Honey Soy Glazed Chicken
Bone-in chicken thighs roasted under a sticky honey, soy and ginger lacquer until the skin turns deep mahogany and the meat slides off the bone. The kitchen fills with the smell of caramelising honey, garlic and toasted soy. A weeknight roasting tray that feels far more deliberate than the effort it takes.
Overview
Roast chicken at its most rewarding: bone-in, skin-on thighs that braise gently in their own marinade then crisp up under a sticky honey-and-soy lacquer, basted twice during cooking so the surface builds up in glossy layers. You let the chicken sit in the marinade overnight so the salt in the soy seasons deep into the meat, and the same marinade doubles as the glaze when you roast - raw honey and dark brown sugar caramelising into the skin while the ginger, garlic and a hit of sambal oelek keep things from being one-note sweet. A wire rack matters; it lifts the chicken so the underside also crisps and the marinade can't pool and boil. The kitchen fills with the smell of caramelising honey, garlic and toasted soy for the last fifteen minutes. The result sits somewhere between Cantonese roast meats and a Korean glazed thigh, with the gentle chilli warmth threading through every bite. Steamed rice and a quick green vegetable on the side, with the basting sauce poured generously over.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (excess skin trimmed)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Marinade and glaze
- 80 ml low-sodium soy sauce
- 60 ml raw honey
- 40 g packed dark brown sugar
- 30 ml rice vinegar
- 15 g ginger paste
- 15 g garlic paste (or finely minced garlic)
- 10 g Sambal Oelek (red chilli paste)
- 2 g onion powder
To garnish
- Sesame seeds
- Sliced spring onions
Method
Stage 1 - Marinate
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl or resealable bag, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sambal oelek and onion powder.
- Add the chicken; massage the marinade into the skin and underneath it.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
Stage 2 - First roast
- Preheat the oven to 190C.
- Line a rimmed baking tray with foil and set a wire rack on top.
- Lift the chicken out of the marinade, letting excess drip back into the bowl, and reserve the marinade.
- Arrange the thighs skin-side up on the rack, well spaced.
- Roast 30 minutes.
Stage 3 - Reduce the glaze
- While the chicken roasts, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, then drop to the lowest setting to keep warm.
Stage 4 - Baste and finish
- Brush the warm glaze generously over the chicken, flip the thighs, and brush the other side.
- Roast another 30 minutes.
- Flip skin-side up, brush a final time, and roast 5-10 more minutes until the skin is glossy and dark mahogany and the meat reads 74C internally.
- Rest 5 minutes; scatter with sesame seeds and spring onions before serving.
Notes
- Bring the marinade to a real boil: the saucepan glaze has been in contact with raw chicken, so it must simmer properly before brushing back on.
- Tame the spice: halve the sambal oelek if you want a gentler heat; the dish still has warmth from the ginger.
- Other cuts: drumsticks or split chicken legs work with the same timing; whole bone-in breasts need closer to 35-40 minutes total.
- Sticky tray: the marinade caramelises hard on the foil, which is why a wire rack and lined tray make cleanup tolerable.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Reheat covered at 160C for 10-12 minutes; the microwave will soften the skin.
- Freeze whole portions for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
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