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Honey Sriracha Chicken

This simple marinate-and-cook Honey Sriracha Chicken dinner is destined to become a year-round favorite. It’s juicy, savory, sweet, spicy, tangy and bursting with layers of flavor that will have everyone coming back for more. Best of all, it’s SO EASY with a tantalizing marinade that does all the work! Simply marinate the chicken and then cook it on the grill, stove or in the oven (all instructions included). The marinade is made with simple pantry friendly ingredients I can pretty much guarantee you have stocked: olive oil, honey, sriracha, soy sauce, Dijon, garlic and seasonings. You can customize the heat of the Honey Sriracha Chicken by using more or less sriracha so everyone wins. This Honey Sriracha Chicken recipe is excellent for meal prep, make ahead lunch/dinners, entertaining and leftovers – you will love having this chicken on hand!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

CHICKEN

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed pounded to an even thickness

MARINADE

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 tablespoons sriracha
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced or 1 TBS garlic powder
  • 2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, onion powder
  • 1 tsp EACH ground ginger, ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl or freezer bag. Remove 1/4 cup (to use later to baste chicken). Add chicken to marinade, turn to coat, cover and marinate in the refrigerator 4-8 hours.
  • When ready to cook, let chicken sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.

GRILL DIRECTIONS

  • Generously grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375 degrees F.
  • Grill chicken, covered for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 175 degrees F for thighs, 165 F for breasts.)
  • Bush chicken with reserved marinade and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

OVEN DIRECTIONS

  • Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Add chicken to baking sheet so they aren’t touching.
  • Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F for thighs, 165 F for breasts. Bush chicken with reserved marinade and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
  • Let chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing.

SKILLET DIRECTIONS

  • The chicken will char more due to honey so I recommend using an indoor grill pan. Grease an indoor grill pan or heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
  • Working in batches, remove chicken from marinade and let excess marinade drip off. Add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, or until nicely browned on one side.
  • Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook approximately 3-5 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate/cutting board. Bush chicken with reserved marinade and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Can I use Chicken Breasts?

You can use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts in this Honey Sriracha Chicken recipe, you will just need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.  That being said, I recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they cook more quickly than chicken breasts.  This is an important factor because honey likes to char – so the less cooking time, the better.  To use chicken breasts, use thin chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness before marinating OR if your chicken breasts are larger, slice them through the equator to create thin fillets.  

TIPS AND TRICKS 

 This Honey Sriracha Chicken recipe is pretty straightforward, but here are some tips and tricks to guarantee he perfect chicken every time:
  • Pound chicken to an even thickness. Whether you use chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this Honey Sriracha Chicken, you will want to pound the chicken to an even thickness.  Pounding chicken to an even thickens not only helps tenderize the chicken but ensures the chicken cooks evenly. Even cooking eliminates dryness caused from overcooking the chicken in order to make sure the thickest part is cooked at the peril of the thinnest.
  • Bring chicken to room temperature before cooking.  You always want to let any protein sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before cooking (and larger cuts even longer).  The logic is that room temperature chicken will cook faster if started at a higher temperature which means the outside is less likely to overcook and less time for moisture to be released while cooking.  It also cooks more evenly and you aren’t left with an overcooked exterior and cold interior. 
  • Clean grill before cooking. You should clean your grill grates before and after grilling with a wire grill brush to remove any residue. This will help create beautiful grill marks and help prevent the chicken from sticking which is especially important in this recipe due to the honey.
  • Grease grill or pan very well.  The honey in the marinade makes the chicken prone to sticking, so make sure you grease your grill or pan very well. If using a grill pan, use paper towels or a brush to coat it in oil; if using a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil before adding chicken.  For the grill, generously grease the CLEAN grill with a wad of oiled paper towels using tongs.  NEVER use spray oils once the grill is on.
  • Don’t add chicken until grill is hot.  Heat up the grill with the lid closed so it can achieve temperature more quickly; plan on 10-15 minutes.  Don’t add the chicken until the grill reaches temperature or it won’t sear as nicely.
  • Grill at medium heat.  Note, that “hot” does not mean “high.”  This Honey Sriracha Chicken is grilled over medium otherwise the outside will burn due to the honey before the inside is done.
  • Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.  Always use a meat thermometer so you don’t undercook your chicken.  A meat thermometer means perfectly cooked, tender, juicy chicken ever time.
  • Let chicken rest.  After chicken is finished cooking, transfer it to a cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing so it has time to reabsorb the juices that have pushed towards the outside of the chicken. If you cut into the chicken immediately after cooking, valuable, moisture-giving juices will run out.
  • Customize heat. You can customize the heat of the Honey Sriracha Chicken by adding more or less sriracha. 
  • Get creative!  Serve this chicken plain or in grain bowls, salads, pasta salad, sandwiches, even pizza!  See the post for TONS of serving ideas. 

HOW TO  STORE AND REHEAT

  • Storage:  Cooked chicken can stay fresh in the fridge for 3-5 days and should be frozen beyond that.
  • Skillet:  reheat in a skillet over medium low heat until warmed through, adding a splash of water for added moisture.
  • Microwave:  reheat in the microwave at 30 second intervals, taking care not to overcook.
  • Oven:  reheat covered in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F or just until warmed through.
  • From frozen:  thaw cooked chicken in the refrigerator overnight.  You can also defrost in the microwave but take care to defrost slowly so your chicken doesn’t become rubbery.  Use any of the below methods to reheat.

HOW TO FREEZE

You can freeze the uncooked marinating chicken or cooked chicken.
  • Freeze chicken in marinade.  Add the chicken to the marinade ingredients and freeze.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  When you’re ready to use, the chicken will marinate as you defrost the chicken in the refrigerator.
  • Freeze chicken.  You can also freeze cooked Honey Sriracha Chicken for easy meal prep. After you have cooked the chicken, let it cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.