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Seasoned to perfection with garlic, paprika and dried herbs, these juicy Honey Beer Sauce Chicken Thighs are coated in a sweet and savory beer sauce packed with flavorful ingredients like honey, mustard and soy sauce.
I love easy, flavor-packed skillet dinners like Chicken Dijon and cilantro lime chicken. This easy chicken thighs recipe is another one-pan favorite! And if you love the flavors in this recipe, try my honey soy chicken baked in the oven.
Jump To
- Juicy Skillet Beer Sauce Chicken Thighs
- The Beer Sauce for This Chicken is So Good!
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Cook Chicken Thighs in a Skillet
- Tips for the Best Honey Beer Sauce Chicken Thighs
- What Sides Go With Chicken Thighs?
- How To Store Chicken Leftovers
- More Chicken Recipes to Try
- Honey Beer Sauce Chicken Thighs Recipe
Juicy Skillet Beer Sauce Chicken Thighs
Okay, I’m not gonna lie. Some nights I get groans when I’m asked, what’s for dinner, and the answer is chicken… for the billionth time.
But this chicken isn’t like all that other chicken. This chicken is special. It’s a little drunk.
No, for real, it’s awesome. This is a dish that just doesn’t get old! The chicken is always juicy, and the flavor is out of this world. The delicious aroma fills the house, and by the time it’s ready, we’re all super stoked to make a plate.
The Beer Sauce for This Chicken is So Good!
The reason this meal is pretty amazing is because of the sweet and salty sauce. It’s a perfectly balanced, lick-your-fingers blend of honey, soy sauce, whole grain mustard, garlic and shallots, all tied together with a little bit of beer. The sauce just clings to every bite of our perfectly seasoned chicken thighs.
Recipe Ingredients
Now that you know this recipe is mouthwatering-good, I guarantee you’ll get hungry just looking at the list of ingredients. ?
- Olive Oil: For cooking the chicken. I recommend a lighter olive oil as they tend to take the heat better than extra-virgin.
- Chicken: This recipe uses 7 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Herbs & Spices: You’ll need half a teaspoon each of dried oregano, dried thyme, garlic powder and smoked or sweet paprika.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste.
- Shallots: Peel and thinly slice two shallots.
- Garlic: You’ll need one clove of garlic, minced or pressed.
- Beer: For this recipe, I use half a cup of beer. This is a great use for an unfinished beer, since it doesn’t matter if it’s flat.
- Soy Sauce: A couple of tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce give a great depth of flavor to the chicken.
- Whole Grain Mustard: Grainy mustard is such an underused ingredient! I love it on just about everything, and in this sauce it really complements the beer.
- Honey: You’ll need just one tablespoon of your favorite honey.
- Parsley: Chopped fresh, for garnish.
How to Cook Chicken Thighs in a Skillet
Cooking boneless, skinless thighs is so easy! I cook them all the time, and doing so in a skillet is a cinch. They turn out juicy and tender every time!
- Prep Chicken: Heat your olive oil in a 12-inch skillet set over medium heat. In the meantime, season the chicken thighs well with oregano, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Cook First Side of Chicken: Add the chicken thighs to the heated skillet and cook for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cook Second Side: Flip the chicken over and continue to cook for 6 to 8 more minutes, or until done. The internal temperature of the chicken should register at 165˚F.
- Reserve Chicken & Sauté Aromatics: Remove the cooked thighs from the skillet and set aside. Return the skillet to the burner, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the shallots to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and cook for 20 seconds more.
- Whisk in Liquids: Whisk or stir in the beer, soy sauce, mustard and honey; bring the sauce mixture to a boil, while scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Reduce Sauce & Coat Chicken: Continue to cook the sauce for 3 minutes, or until it is reduced. Then return the chicken thighs to the skillet, and coat them with the sauce. Remove from the heat and serve.
Tips for the Best Honey Beer Sauce Chicken Thighs
If you’d like a little extra instruction on this recipe, read on! I’ve compiled my best tips and tricks for cooking delicious chicken thighs.
- Try Them Broiled: If you’d like, you can cook these thighs in the oven instead. I recommend using the broiler for the juiciest results! Borrow the easy method from my broiled chicken thighs. Place the thighs in an ovenproof skillet, such as a cast-iron skillet, and broil on high for 5 minutes per side, or until done. Then pull the skillet out (carefully! It’s hot!) and continue to make the sauce on the stovetop. Easy! You can even place the finished dish back under the broiler for a minute to get a little browning on that sticky glaze.
- Cook Times Are Flexible: Chicken breast meat is finicky, and can go from perfectly done to overdone very quickly. On the other hand, thighs are much more moist and forgiving, so if you need an extra minute to get to the stove and flip them or turn them off, that’s okay! Just make sure they’ve reached the correct internal temperature for safety, and you’re good. Use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer to check for doneness.
- Sauce Ingredients Are Flexible: This sauce can be assembled in a lot of different ways! Maybe you don’t have any honey on hand, but you do have brown sugar or maple syrup. Go for it! No grainy mustard? That’s okay! You can use yellow mustard, or dijon. Feel free to be flexible and try subbing ingredients that are similar; you might just make your new favorite sauce!
What Sides Go With Chicken Thighs?
With chicken, beer, mustard and honey all mixing and mingling in this dish, what kind of sides should you serve? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!
- A Cheesy Casserole. Beer and cheese are a match made in heaven, so I recommend a hearty, cheesy dish like homemade macaroni or my Cheesy Zucchini and Squash Casserole.
- Salad. Try this layered Russian Salad (Olivier Salad) or a fresh green Salad with Orzo and Feta.
- Veggies. Try cheesy Parmesan Smashed Potatoes for an easy vegetable side that’s full of flavor. These crispy Zucchini Fritters are also a family favorite!
How To Store Chicken Leftovers
- Leftover cooked chicken should be wrapped tightly and refrigerated as soon as two hours after cooking. You can also store it in airtight containers and keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.
ENJOY!
More Chicken Recipes to Try
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Honey Beer Sauce Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs,, about 6 to 8 chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt,, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,, or to taste
- 2 thinly sliced shallots
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ cup beer
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Chopped fresh parsley,, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet set over medium heat.
- Season chicken thighs with oregano, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub in the seasoning to stick to the thighs.
- Add chicken thighs to the heated skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until chicken flips over easily and is golden brown on the bottom.
- Flip the chicken over and continue to cook for 6 to 8 more minutes, or until done and internal temperature of the chicken registers at 165˚F.
- Remove cooked thighs from the skillet and set aside.
- Return skillet to burner and Increase heat to medium-high. Add a little more oil, if needed.
- Add shallots to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
- Whisk in beer, soy sauce, mustard, and honey; increase heat to HIGH and bring mixture to a boil, while stirring up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Continue to cook for 3 minutes, or until liquid is reduced.
- Return chicken thighs to the skillet and turn to coat with the sauce.
- Remove from heat.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Unbelievably delicious. I expected it to be too sweet but it was perfect. I used coors and a raw heather honey, neither of which dominated the overall dish, all of the lovely flavours came through in an amazing tongue tickling experience. I finished it in the oven along with the (recommended) roasted sugar snap peas (delicious) and potatoes. Beyond yummilicious!!!
Hi! What if I want to marinade the chicken and bake it, will it work well?
Found this recipe randomly on the internet looking to change up my classic chicken and absolutely love it! I use Guinness and it makes it so rich!
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
What type of beer is best? Pilsner, IPA, dark beer? Also can we use this sauce as a marinade for grilled thighs on a charcoal grill?
Hi!
I just use whatever I have on hand, mostly MGD. My advice would be to use your favorite beer.
This was very good! A must try recipe!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! ๐
What an amazing sauce, thickened it with corn starch!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
What an amazing sauce!
Yum
Thank YOU! ๐
Any chance you have an idea how to make this in an Instapot?
You would just add all ingredients to the Instant pot and pressure cook on HIGH for about 8 minutes… 12 minutes if the thighs are frozen. Make sure you’re using boneless thighs; bone-in thighs need to cook longer.