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Mains · American

Hot Honey Chicken (Pan-Seared and Oven-Roasted)

Sweet heat without a deep fryer: seared in a skillet, roasted under a honey and hot-sauce glaze.

Hands-on
40 min
Hands-off
35 min
Oven preheat
15 min
Total
1 h 30 min
Makes
4 servings (about 1.4 kg / 3 lb bone-in pieces)
Serves
4

Oven 220 °C · 200 °C fan (425 °F)

Pan 30 cm ovenproof skillet (US: 12 in ovenproof skillet)

  • medium
  • trending
  • weeknight
  • sweet-and-spicy

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Hot Honey Chicken (Pan-Seared and Oven-Roasted)
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: 30 cm (12 in) ovenproof skillet · 2 small bowls · paper towels · tongs · heatproof container for the fat · whisk · instant-read thermometer · oven mitts · platter

Contains: milk

Method

  1. Heat the oven

    Put a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 220°C (200°C fan, 425°F).

  2. Mix the hot honey

    Stir the 1/4 cup (60 ml) honey, 1/4 cup (60 ml) hot sauce and 2 minced garlic cloves together in a bowl.

  3. Season the chicken

    In another bowl, mix the 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp cumin. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle the mix all over it. Wash your hands afterwards.

  4. Sear both sides

    Heat the 1 tbsp oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Brown the chicken for about 4 minutes per side, then move it to a plate, skin side up.

    Ready when: Golden brown on both sides. It is not cooked through yet.

  5. Glaze

    Carefully pour the hot fat out of the skillet into a heatproof container. Put the chicken back in skin side up and spoon the hot honey evenly over it.

  6. Roast

    Roast for 17 to 22 minutes. Check each piece, and give the breasts a few more minutes if they need it.

    Ready when: The breast pieces read at least 74°C / 165°F and the drumsticks and thighs at least 79°C / 175°F, measured in the thickest part away from the bone.

    Otto tried this firstOtto pulls the pan out of the oven and reaches for the handle with a bare hand. He stops just in time and grabs an oven mitt. Keep it on the handle for the rest of the recipe.

  7. Rest

    Let the chicken rest in the skillet for 10 minutes.

  8. Make the pan sauce

    Move the chicken to a platter. With an oven mitt on the hot handle, bring the juices in the skillet to a boil over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Lower the heat and whisk in the 2 tbsp butter and 2 tsp lime juice.

    Ready when: The juices boil hard and thicken slightly, and the butter has fully melted in.

  9. Serve

    Spoon the sauce over the chicken and scatter with the sliced scallions.

Swaps

  • Instead of 2 tsp kosher salt: 1 tsp table salt Cut the amount in half if you use table salt.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Refrigerate leftovers within 1 to 2 hours and eat them within 48 hours, or freeze them as soon as possible.
Reheat
Reheat until steaming hot all the way through (74°C / 165°F), and only once.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale, patchy skin after searing
    Pat the chicken really dry and wait until the oil just starts to smoke before adding the pieces.
  • Breasts are done before the thighs
    That's normal. White and dark meat have different targets: 74°C / 165°F for breasts, 79°C / 175°F for thighs and drumsticks. Check each piece.

Good to know

  • This is a seared-and-roasted version, not fried chicken: it uses only 1 tbsp of oil.
  • An all-oven version also bakes at 220°C / 425°F and drizzles a honey and hot-sauce mix over the chicken.

Safety

  • Raw chicken can carry harmful bacteria. Use a separate board, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds after handling it, and wash the plate the seared chicken sat on before reusing it.
  • Hot oil spits when you add the chicken. Stand back, lay pieces away from you, and kids should watch from a distance.
  • Pour the hot fat into a heatproof container, never down the sink, and let it cool before throwing it away.
  • The skillet handle stays dangerously hot after the oven. Keep an oven mitt on it the whole time.
  • The honey glaze touched raw chicken, so it must boil in the pan sauce step before you serve it.