📋 Easy Honey Lime Chicken Thighs Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This 5 ingredient Easy Honey Lime Chicken Thighs recipe is the perfect quick, simple and healthy meal. It only requires a few pantry ingredients.

Course dinner, main dish

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, honey, lime

Special Diet Dairy-free, Gluten-free, weight watchers

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

marinating 30

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 356kcal

Get Recipe Ingredients

* Heads Up: There is a 30 minute marinating time! *You could also marinate it longer (prepare it in the morning, refrigerate all day, then pop it in the oven when you get home)
Spray large glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/205 degrees C.
Scatter chopped onion over chicken. Score chicken (poke holes in it with a fork).
2 lbs skinless and boneless chicken thighs, 1 medium onion
Mix honey, lime juice and oil together. Pour over chicken with onion. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
½ cup honey, ¼ cup lime juice, ¼ cup cooking oil (I use olive or canola)
Cook chicken, uncovered, (in marinade) for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
Turn the oven up to broil for 3-5 minutes (watch carefully so it doesn't burn)
Serve over rice or with baked potatoes, If desired, spoon over little of the marinade over the cooked rice.

Garnish it with lime zest, lime wedges and crushed red pepper to give it some color and a little zip!

Expert Recipe Tips:

The "Fork Poke" Hack: Scoring the chicken (poking small holes with a fork) isn't just a suggestion—it’s the secret to getting that flavor deep into the meat in only 30 minutes.
The Sizzle Factor: Use your [Thermapen or instant-read thermometer] to check the internal temperature. Chicken thighs are best at 175°F (79°C) as they contain more connective tissue than breasts, which are done at 165°F (74°C).
Watch the Broiler: The transition from "perfectly caramelized" to "burnt" happens in seconds when honey is involved. Stay by the oven during those last 3-5 minutes of broiling!
The Sauce Secret: If you want a thicker sauce for your rice, you can pour the pan juices into a small saucepan after the chicken is done, add a tiny cornstarch slurry, and simmer for 2 minutes until it's thick and glossy.
Prep Ahead: You can put the chicken and marinade in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag in the morning. By the time you get home from work, it will be spectacularly flavorful and ready to pop in the oven.
Leftovers Reinvented: Repurpose leftovers into honey lime chicken tacos!

Storage:

Store leftover chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container. You can freeze this recipe in a sealed container for up to 3 months.