Name: 4 Ingredient Honey Lime Chili Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 8-9 medium chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on); 1 - 2 tablespoons oil; 1/4 cup lime juice (from 1 or 2 limes); 2 cloves garlic, (minced); 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 - 2 tablespoons honey

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With only 4 ingredients and one pan, this recipe for Baked Honey Lime Chili Chicken makes a simple weeknight meal. These thighs are succulently sweet and spicy. This easy chicken dish gets requested over and over again!

Honey Lime Chili Chicken Thighs on rice with lime slices.

This recipe for Honey Lime Chili Chicken Thighs needs only four main ingredients and one pan. Minimal prep, minimal clean-up, tasty food . . . that's my kind of meal. It's one the whole family will love!

If you've been following along here for a while, you'll know that lots of flavor plus minimal effort is my favorite combo.

And this delicious recipe for honey lime chicken fits the bill. Chicken with lime, garlic, honey, and a little chili powder makes a tasty dish, perfect for an easy weeknight meal.

One reader says, I've made this several times. It does not fail to please. It's my "go to" recipe for quick, mouth-bursting flavorful chicken. Thank you!
Annette

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❤️Why you'll love these Honey Chili Lime Chicken thighs
🛒 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
❓How do I sear chicken without it sticking to the pan?
👍🏼 Expert Tip: using boneless skinless chicken
🍽 Serving Suggestions
🍽 More easy chicken recipes
📖 Recipe

❤️Why you'll love these Honey Chili Lime Chicken thighs

only four main ingredients
one pan
quick to prepare
easy clean-up
bound to become a family favorite

A platter of baked chicken thighs with honey chili lime seasoning served on rice with lime slices.

This recipe for Honey Lime Chili Chicken results in tender, juicy chicken that's a little sweet, a little sour, with a little heat from the chili powder. It has the perfect balance of garlic and zesty lime flavor to keep it interesting without being overpowering.

🛒 Ingredients

bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts
oil
lime juice (from 1 or 2 limes)
garlic, minced
chili powder
honey
optional garnish of thinly sliced green onions, chopped fresh cilantro, or snipped chives.

🔪 Instructions

Too easy! Just whisk the honey-lime mixture together, brown the chicken in an oven-proof skillet, add the sauce to the pan and finish baking it in the oven. That's all!

Heat oven to 375°F.
Whisk the lime juice, garlic, chili powder, and honey together and set aside.
Pat chicken dry to prevent spattering when you add it to the pan.
Heat an ovenproof skillet on the stovetop, then add oil. When it shimmers and ripples, carefully add the chicken, skin side down. Shake the pan a little to prevent sticking. Brown on one side until it turns a deep, dark golden color (about 4-5 minutes), then flip and brown on the other side.
Remove from the heat, drain the excess oil, and pour the honey-lime-chili mixture over all.
Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F. when measured with an instant-read meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh.
Serve garnished with extra lime slices and/or thinly sliced green onions or snipped chives.

❓How do I sear chicken without it sticking to the pan?

Heat an ovenproof skillet. Don't add the oil yet.
When it's hot, add a little oil, one with a high heat tolerance, like avocado oil or grapeseed oil. Wait until the oil ripples. It will heat quickly.
Pat the chicken dry. Carefully add the chicken, skin side down.
Leave it alone. Don't go moving it around the pan or it will stick. Let it fully brown on one side, usually for four or five minutes, then flip it over using tongs, being careful not to rip the skin.
Brown on the other side, then follow the rest of your recipe instructions.

A platter of honey-lime chili chicken thighs on rice.

👍🏼 Expert Tip: using boneless skinless chicken

If you want to use boneless, skinless chicken parts, you'll need to adapt this recipe to keep the chicken moist (which is what the skin helps to do).

Mix the honey-chili-lime sauce and toss the chicken parts in it. Transfer them to a baking dish and bake them in the oven at 375°F for 20 - 30 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F. Then remove the dish from the oven, tent it with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Serve these honey lime chicken thighs over pasta, or with rice or low-carb Cauliflower Rice, green vegetables like Easy 5-minute Sesame Asparagus. Add a refreshing side salad like this Mexican-inspired Mexican Corn Salad with Queso Fresco or this Cantaloupe Arugula Salad.

Love that Honey-Chili-Lime flavor? Try these:

You'll find many more delicious chicken recipes in the Chicken Category in my Recipe Index.

🍽 More easy chicken recipes

See more Chicken Recipes →

When you make these honey lime chili chicken thighs, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing how my recipes turned out for you, or what adaptations you made. Thanks in advance!

📖 Recipe