This honey baked chicken is exceptionally juicy and flavorful. The tasty sauce is made with honey, butter, garlic, and mustard. It’s phenomenal!
This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. I make it often because everyone loves it – adults and kids. It’s just so juicy and flavorful.
I usually use chicken drumsticks, but this recipe should also work with bone-in chicken thighs and with whole chicken legs. Simply add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time.
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty recipe (exact measurements are included in the recipe card below):
- Chicken drumsticks
- Melted butter
- Honey
- Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Garlic powder
How to make honey baked chicken
Scroll down to the recipe card for the details. The basic steps:
- Whisk together a quick sauce of melted butter, honey, mustard, and garlic powder.
- Brush the chicken with the sauce.
- Bake 75 minutes in a 350F oven, basting every 15 minutes. That’s it!
At what temperature to bake?
I normally cook chicken at a relatively high temperature, at least 400 degrees F (this jerk chicken recipe is a good example), and for a relatively short time. I believe it produces juicier chicken.
But in this particular recipe, if the temperature is too high, the honey will burn. So I keep the temperature at 350 degrees F and bake for a little longer.
Don’t forget to baste
Basting the chicken is important. Not just to help keep it juicy, but also because the sticky sauce tends to stick to the bottom of the pan, so mixing it up every 15 minutes prevents burning.
Is this a healthy recipe?
I think it is. Chicken is nutritious. And happily, current research says there’s no need to remove the chicken skin!
As for carbs, despite the honey, the carb count for this recipe is fairly low – 7 grams for two large drumsticks.
Still, this recipe is likely more appropriate for someone on a moderately low carb diet and not for someone on the keto diet.
What to serve with honey baked chicken
It’s a very versatile main dish that pairs well with lots of side dishes. A few of my favorite side dishes to serve with it are:
What about leftovers?
If you have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.
Honey Baked Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil spray
- 10 (4 oz each) chicken drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil (to save you some serious cleanup later as the honey caramelizes) and lightly spray it with olive oil spray.
- Arrange the drumsticks in the pan. Whisk together the melted butter, honey, mustard, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Evenly pour the mixture over the chicken, brushing to coat.
- Bake 1 1/4 hours, basting every 15 minutes, until the chicken is browned and juices run clear.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
