Browned Butter Honey Chicken

4 chicken thighs cooked in a cast iron skillet with a honey butter sauce and garnished with fresh herbs and lemon.

4.95 from 34 votes

This sticky sweet, savory Browned Butter Honey Chicken recipe has the best nutty, garlicky flavor, crispy skin, and tender, juicy meat, perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 498kcal

Author Yumna Jawad

Equipment

10" Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons salted butter
¼ cup honey
4 large garlic cloves grated
crushed red pepper to taste
½ lemon juiced
Fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, then season all over with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Sear chicken thighs undisturbed, skin side down, until the skin is golden brown and crispy, 8-10 minutes. Flip and sear again until slightly golden, 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate (it will not be fully cooked at this point) and set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of rendered chicken fat.
Melt butter in the same skillet over medium low heat, scraping up any bits with a spatula. Swirl the pan occasionally until butter is foamy, golden brown, and nutty, 3-4 minutes. Add honey, garlic, and chili flakes (if using) cooking until fragrant, 1 minute. Add in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken back into the browned butter, skin side up. Baste thighs with butter sauce. Transfer to oven and cook until the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165˚F, 5-7 minutes. Top with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: Transfer the chicken thighs and sauce to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a preheated oven until warmed through.

Pat the chicken dry. To get the crispiest skin and allow the seasonings to adhere to the chicken thighs, use a few paper towels to pat them dry before cooking.

Keep the skin on. Can you actually avoid that crispy golden skin after these chicken thighs are baked in the oven in honey butter? But even if you don’t plan to eat the skin, it really helps to keep the chicken juicy after cooking in the oven for so long.

Nutrition