Succulent honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs in one pan. A 30-minute recipe with big flavor, sticky honey garlic sauce, and tender meat that stays juicy.
Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. It’s one of my favorite healthy chicken recipes, and it’s perfect easy meal for busy weeknights.
Bake up these delicious chicken thighs and watch them vanish. Save the pan juices for drizzling.
Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs Ingredients
No soy sauce here; if you want a takeout vibe, try my Healthy Honey Garlic Chicken recipe, Garlic Ginger Chicken or Chinese Lemon Chicken.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (if you love chicken skin, try my honey mustard chicken with bone-in thighs)
- Olive oil
- Honey
- Garlic
- Fresh lemon juice
- Cracked black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Parsley optional
Full quantities in the recipe card below.
If you love a little heat, you MUST try my favorite gochujang chicken recipe.
Grab These Tools
- Baking dish, sheet pan or cast iron skillet.
- Small bowl to mix sauce.
- Meat thermometer to confirm safe internal temperature.
- Foil and a rack optional for resting.
How to Make Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs: Easy Guide
Prep and Sauce
Heat oven. In a small bowl, stir honey, garlic, fresh lemon juice, black pepper, and salt.
Pan and Bake
Nestle thighs in the pan or skillet and marinade over.
Bake until tender, basting with pan juices. Finish under broil for color.
Rest and Serve
Check internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
I cook dark meat beyond 165°F to 175–185°F for silky-tender chicken thighs (it has time for the collagen to break down).
Rest a few minutes so juices redistribute. Serve with the excess marinade as a yummy sauce.
What to Serve With It
- Easy Carbs: Microwave rice, microwave baked potatoes, pasta, or mashed potatoes to catch the juices.
- Vegetables Roasted broccoli, glazed carrots, green beans, or a bright salad with lemon wedges.
- Bread Crusty dutch oven bread to swipe the pan.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Marinate Mix sauce and coat thighs ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours for deeper flavor.
- Leftovers Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; great cold over salad.
- Reheat Microwave gently or warm in the oven, covered with foil.
- Freeze Freeze cooked thighs up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge.
Variations and Substitutions
- Chicken breasts Swap for breasts; adjust cooking time and don’t broil too long.
- Lemon pepper seasoning Use it instead of black pepper; reduce added salt.
- Spices Add paprika, onion powder, or garlic powder.
- Grill or air fryer Medium high heat on the grill or make them like my air fryer boneless chicken thighs.
- Extra lemon Add lemon zest or serve with lemon wedges.
Expert Tips
- One layer Keep a single layer in the pan for even bake.
- Finish hot Broil briefly for caramelization; watch closely.
- Doneness temperature Dark meat turns fall-apart tender at 175–185°F; check with a meat thermometer.
Other Easy & Quick Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- All my favorite Ground Chicken Recipes
- My Indian husband’s Butter Chicken Recipe
- Tuscan Chicken Recipe
- Chicken Street Tacos Recipe
- Chicken Drumstick Recipes
Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper that’s a lot – 40 cracks on my pepper grinder
- 2 ¼ tsp kosher salt or to taste
- Minced parsley to serve optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a bowl, combine the olive oil, honey, minced garlic, lemon juice, black pepper, and ¼ tsp of the salt.
- Place chicken thighs in a baking dish and season with remaining salt. Pour the honey mixture over the thighs, making sure they are fully coated.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, basting halfway through. Bake until the chicken is cooked through to 175ºF-185ºF for fall-apart-tender results. Turn on the broiler and broil for another 3-4 minutes to brown the top.
- Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving with the sauce. Meanwhile, taste the sauce for salt. If it tastes too acidic, it probably needs a pinch more.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried making this recipe and found there just wasn’t enough umami flavour/it tasted kind of one dementional. I added gf soy sauce to mine and recommend marinating the sauce, otherwise the soy sauce added the kick I think the sauce needed.
Would this be good in the air fryer?
Hi Angela! Yes, absolutely — you can do them in the air fryer. I’d follow my Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs method (around 380°F for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway) and just use the honey-garlic-lemon-pepper marinade from this recipe. Let me know how they turn out!
Is it supposed to be covered when it goes in the oven ?