Southern Sticky Chicken
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This sweet yet savory sticky chicken recipe is delectable and the perfect easy weeknight dinner the whole family will enjoy.
This sweet and sticky chicken is an old-fashioned Southern recipe that has been around for about as long as folks have been cooking. The recipe has evolved and been tweaked over the years but the flavorful sticky marinade that clings to the chicken is still every bit as good as folks remember from the days when Granny used to make it for Sunday dinner.
Some of the things I love about this sticky chicken recipe is that it’s:
- Easy to make, which means it makes a great weeknight dinner.
- Versatile. Serve your meal with rice, vegetables, or a slew of Southern sides.
- Easy to double the recipe and make leftovers for weekday lunches.
Fortunately, this recipe for sticky chicken is pretty simple. All you have to do is mix up the sticky chicken marinade, which has equal parts sweet and savory ingredients to make a sauce that’s irresistible. Plus, they’re all pantry staples you probably have sitting in your cupboard right now. Then you bring the sauce ingredients to a boil, pour them over the chicken pieces, and bake. The end result is tender and juicy chicken soaked in a deliciously caramelized and sweet Asian-style sauce. It’s a home run with kids as well as adults.
Other Asian-inspired meals I recommend include crockpot cashew chicken, Asian-inspired pot roast, chicken fried rice, and Chinese chicken salad.
Recipe Ingredients
- Brown sugar (dark or light brown sugar, whatever you have)
- Garlic powder
- Ketchup
- Honey
- Soy sauce
- You’re also going to need about 3-5 pounds of bone-in chicken with the skin still on it. For my boneless sticky chicken recipe click here.
Traditionally, folks use legs or chicken thighs for this but my Kroger had bone-in split chicken breasts for buy one get one free – so I have two HUGE chicken breast halves that cost me a few dollars and that is what we’re using!
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make Sticky Chicken
Put everything (except the chicken) in a saucepot and stir it up really well. Place over medium-high heat.
You can do medium heat but I like to get things rolling.
See how that’s boiling? Bring the sticky chicken sauce to a boil like this. Then remove from heat.
Place your chicken pieces in a 9×13 baking dish and pour all of the sticky sauce over.
Place this in a 350-degree oven and bake, uncovered, for 90 minutes total.
After 45 minutes, flip all of the chicken over in the dish.
An hour and 15 minutes into cooking, flip pieces again and baste with some of the glaze in the pan. Bake for another 15 minutes.
NOTE: cooking time is the same if you use legs and thighs.
Booyah! Easy sticky chicken!
Storage
This recipe will last up to five days in an airtight container in the fridge. It will also keep in the freezer for up to four months. When it’s time to reheat your leftovers, simply warm them up in the microwave.
Recipe Notes
- If you want your marinade to have a bit of a spicy kick, add in a couple of tablespoons of chili garlic sauce, a tablespoon of sriracha hot sauce, or a sprinkle of paprika, , or cayenne pepper. Basically, whatever heat you have on hand!
- If you have a soy allergy, use tamari instead.
- Substitute brown sugar for granulated sugar, maple syrup, or an extra two tablespoons of honey.
Recipe FAQs
What chicken do I use for sticky chicken?
You can use any bone-in chicken, whether that’s chicken legs, chicken wings, drumsticks, chicken thighs, or chicken breasts.
What can I serve the sticky chicken with?
Whatever you like! You can go for an Asian takeout-style meal and serve it with rice, sliced green onion, broccoli, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Otherwise, here are some Southern side suggestions:
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole
Broccoli with Homemade Cheese Sauce
Tomato, Onion, and Cucumber Salad
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Ingredients
- 3 -5 pounds bone-in chicken with skin folks usually use legs and/or thighs
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a saucepot, combine ketchup, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder over medium to medium-high heat.1 cup ketchup, 1 cup honey, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Bring it just to a boil while stirring. Remove from heat.
- Arrange chicken pieces in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour the entire amount of sauce over the chicken, turning pieces with tongs to coat.3 -5 pounds bone-in chicken with skin
- Place in oven, uncovered, for 90 minutes, turning after 45 minutes.
- 15 minutes before cooking time is up, flip pieces once more and baste with sauce.
Video
Nutrition
You may also like these chicken recipes:
Best Barbecue Sauce and Boneless Sticky Chicken
Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap,
but by the seeds you plant.
~Robert Louis Stevenson
Submitted by Diane. Submit your quote by clicking here.
I’ve tried this and the family loved it.I love your website I’ve tried a lot of our recipes and they were a big hit I’m always looking for somthing different thanks
I am so glad that your family liked one of my families favorites!!
Made this for my wife with legs and wings was awesome will be making this for years to come
I am so glad you liked it Darry!!! It is always a favorite here and I love it when it becomes a favorite in others homes. 🙂
I did not know that Dollar Tree has yellow saffron rice, Christy. We have a Dollar Tree just around the corner from our house. Can’t wait to try the Sticky Chicken recipe.
I grew up in the 60s and 70s, so my favorites were The Monkees, The Jackson Five, Petula Clark, The Beatles, The Dave Clark Five, The Carpenters, The Cryin’ Shames, The Temptations….just to name a few. Gosh, those were the good ol’ days!
I am always surprised by some of the products they have at the Dollar Tree, Jan!! Great music indeed!!
Sounds good, looking forward to trying it….Do you buy the yellow rice or do you make your own?
I love yellow rice too….
I buy it. Saffron is one of the main seasonings and it’s also one of the most expensive ones in the world (literally) to purchase so I just buy yellow saffron rice. I’ve actually started buying it at Dollar Tree! I usually keep 20 or 30 bags on hand because I know we’ll use it and there is no sense in making multiple trips.
I made this for the kids when my husband and I were planning to snag a date night – big mistake! It was impossible to try just a taste of, so I’m making it again tomorrow! I skipped the honey to reduce the sugar content, and I used half boneless chicken thighs and half breasts. It did end up a bit saucier than in your photos, but the sauce tasted great on the white rice!
I am so glad everyone liked it!!
This is still one of my favorite dishes and I even eat yellow rice with it!! Lol! Thanks for doing all you do!
It is one of our all-time favorites as well Suzette!!!
This is another of our favorite recipes you have shared. It is so easy and so delicious!
I am so glad you like it Janel!!! It is one of our all-time favorites too!!
Hi Christy, just to say thanks, the sticky chicken is what I’m making for my stepson Tom’s birthday tomorrow (6/20) – he’ll love it!:) I grew up in NE MS, where my dad’s from, and mama’s from Pickens County, AL so I grew up as a child in the ’60’s and ’70’s listening to Andy Williams, Lawrence Welk, Elvis, the Monkees and Beatles, the Carpenters, disco & pop hits of the ’70’s & ’80’s, and most everything in between. These days it’s mostly country and Christian/gospel, and I’m proud to say I still love to listen to a great Southern gospel quartet every now and then! Thanks also for your wonderful words of wisdom and encouragement, God is using you to reach people in a mighty way and in times like these, that’s sorely needed, as I’m sure many would agree. Blessings to you and your family!
What a wonderful childhood!! Thank you for such kind words, it is appreciated more than you can imagine. I hope everyone enjoys the Sticky Chicken and you have a wonderful day celebrating!!! Blessings to you and yours!!