use in place of soy?
Nicole Beaulieu says
Tamari sauce or coconut aminos are the closest substitute.