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Flavor-packed, sweet-and-spicy Honey Sriracha Chicken served with a side of fluffy cauliflower rice – yum! This is one of my favorite easy chicken thigh recipes.
Homemade Honey Sriracha Chicken
Appetizing. Delectable. Delish. Divine. Is that enough adjectives to make you want to jump straight into the kitchen and make this Honey Sriracha Chicken as soon as possible? GOOD! Because you should. This tangy and spicy chicken thighs recipe might just change your life. At the very least, it will make dinnertime the highlight of your day!
Anyway, these juicy chicken thighs are smothered in a honey sriracha sauce, packed with sugary, garlicky, spicy flavor. All in all, it takes about 30 minutes to make, and that includes the time it takes to whip together some simple cauliflower rice.
So, needless to say, this easy chicken dinner is quickly becoming a family favorite around here. It’s great on weeknights, the ingredients are relatively simple, and everybody devours it the minute it gets to the table. Sounds like a win to me!
Also, if you’re in the mood to try out some more chicken thigh recipes, try these Juicy Stove Top Chicken Thighs or these Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs!
Why This Sriracha Chicken Recipe Works
Not quite convinced yet about how amazing this chicken is? That’s okay! I’ve got a quick list of reasons about why this honey sriracha chicken is so great:
- Fantastic flavor. Sriracha sauce makes this chicken spicy, honey makes it sweet, soy sauce gives it some savory/umami flavor, and lime juice adds some tanginess. It’s a flavor explosion!
- Juicy and tender. The above ingredients plus some rice vinegar and garlic makes a splendid combo that keeps our chicken extra tender and succulent.
- Make ahead. If you want to make or marinate this chicken ahead of time, you totally can! It’s a huge timesaver on busy weeknights.
Recipe Ingredients
Let’s talk ingredients! Most of them are probably already in your pantry, so that’s pretty great. If you’re looking for precise measurements for each one, check out the recipe card below.
For the Chicken:
- Sriracha Sauce: You can also use sweet chili sauce if you prefer.
- Honey: Maple syrup could probably be substituted if you don’t have honey, though this would change the overall flavor.
- Soy Sauce: I like to use low sodium soy sauce in this recipe.
- Rice Vinegar: If you only see rice wine vinegar at the store, that’s okay, they are the same thing.
- Lime Juice: Freshly-squeezed lime juice provides the tangiest flavor.
- Garlic: Minced garlic cloves have a bolder flavor than store-bought minced garlic, but both will work.
- Vegetable Oil: Olive oil or another cooking oil is also fine.
- Chicken: This recipe calls for boneless chicken thighs – you can buy skin-on OR skinless, either is good (see the tips section for more on this).
- Garnish: Use chopped fresh cilantro and lime zest for garnish.
For the Cauliflower Rice:
- Cauliflower: Cut your cauliflower into florets before you start.
- Vegetable Oil: Same notes as above.
- Seasoning: Keep it simple with salt and fresh ground pepper.
How to Make Honey Sriracha Chicken
You won’t believe how quickly this chicken dinner comes together – especially once the marinating is done! Briefly, here’s what you’ll need to do (the full set of directions is in the recipe card below!):
- Make the marinade. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sriracha, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, and garlic. Spoon some of the marinade out of the bowl and set it aside for later.
- Marinate the chicken. Transfer the remaining sriracha mixture and the chicken thighs to a ziplock bag and let everything marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Cook the chicken. Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs into the heated skillet and cook them for about 7 to 8 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
- Add the sauce and serve. Add the reserved sauce to the skillet, pouring it over the chicken thighs. Cook everything for 1 more minute and turn the chicken to coat it. Remove the chicken from the heat and serve.
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
While the chicken is cooking, you’ll want to start preparing the cauliflower rice. If you have never made it before, please know that it is just a two-step process. Super easy!
- Break up the cauliflower into florets. Then, add the cauliflower florets to a food processor and PULSE until the cauliflower starts to resemble “rice.”
- Add the cauliflower rice to a skillet. Season it with salt and pepper and cook it for a couple of minutes, or until tender. That’s it!
Tips for Success
I think that’s everything! Well, almost. I do have a couple more tips and tricks on honey sriracha chicken to share with you:
- Cook the chicken with the skin on. Cooking the chicken with the skin ON (and then removing the skin after cooking) helps trap all those tasty, natural juices inside. Skinless chicken thighs will also work in this recipe, as mentioned before, but for the juiciest results, try the above tip.
- Don’t skip the marinating. If time allows, I recommend marinating the chicken in the sauce for about 20 minutes before cooking. This gives the flavors time to mingle and set into the chicken.
- Make sure the chicken is done. The easiest way to know that the chicken has cooked through is to use a meat thermometer. Once the internal temperature registers as 165F, you’re all set.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re not crazy about cauliflower rice, there are a couple of other things that you could serve with your sriracha chicken. Here are some suggestions:
- Rice or pasta. Regular rice or buttery parmesan noodles would be good choices!
- Mashed potatoes. Creamy mashed potatoes would pair perfectly here. Or, you could try Mashed Cauliflower!
- Salad. A nice, light salad goes super well with this honey sriracha chicken. Maybe something like this Cabbage Cucumber Salad!
- Roasted veggies. Roasted asparagus, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc., are all great options.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
If you’ve got leftovers, save them for later! Here’s the best way to do it:
- To store. Keep your chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To reheat. When you’re ready to eat the chicken again, reheat it in the oven at 350F for a few minutes or until heated through.
Can I Freeze Sriracha Chicken?
Sure! Once cooled, you can freeze this sriracha chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Make sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating!
More Asian Inspired Chicken Recipes
- Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
- Lemongrass Grilled Chicken
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken Stir Fry
- 30-Minute Skinny Cashew Chicken
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Honey Sriracha Chicken Recipe with Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
FOR THE HONEY SRIRACHA CHICKEN
- 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce, (you can also use sweet chili sauce)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 to 8 boneless chicken thighs, (around 2 pounds) (skin-on OR off)*
- chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- lime zest, for garnish
FOR THE CAULIFLOWER RICE
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- salt and fresh ground pepper,, to taste
Instructions
FOR THE HONEY SRIRACHA CHICKEN
- In a mixing bowl whisk together sriracha, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, and garlic.
- Spoon 1/4 cup of marinade out of the bowl and set aside for later.
- Transfer the remaining of the sriracha mixture and chicken thighs to a ziploc bag and marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Transfer chicken thighs to heated skillet and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
- Add the reserved sauce to the skillet and over the chicken thighs; cook for 1 minute and turn chicken to coat.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
FOR THE CAULIFLOWER RICE
- You can wipe down the skillet that we used for the chicken or you can use a separate skillet.
- Add florets to the bowl of your food processor and PULSE until cauliflower looks like rice. You may have to do this part in batches, depending on the size of your food processor.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Stir in cauliflower rice and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook for 2 minutes, or until tender.
- Remove from heat and fluff with fork.
- Garnish chicken and cauliflower rice with chopped cilantro and lime zest.
- Serve.
Notes
- Cooking chicken with the skin ON (and then removing the skin after cooking) helps trap all those tasty, natural juices inside.
- To store. Keep your chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To reheat. When you’re ready to eat the chicken again, reheat it in the oven at 350F for a few minutes or until heated through.
- To freeze. Once cooled, you can freeze this sriracha chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Make sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating!
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.
I was scared about 1/4 cup of sriracha. We both love spicy, but that sounded like a lot. I still made it exactly as written. The first few bites were a bit ultra spicy, but then it settles to a nice warm comfortable spice level. We both loved this and agreed that it needs to go into the ‘make it again’ folder
Just wondering if you are supposed to dispose of the marinade or put it in the pan with the chicken thighs?
Hi!
Yes, you should dispose of it and only use the chicken thighs because the extra liquid will begin to steam the chicken.
Thanks! I tried this with all Sriracha sauce and found it too spicy, though my husband liked it. Then I followed your suggestion and used Sweet Chili Sauce. I added a squirt of Sriracha sauce. It was just right.
I was afraid this would be way too hot so added another T. of honey. I baked it at 375 for about 40 minutes. Delicious and probably didn’t need to add the extra honey. My husband like it too. Will definitely make again and especially for company. Served it with rice and broccoli with cheese.
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I have literally made this 2 nights in a row! Yum! Sauce is delicious! I made it in my Ninja Foodi however, and sorta used some of the other IP chicken thigh recipes as a guide. Seared off the marinated thighs in the Foodi, then pressure cooked for 18 minutes, with a 10 minute natural release. Pulled out the thighs and added a few shakes of Wondra flour to thicken that delicious sauce. Skipped all rices and served with the extra sauce and steamed veg. So good! Thanks for the recipe!!!
I have been cooking for well over 60 years and, in my opinion, no recipe has delivered more tasty, juicy and succulent chicken thighs than this one. My wife and I both absolutely loved it, and the recipe has gone straight into our ‘best recipes’ folder. Wonderful flavours; thank you!