This honey sriracha chicken is the best you'll ever make. The crispy chicken pieces are coated in a perfect balance of sweet and spicy sticky sauce that will blow your mind. It's better and cheaper than takeout, and it's also easy to make, making it perfect for a busy day!
★★★★★
You Have to make this recipe! It tastes even better than it looks. I've made it w chicken and also slices of eggplant as a veggie option. So So So good especially if you love spicey food.
- Heidi
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Why This Recipe Works
As an Asian who lives in Spain, I enjoy a great Asian meal but am not keen on the laborious task of making it. I've improved this honey sriracha chicken recipe so that it's not only amazingly delicious but also doable on busy days!
Better than takeout—You'll enjoy crispy, juicy chicken coated with thick, sweet, and spicy honey sriracha sauce. It's cheaper and tastes even better than in restaurants like my Thai basil beef, easy Pad Thai, and air-fryer orange chicken. You're also using better ingredients!
No frying involved—This recipe is healthier because I'm not frying the chicken but baking it in the oven. So there are no oil splatters and no lingering frying oil smell in the kitchen.
One-sheet pan recipe—Instead of transferring the chicken to a pan and cooking it with the sauce on the stove, I make the whole recipe on a sheet pan. It's so easy!
Perfect for busy days—This quick, delicious spicy honey chicken is ready in 30 minutes and is one of my favorite sheet pan chicken recipes. It's even faster than waiting for food delivery, like my easiest crispy sesame chicken and kimchi fried rice!
Ingredients For This Recipe
Chicken—I use boneless chicken thighs because they are more flavorful, don't dry out, cook faster, and lower in fat without the skin, just like in my Malaysian chicken satay. You can use chicken breast; just know it won't be as juicy.
Sriracha—I love spicy food, so I'm using quite a bit for this sweet sriracha sauce. However, it's not overly spicy because the heat is perfectly balanced with honey and lime juice. You can adjust the amount of spiciness to suit your taste.
Chinese 5 spice—It adds a uniquely delicious earthy, aromatic, and licorice-like flavor to this sriracha chicken recipe. Although not the same, you can alternatively use the same amount of allspice, za'atar, garam masala, or omit it. If you have za'atar, make our amazing Lebanese flatbread with za'atar!
Smoked paprika—It adds an amazing smokey touch to our honey sriracha chicken. I love using the spicy one, but sweet smoked paprika or regular paprika also works.
All-purpose flour—The secret to achieving crispy oven-baked chicken more easily! It also helps the chicken absorb the sauce and allows it to stick beautifully.
Soy sauce—I highly recommend using less-sodium soy sauce! You'll get more flavor with less salt. It's versatile, and I use it every time a recipe calls for soy sauce, like in my crispy air-fryer soy sauce chicken, peanut sauce stir-fry noodles, and easy lo mein noodles.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the chicken. Grease a baking tray. Add chicken, spicy smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt, and mix well. Sprinkle all-purpose flour and coat the chicken well. Lay the chicken on a single layer and spray it evenly with oil.
Step 2: Bake. Bake for 15 minutes at 450ºF (220ºC) on the middle rack.
Step 3: Make the sauce. Meanwhile, heat butter, honey, sriracha, lime juice, soy sauce, grated garlic, and ginger in a pan until the butter is melted. Mix well.
Step 4: Bake. Pour the sauce on the chicken, and mix everything well. Bake for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Recipe Expert Tips
If you're going to make this honey sriracha chicken recipe, make sure to follow these top tips!
- Lay the chicken on a single layer. This will cook the chicken evenly and make each chicken's surface crispy.
- Use two spatulas to mix the chicken with spices and sauce. It's easier!
- Save some sauce for later. Optional, but I like to save ¼ cup of the sauce to drizzle on the chicken when I serve it later.
How To Serve, Store, Freeze And Reheat
Serve—This honey sriracha chicken is perfect for serving immediately with rice or quinoa. You can add steamed broccoli, green beans, or pak choi on the side and drizzle it with my 5-minute chili garlic oil. It's a fast and complete dinner option for a busy day!
If you're struggling to get perfectly cooked jasmine rice, see my recipe and tips on how to cook jasmine rice without a rice cooker.
Store—If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze—Place it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat—You can reheat the honey sriracha chicken in the microwave, but keep in mind that it will lose its crispy texture after sitting in the sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. Preheat and air-fry the chicken at 400ºF (200ºC) for 20-25 minutes, until crispy. Heat the sauce ingredients in a wide pan. Once the chicken is done, add it to the pan, mix, and coat each piece evenly with the honey sriracha sauce. You'll have a looser sauce with this method as the sauce isn't baked into the chicken, like the oven method.
Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are hands down the best! They cook faster, more flavorful, and have less fat without the skin. Chicken breast works also; just know it won't be as juicy.
You can use less Sriracha. Start with 2 tablespoon and go from there. You can also use milder hot sauces.
More Quick Dinner Recipes
Did you try these Honey Sriracha Chicken?
Please leave us ★★★★★ ratings and feedback below in the comment section. We'd love to know how it went, what you liked, or if there's anything we can improve. Share and tag us on Instagram; we'd like to see your creation.
Thank you! -Bea and Marco
Watch How To Make It
📖 Recipe
Honey Sriracha Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lb (900 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs , cut into 1.5-inch (3.5cm) cubes
- 1 tablespoon spicy smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
Sauce
- ¼ cup (60 g) butter
- ¼ cup (80 g) honey
- ¼ cup (65 g) sriracha
- 2 tablespoon lime juice , or juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- 4 garlic cloves , grated
- 2 inch ginger , grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF (220ºC), and place the rack in the middle position. Grease a baking tray with oil.
Chicken
- Add chicken pieces, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to the pan and mix everything well using two spatulas. Sprinkle all-purpose flour and mix again to coat the chicken. Lay the chicken pieces on a single layer and spray them evenly with oil.
Bake
- Bake for 15 minutes at 450ºF (220ºC).
Sauce
- Meanwhile, make the sauce sweet sriracha sauce. Heat butter, honey, sriracha, lime juice, soy sauce, grated garlic, and ginger in a pan until the butter is melted. Mix well and set aside.
- After 15 minutes, remove the baking tray from the oven and pour the sauce all over the chicken. Mix everything well and bake for another 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and sticks to the chicken. Serve immediately with some rice or quinoa, with some steamed veggies on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- Lay the chicken on a single layer. This will cook the chicken evenly and make each chicken's surface crispy.
- Use two spatulas to mix the chicken with spices and sauce. It's easier!
- Save some sauce for later. Optional, but I like to save ¼ cup of the sauce to drizzle on the chicken when I serve it later.
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Originally published on Apr 4, 2019. Updated with improved text, recipe, and pictures on May 25, 2024. Improved recipe inspired by Half Baked Harvest's Sheet pan hot honey garlic chicken and zucchini.
Steve says
This recipe is true as described and shown in the photos. Our kids loved it with rice and steamed broccoli, as suggested. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thanks!
Bea & Marco says
That's awesome to hear, Steve! I'm happy that everybody loved it, thank you for your comment!
Amanda says
Could you use chicken tenderloins instead of thighs?
Would this alter the time or temp?
Bea & Marco says
Yes, you could. Use the same temp. Just check on minute 10 and go from there to avoid them getting dry. Hope it helps!
thayguyj says
the recipe was sooo good. replicated step by step delicious. Do you think pork would work?
Bea says
Yes, I don't see why not 🙂
HEIDI TREAT says
You Have to make this recipe! It tastes even better than it looks. I've made it w chicken and also slices of eggplant as a veggie option. So So So good especially if you love spicey food.
Bea says
Oh awesome idea on the eggplant! I LOVE this, one of our favourites. Thank you so much Heidi!