I love one-pot meals, like my Honey Garlic Chicken, so I’ve decided to add a new category to my menu, and I’m calling it one-pot dishes.” My Honey Garlic Chicken is sweet, sticky, delicious, and easy to make.

I wanted to use up this leftover red bell pepper I’d already had on hand, so I added it to this dish.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yields: 4 servings (2 1/2 thighs per person)
Equipment: 1 (12-inch) large skillet (Rondeau), substitute a large cast-iron skillet, chef’s knife, medium-size mixing bowl, large bowl, tongs, rubber spatula, large cook’s spoon.

Confession: I had half of a leftover red bell pepper in my fridge, so I threw it into this dish, but honestly, it’s not part of this recipe, so you won’t find it in the ingredient list. I always say, “You do you”.

Ingredients For The Chicken:
10 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of kosher salt, reserve half for the flip side of the thighs
2 teaspoons of black pepper, freshly-ground, reserve half for the flip side of the thighs

Ingredients For The Honey Garlic Chicken:
2 onions, thinly sliced into half-moons
2 cups of carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 pounds (approx. 4 cups) of baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
10 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups of honey
3/4 cup of light brown sugar, tightly-packed
5 ounces of soy sauce, low-sodium
2 cups of chicken broth, unsalted
2 tablespoons of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Prepping The Sauce:
Start by adding to a bowl the brown sugar, honey, chicken broth, and soy sauce, and whisk until the brown sugar is completely dissolved. Followed by prepping all of the vegetables, including the herbs, and then setting them aside. This recipe moves pretty fast, so you want to have everything ready.

Prepping The Chicken:
Sprinkle the top side (skin side) of all the chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly-ground black pepper. Use the remaining kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper to season the second side of the chicken pieces once they’ve been flipped. Remember to save half for the second batch of chicken thighs.

Pre-Cooking The Chicken:
Preheat the pan over medium-high heat. The chicken is going to be browned in two batches. You want the chicken to get nice and golden brown, so you do not want to overcrowd the pan. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.

Add the first batch of chicken thighs to the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. Flip the chicken pieces, then season with 1/2 tablespoon of Kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate. Repeat the process with the second batch of thighs using the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of Kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, once you’ve flipped the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the plate and set aside.

Drain the excess grease from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Still over medium-high heat, add the sliced onions. Season with 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly-ground black pepper. Using a rubber spatula, stir occasionally, cook for 3-5 minutes or until the onions have softened.

Instructions For Partially Cooking The Vegetables:
Next, add the carrots and potatoes to the pan. Season with the remaining kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, and stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, the carrots and potatoes for about 8 minutes. Finally, add the minced garlic, and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 1 minute.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove all the vegetables from the pan, transfer to a bowl, and set aside. Add the honey, garlic, and soy mixture to the pan. Still over medium-high heat, whisk frequently. As the sauce comes to a hard bubble, allow the liquid to reduce and thicken for about 3-5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and carrots back to the pan. Sprinkle in the fresh thyme leaves, and toss to combine. Nestle the chicken thighs between the vegetables. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165°F., and the potatoes are tender.

Finally, garnish with fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley and serve.

There you have it, my Honey Garlic Chicken.

Notes:
1) You must season as you layer the ingredients. The directions below explain this. Watch for how I season with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper in stages.

2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/