Valentine Day is just around the corner!!!! What’s your love gauge setting this season? If you are looking to sweeten things up for that special one this season, then this delicious and easy baked Honey Garlic Chicken recipe might just be for you.
Though it’s not a dish I make very often, the fact that I can make it myself at home whenever I’m craving something with an Asian feel to it, is an absolute delight!
I used chicken drumsticks for this recipe (you can use the back, wings, and breasts as well – though you would have to adjust the baking time for the breasts). I also find that the other chicken parts with bones take in more flavour and are juicier. The chicken is marinated and then baked in a dark rich honey, soy, garlic and pepper sauce that caramelizes to give you a sticky moist texture and coating over the chicken.
If you want to get the best flavour and allow the chicken take in all the richness of the sauce, then please don’t skip over the marinating step. I marinate my chicken and protein in general for at least 3 hours – when I have to make it the same day, or overnight in the fridge when I have ample time. The longer you marinate, the tastier and more flavourful your chicken will be.
It’s really important to use original honey, not the processed one that’s full of sugar syrup; there’s no taste as that of natural untainted foods.
For those of you who are visual learners, the video recipe below will help you easily apprehend the recipe.
So let’s jump into it:
VIDEO RECIPE
BAKED HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN RECIPE -TEXT
Serves: 4-8
Recipe level: Medium
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Meal type: Main Meal
Meal time: Lunch/Dinner
Country/Region: Asian
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
• Baking pan or sheet
• A basting or pasty brush
• A whisk or fork
• Ziploc or Seal
INGREDIENTS
• 8 chicken drumsticks (2 to 2.5 pounds)
• ½ cup natural honey
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 4 to 5 medium or large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper, dry or fresh
• ¼ cup onions, diced
• 1 seasoning cube, Knorr or Maggi
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• A handful of Cilantro, Basil etc (Fresh herbs) for garnish
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
METHOD
1. In a small bowl metal or glass bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, diced onions, minced garlic, hot peppers, salt, black pepper and crushed seasoning cube; Mix thoroughly using a whisk or metal fork.
2. Pour marinade over chicken (which should have been patted dry); using your hands or a rubber spoon, thoroughly mix in the marinade.
3. Cover chicken in bowl with seal wrap or foil paper or place into a ziploc bag and marinate in fridge for at least 3 hours. I usually marinate my meat overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375F, place marinated chicken in a baking pan/sheet and place in oven to bake for 45 to 50mins.
5. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and fresh herb.
Serve and Enjoy!!!
ADDITIONAL METHOD – SAUCE REDUCTION OPTION
These extra steps are optional but I do them because I enjoy having the extra caramelized and sticky coating over my chicken.
6. Instead of pouring all the marinade over the chicken to bake in the oven, I reserve ½ to 1/3 of the honey soy marinade/ sauce.
7. While chicken is baking in the oven, I reduce the reserved sauce on low heat by about ½ the amount, or until it’s gotten a thicker consistency.
8. After 40 minutes of baking chicken, take it out of the oven; using a pastry brush or rubber spoon, baste the chicken pieces with the reduced sauce.
9. Return the basted chicken to the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes at 400F.
Enjoy your tasty chicken with some extra stickiness!!!
- 8 chicken drumsticks (2 to 2.5 pounds)
- ½ cup natural honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 4 to 5 medium or large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons hot pepper, dry or fresh
- ¼ cup onions, diced
- 1 seasoning cube, Knorr or Maggi
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- A handful of Cilantro, Basil etc (Fresh herbs) for garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
- In a small bowl metal or glass bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, diced onions, minced garlic, hot peppers, salt, black pepper and crushed seasoning cube; Mix thoroughly using a whisk or metal fork.
- Pour marinade over chicken (which should have been patted dry); using your hands or a rubber spoon, thoroughly mix in the marinade.
- Cover chicken in bowl with seal wrap or foil paper or place into a ziploc bag and marinate in fridge for at least 3 hours. I usually marinate my meat overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375F, place marinated chicken in a baking pan/sheet and place in oven to bake for 45 to 50mins.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and fresh herb.
- ADDITIONAL METHOD - SAUCE REDUCTION OPTION
- These extra steps are optional but I do them because I enjoy having the extra caramelized and sticky coating over my chicken.
- Instead of pouring all the marinade over the chicken to bake in the oven, I reserve ½ to ⅓ of the honey soy marinade/ sauce.
- While chicken is baking in the oven, I reduce the reserved sauce on low heat by about ½ the amount, or until it's gotten a thicker consistency.
- After 40 minutes of baking chicken, take it out of the oven; using a pastry brush or rubber spoon, baste the chicken pieces with the reduced sauce.
- Return the basted chicken to the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes at 400F.
- Enjoy your tasty chicken with some extra stickiness!!!
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