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Pan-Roasted Honey Lime Chicken Thighs - one of the best chicken thigh recipes you'll ever try! Easy, delicious, simple ingredients.
I love cooking chicken thighs - they are so easy to handle, and always come out moist and juicy. Can't really go wrong with this cut of meat. You'll love this simple recipe - perfect for a quick, weeknight dinner, and very budget-friendly too!
Often, chicken thigh recipes involve baking the thighs in the oven, but here I am browning the chicken in a large skillet on the stove top, then add honey-lime mixture to the same skillet and let the thighs cook in its own juices on lower heat for about 20 minutes. During the cooking process the chicken thighs release their juices which get mixed in with the honey-lime mixture to produce really delicious sauce which you will then drizzle over the chicken before serving. You can also drizzle these pan juices over a side dish, such as rice. YUM! By the way, if you need an idea for a yummy side dish recipe, here is a rice recipe which will be perfect with these chicken thighs: Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice.
Also, many people really like chicken thigh recipes with cilantro and lime, and I have a great recipe for you that has all the ingredients you'll love, everything is cooked in one-pan, which makes the clean-up a breeze. Check it out: Chicken Thighs with Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice.
Honey Lime Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 7 chicken thighs (about 7 or 8 chicken thighs, depends on the size of your skillet)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 lime sliced (for garnish only)
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine lime juice, honey, soy sauce.
- Salt the chicken thighs with ½ teaspoon of salt (or more) thoroughly, all over, including under the skin.
- In 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken skin side gets nicely browned (make sure to get really nice brown, not just pale brown - it makes a difference in presentation).
- Turn chicken, so that skins sides are up and add lime-honey mixture to the skillet. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 14 to 18 minutes longer or until done (chicken should register 180 degrees F on instant thermometer). While cooking, covered, chicken thighs will release their own juices, as well.
- Transfer chicken to plates. Drizzle chicken with pan juices. Top with chopped green onions and serve with lime slices.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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I added some brown sugar and Thai sweet chili sauce. Fried it and then finished in the oven wow
Adding Thai sweet chili sauce sounds delicious!
Great recipe! I used bottled lemon juice since we were out of limes (my wife REALLY likes lime juice) and added a touch more honey since I thought the bottled stuff was more acidic than fresh. Came out great! I served it with pearled couscous and sauteed spinach. Nice quick meal. Thanks Julia!
You are very welcome! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Great idea to add more honey to compensate for more acidity flavor-wise. Your choice of side dishes sounds delicious!
How can I make this in an instant pot?
I couldn't see past all the ads and the video ad covering 1/3 of my screen to get to the recipe
It’s ridiculous isn’t it?
Really enjoyed this! My family was begging for more. I don’t think I used thighs for this but either way it was delicious, the one thing I did do was double the recipe so that everything was fully coated and had some extra for dipping. I also baked it in the oven seeing as frying it was burning the skin and not cooking the chicken. Making more tonight, thanks!
So glad you liked this recipe! Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Can I use lemon instead?
Yes, you can use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Can I use bottled lime juice?
You can, but freshly squeezed lime juice is preferable.
Hi! I've made this before, loved it, but I'm not a fan of the thighs. I'll be using chciken breasts instead. Any idea how the fat / cals might change if you substitute thighs for breasts? Thanks!
Not my taste. Was more tangy than anything. Yes, I measured well
...Its probably just me though.
Did you use freshly squeezed lime juice?
Dear Julia,
You can really teach old dogs new easy tricks! Simple, quick, delicious recipe. We are retired, and busy in very different ways than young families, but still really enjoy your meal ideas! Thank you.
You are very welcome! So glad you tried this recipe and enjoyed it!
Thank you for this recipe! It was delicious. My two year old even took a few bites! I’ve stopped cooking Asian foods because she just won’t eat it. She liked this recipe and we’re so excited to get some of those flavors back into the meal rotation.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for stopping by and sharing such a wonderful comment!
Thank you for the easy, delicious recipe. I have been serving this with stir fry mix vegetables - red and green cabbage, broccoli, carrots, pea pods - and rice.
I am glad you liked the recipe! Your side dishes sound delicious!
I cook this once a month, sometimes twice, for the past year. I love the simplicity and the flavor! Tonight, I am pairing it with roasted parmesan cauliflower and a salad. Yum!
I am so happy to hear you've been making this recipe several times! Serving this with a roasted parmesan cauliflower sounds delicious!
What would you serve this with?
You could serve this with a vegetable stir-fry and rice. It's also great with thin pasta, such as angel hair pasta.
We love this recipe and the black bean cilantro lime rice is SO good! Q about nutrition facts: is the 540 cal for the entire dish? Or is it already divided by 4 into one serving? ( I’m tracking macros, so I just need to record it right. Fat seems high but protein seems right on) thank you!
I am glad you like this recipe! 540 calories are per 1 serving.
I made this last night and it was delicious!!! Its so easy to make!!! Thanks Julia :). I can't wait to try your other recipes. Btw, I followed instructions as is.
I am very happy you enjoyed this recipe!