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Sticky Baked Chicken Thighs

Course Main dishes, Poultry
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 700 g 1.4 lb chicken thighs skinless boneless, (5-7 pieces), Note 1

Glaze (Note 2 for subs):

  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 3 tbs brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1/5 tbs soy sauce all purpose or light (NOT dark)
  • 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 220C/420F (standard) or 200C/390F (fan).
  • Use a pan large enough to fit the thighs lying flat (not bunched up/folded)
  • Line pan with foil (you'll thank me later), place thighs in a pan.
  • Mix together, Glaze. Spoon over about 2/3 of the Glaze on the surface of each (not underside), reserve rest.
  • Bake 15 minutes, remove pan.
  • Flick to grill/broiler on high, adjust shelf to be 20cm/8" from the heat source.
  • Spoon pan juices over chicken. Then spoon/dab remaining Glaze onto chicken.
  • Broil chicken for 8 to 10 minutes until surface is nicely caramelized.
  • Remove and stand for a few minutes (uncovered) before serving with pan juices.

Notes

Sticky Baked Chicken Thighs

This is what you make it you've got boneless skinless chicken thighs and haven't planned anything for dinner. You've probably got everything required for the glaze - and if you don't, there's plenty of sub-options. Savory and sweet, the sauce is great drizzled over everything!
Overhead photo of Sticky Baked Chicken Thighs on a plate with a side of mashed white beans and rocket parmesan salad
1. Chicken - If your thighs are teeny tiny (as sometimes they can be), reduce the oven cook time a bit.
And yes this can be made with breast instead but you won't get the same caramelization in the oven. An alternative is to broil/grill only - better caramelizing. Directions:
  • Cut each breast horizontally to form 2 steaks;
  • Oven: Spoon ALL the sauce over one side. Bake for 18 minutes at 425F/220C, do not remove for basting, do not broil.
  • Broil: Spoon bit of sauce on one side. Broil on high 3 minutes. Flip, spoon over remaining sauce. Broil 6-8 min, watch carefully to ensure it doesn't burn too much.
2. Glaze - plenty of sub-options here, this is a really flexible recipe:
  • Ketchup - Aussie tomato sauce, BBQ sauce or other similar sauces
  • Brown Sugar - white sugar, or 2 tbsp honey, maple syrup, or any other sweet thing in a similar liquid form
  • Soy Sauce - light or all-purpose soy sauce, don't use dark it will be too intense. Fish sauce would also work but reduce to 1 tbsp.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar - sub with any clear(ish) plain vinegars eg plain white vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, champagne vinegar etc.
  • Worcestershire sauce - add 1/4 tsp black pepper then add an extra dash of all the other ingredients. A sprinkle of onion and/or garlic powder on the chicken before coating in the sauce would also help.
  • Add-ins - dash if your favorite hot sauce wouldn't go astray! Pinch of herbs (mixed, oregano, thyme), cayenne pepper for heat, sprinkle of paprika for warmth, cumin or coriander for South-West edge.
2. General:
  • Foil - Sauce will caramelize on edges and adhere firmly to the pan. Takes intense scrubbing to remove, so use foil. DO NOT use parchment paper (will catch fire under the grill).
  • No point putting the glaze on the underside, it doesn't stay on. Underside gets flavored because it ends up cooked in the sauce. Also, want the upper side exposed to heat the whole time for best caramelization.