Sticky Chicken
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This is one of those dishes that, somedays, you just gotta have. Sticky Chicken has been around 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.
This recipe for sticky chicken is pretty simple, mix up some ingredients, bring them to a boil, pour them over chicken pieces and bake. It’s a home run with kids as well as adults, too!
You’ll need: Brown sugar (dark or light, whatever you have), garlic powder, ketchup, honey, and soy sauce.
You’re also going to need about 3-5 pounds of bone in chicken with the skin still on it.
Traditionally, folks use legs and thighs for this but my Kroger had bone in split chicken breasts for buy one get one free – so I have four HUGE Chicken breasts halves that cost me about $2.50 and that is what we’re using!
Put everything in a sauce pot and stir it up really good. Place over medium high heat.
You can do medium heat but I like to get things rolling.
Patience is a virtue and all that but I find that my patience is best used in dealing with people, critters, and my spotty internet connection.
Bring it just to a boil and then remove from heat.
Place your chicken pieces in a 9×13 baking dish and pour all of the sauce over.
In my last post, we sang Leslie Gore around about this time. So today, we need to sing Buddy Holly.
Every day, it’s a getting closer! Going faster than a roller coaster! love like yours will surely come my way. hey hey hey hey hey!
This has nothing whatsoever to do with Sticky Chicken so I’m not even gonna try to tie it in.
If staying on point was a requirement of my job, I’da lasted one blog post.
Not good with the whole monotony thing. I gotta sparkle a bit
If you tuned in to the Leslie Gore Video in my Fried Dill Pickles Post and now my Buddy Holly video you may be wondering why someone born whenever I was born (sometime in the past 20-50 years or so) is such a huge fan of music from an era I wasn’t actually present in.
Simple: I have exquisite taste in music.
Oh, and also My Mama and Daddy took good care of their records . My brother, sister, and I spent half of our childhoods rocking out to Leslie Gore, Buddy Holly, and then Elvis. In between we were big fans of Disco Duck just to keep it well rounded.
What music did you listen to growing up?
I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
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 fifteen minutes into cooking, flip pieces again and baste with some of the sauce in the pan. Bake another fifteen minutes.
NOTE: cooking time is the same if you use legs and thighs.
Booyah! Sticky chicken!
This dish was extremely difficult to photograph because I really just wanted to eat it.
“Click click, ok, photo session is done! Let’s eat!”
I’m serving some green beans with it (recipe coming soon) and simple Mahatma Saffron Rice. Rice goes great with this because the chicken is so flavorful.
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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 sauce pot, combine ketchup, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder over medium heat.
- Bring it just to a boil while stirring. Remove from heat.
- Arrange chicken pieces in 9x13 dish. Pour entire amount of sauce over chicken, turning pieces with tongs to coat.
- Place in oven, uncovered, for 90 minutes, turning after 45 minutes.
- Fifteen minutes before cooking time is up, flip pieces once more and baste with sauce.
Print This Recipe
UPDATE: Can I make this with boneless skinless breasts?
I’ve had so many people ask this question that I finally got around to trying it last night. I threw a few boneless skinless chicken breasts in the baking dish with my bone in, skin on pieces. I basted it just like the other pieces and flipped and cooked it the same way. It was good and it can certainly be done but it doesn’t come out like sticky chicken. You’ll have a good tasting chicken breasts, but the sauce doesn’t stick to it or form a glaze on it. You’re pretty much just cooking chicken in the sauce. It is good, but it really isn’t sticky chicken. I would suggest holding out until you have the bone in/skin on pieces
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.
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Jun 6 2012. Filed under Chicken, Southern Classics.
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This Sticky Chicken recipe is AmAzInG!!! Even my picky husband loves this recipe! I found your site through a random pin on Pinterest & have since linked it to my favorites bar =) I grew up in SC &, like you, most of my recipes have been passed down through generations & I learned to cook from my Grandma. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!
I am going to try this version. My recipe for sticky chicken uses 1 package of dry onion soup, 1 jar of apricot or peach preserves, and a bottle of Russian dressing (which is getting harder and harder to find!). Mix them together, pour over chicken and bake. My kids and grandkids love it!
I think Christie’s is better but you are right Russian dresssing can’t be found.
I have substituted Catalina dressing when I couldn’t find the Russian dressing.
Would love to try this recipe. Would it work just as well with skinless chicken? I’d like to make sure the sauce is on the meat real good, and not just on the skin.
It will work just fine Linda however it won’t be sticky chicken. It will taste great but only cook in the sauce, not have any stick to it.
Any reason I can’t use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe?
No reason at all Em! It won’t be sticky or have a sauce coating but will still be good!
I made this last night it was great. I used a whole chicken cut in half. I think next time I will add a little salt and some Franks Hot Sauce. Will make again.
made this last night using chicken breast (boneless) it was delicious!! I loved it and my picky girls ate every bite! We will definitely cook this again!
i found this while searching “how to fold a bow”:) tried this recipe right away and realized its the rag chicken my great granny took to the grave. she called rag chicken because you needed a wet dishrag to clean up with not a prissy napkin. thanks a bunch!
I am so glad you found it Jessica!!! I like your Granny’s thinking, it is messy but ohhhhh so good!
Oh that is so funny!
We had this for dinner on the other side of the world! The kids loved it. Thank you
I haven’t tried the sticky chicken yet, but it looks delicious. Buddy Holly is one of my favorites (I have too many to count, lol!) so I’m glad you put him in this post. I grew up listening to whatever my mom listened to, but we have the same taste in music mostly! Everything from The Statler Brothers to ABBA to The Dave Clark Five and Eddie Rabbitt. My grandma got me started on classical music like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. A friend got me started on jazz, so I like almost any kind of music. : )
I’ve used this for over 30 years as a BBQ sauce for ribs, cook ribs then baste with sauce the last 15 – 20 minutes, wonderful stuff!
Oh, that sounds wonderful Lynda!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Whats up with the green bean recipe? I need that!!!! It looks like a “keeper”!
THX!
This looks like something I would definitely make. Bone-in, skin-on thighs with a variety of sauces, marinades, and seasonings are a suppertime staple at my house.
You are holding out on the green bean recipe:)
Yeah, whats those green beans you got sitting along side that chickne?
I am going to try this recipe out tonight…Hope it turns out good…I am using chicken thighs…I also pinned it on pinterest =)
Looks yummy! I am all about easy and delicious, and all your recipes I have tried so far have fit that bill perfectly.
Also, I want to know about those green beans…they look awesome!
I also love Mahatma yellow rice. Haven’t had it in a while, so thanks for the reminder!
Yesterday was our 20 year anniversary and I made the sticky chicken! (We can’t afford to eat out like most people!) The kids almost had it all eaten up by the time my husband decided to eat! It was wonderful–there was a lot of marinade left over in the pan. Did I do something wrong on that count? I bought inexpensive chicken quarters (.79 lb.) and cut them in half so we had 8 pieces. Made green beans with bacon and made a “gravy” out of the bacon drippings with flour and milk before adding the beans. Also made chicken flavored rice–everything went well together! Thanks for the recipe! I am always looking for something new to try and get tired of the same old dishes!
Oh Wow, Happy Belated Anniversary Georgi!!! I am so glad that you enjoyed the Sticky Chicken and had a good Anniversary meal at home that everyone enjoyed!!
!
You didn’t do anything wrong, there is always marinade left in the pan because it uses so much but this is excellent over rice or mashed potatoes! I know your family counts themselves blessed indeed to have you
well howdy thank you for taking time to share
im on weight watchers so i am always looking for healthy alternatives, i could use breast, or boneless and skinless thighs… if you have any other recipes that would be good for ww that would be great thanks again
This dinner tonight
with homemade mashed potatoes, corn, and yeast rolls!! Smells amazing in the oven.
Yummy!!!! I can smell it from here!!
I’m so thankful you posted this recipe. My great Grandmother made the best BBQ Chicken i’ve ever eaten. She was a wonderful southern cook. I’ve tasted chicken all over the country, and every BBQ Sauce on the planet hoping to find some as good. I remember the sweet sticky sauce, I loved it so much id mop the baking pan with bread! This is the closest i’ve ever tasted to what I remember. It goes to show, fancy ingredients don’t necessarily make the fanciest dishes!!!!!! I LOVE THIS CHICKEN.
I am so glad you found it too Susan and that it was all you had hoped for!!!
I did a few adaptations, but this turned out simply awesome. I can stll taste it, even though it’s been a few hours. I didn’t even need a knife for cutting the meat, just stabbed it with a fork and suitable chunks just fell off. It’s very rich, so I highly recomend making a salad, with sqeezed lemon on it, and pref. containing apples or pineapple. 9/10
I am so glad to hear you liked it!!
WOW! This sounded so good, I just had to try it! My son raved at the first bite he took! I LOVE this!! Thanks so much for sharing! We’ll be having this often!
This sounds so good! I’d like to add it to my meal plan for this week but I’m wondering if I could make this in my slow cooker? I’m not planning to turn on my oven at all next week!
Hi Susan!! It won’t be sticky in the slow cooker but it will still taste good. I’d cook it in the slow cooker, then take the lid off and put just the crock in the oven on 450 for about twenty minutes to get it sticky.
Thank you Christy! I love your site and cookbook – I can’t wait for the next one to come out!!!
Thank you so much Susan!!! I am so glad to hear that you are enjoying both the site and the cookbook!!
Could this be made in a crock pot? Its too hot here in SWGA to use the oven lol
I like that you cook this chicken for 90 minutes, I am very particular about making sure chicken is done, I probably usually overcook it, so many chicken recipes I see say to bake chicken for 25 -30 minutes, I don’t wanna eat any chicken unless it’s baked at least 45 minutes, even boneless, skinless chicken
I just got home from spending a week in Alabama while my husband had to stay home. While I was away I had wonderful southern home cooking and my husband ate frozen dinners or out. So today I thought I would make him a special dinner to make up for the week. I made him sticky chicken and sweet and sour green beans ………he had 3 helpings! I think he liked it, I know I did!
Oh my goodness, I am so glad to hear that it was such a hit!!! Hope you had a wonderful trip!
I made this tonight with boneless skinless chicken breasts and could have DRANK the sauce!!!! So good! I’m going to try it with chicken legs next time. LOVE this!!!!!!!
90 minutes seems like a long time to cook it.
Hi, this was great! came to your site from temerity jane’s tweet this am. thanks to you and her!
Welcome to Southern Plate Julia!!! So glad to see you here!!!
I made the Sticky Chicken tonight for supper. It was delicious. It is so moist and tender. My husband thought it was great too. Will definitely make this again. Thanks Christy for a new recipe for me.
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it Thelma!!!
……wondering how this would turn out on the grill?? Anyone?
Hi there, this may be a long shot, but do you know how many calories are in the sauce?
I’m afraid I don’t BUT if you eat it reallllly fast it’ll burn more!
I’m about to try it with Drummettes and home fries.
We had this tonight and everyone loved it…The sauce is so tasty. The only thing I would change next time is that I think I may add a couple of tsp. of vinegar. My family really liked it, but they did say they thought it was a ‘tad’ too sweet. Other than that, it was great!
Can white sugar be used instead of brown?
It could but it will have a very different taste and outcome.
I had never eaten or cooked Sticky Chicken until today. I used chicken legs and thighs. The chicken was so moist and tender. I didn’t have soy sauce so I found online that you can substitute 4 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon of water for the 1/2 cup of soy sauce. This recipe is definitely a keeper! My family loved this!
I am so glad to hear it was such a hit Dawn!!
I read through every review and still couldn’t find the green bean recipe!
Hoping it will pop up here sometime soon!
I took chicken out of the freezer last night to eat today for our Sunday dinner. I was just going to throw some bar bq sauce on it, but guess what?! Now we are having sticky chicken! Is is bad to be excited?! I love a new recipe! By the way, I have those same dinner plates.
I hope you enjoy it Michelle!! It is NEVER bad to be excited over dinner with family!!
Wonderful recipe! I like it better than what we call Catalina chicken. Sopped up the sauce with French bread.YUMMY!
I am so glad to hear that you liked the Sticky Chicken Kelly!!!
I made this for supper and cooked it 90 minutes, we ate some of it, I think it was probably done enough, but I put the other half back in the oven for 30 more minutes
This chicken dish is finger licking good!!! My boyfriend said it is the best thing I have ever made and we have been together 5 years…WOW!
I am going to try the recipe today. Would love to know how to adapt this recipe to the crock pot.
Just discover your site…love it
So sorry..going back over the previous post I got my answer regarding the slow cooker..
Still thanks a lot for your recipes
Looks and sounds delish!!
Have a great labor Day Weekend!
Tried today for our Sunday dinner and we all loved it. Will cook it again. And I will pass the receipe along to my daughter whose children love Sticky Chicken from Wal-Mart. I’m sure they will love this better than Wal-Marts.
I am so glad to hear that you liked it Donnie and thanks so much for passing it along!!
OMG!!!! Made this tonight and it was a huge hit! The kiddos gobbled it up. I halfed the recipe since there were only three of us eating. When the chicken was done, I had a lot of sticky stuff but I also had a lot of liquid left in the bottom of the dish. Just wanted to make sure I was supposed to have that much liquid left over. Thanks.
I will definitely be putting this on the Big Green Egg tomorrow!!
Hey Chef Bobby!! I hope you enjoy it!! So good to hear from you, hope you are well!!
Amyone find the recipe for the green beans? They look so good!!
My mama has those plates!
And that chicken looks good.