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5 from 15 votes

Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken

These easy Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken thighs are about to become your new favorite dinner recipe. They are smothered in a sweet and spicy sauce that is full of fresh garlic. And the skin is perfectly crisp!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 4
Calories: 491kcal
Author: Brianna May

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup water or chicken broth
  • 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 10-12 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon EACH smoked paprika & red pepper flakes*
  • 2 ½ pounds (6-8) boneless chicken thighs*

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a 12.5 inch oven/stovetop safe skillet, stir together the butter, sugar, soy sauce, water, vinegar, garlic, paprika, and red pepper over medium heat.
  • Bring to a rolling boil and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously. The glaze should begin to thicken.
  • Remove about 3 Tablespoons of glaze from the skillet and set aside.
  • Toss the chicken thighs in the skillet with the remaining glaze. Arrange the chicken thighs skin side up in a single layer. Sprinkle the skin lightly with kosher salt.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees. Broil if desired for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the skin.
  • Spoon a few tablespoons of the pan drippings into the glaze to loosen it. Brush each chicken thigh with the glaze mixture.

Notes

  • Red Pepper Flakes: This little bit of spice pairs well with the brown sugar. If you are sensitive to spice, reduce to ½ teaspoon or omit.
  • Chicken Thighs: I highly recommend chicken thighs with skin for this recipe. The skin will get nice and crispy under the broiler and dark meat stays more moist than white. Bone-in chicken thighs can also be used.
  • Thicken the glaze on the stove first. The chicken releases lots of liquid as it cooks so it is important to thicken the glaze on the stove before adding the chicken or it will become very watery.  
  • Reserve some glaze. The glaze will become much thinner in the oven from the juices from the chicken. This is normal. I like to save some of the thickened glaze to brush on the chicken at the end. 
  • Broil. I prefer the chicken skin to be a little charred so I love to broil these after they finish baking. This adds so much flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 277mg | Sodium: 1127mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 27g