Old-Fashioned Southern Sticky Chicken
This Southern Sticky Chicken is a classic, bone-in dinner that delivers tender, juicy meat coated in a thick, caramelized glaze. With just ketchup, honey, and soy sauce, this family-favorite recipe transforms 3 to 5 pounds of chicken into a sweet and savory masterpiece in about 90 minutes!
The Sunday Dinner Staple You Can Make on a Tuesday
This sweet and sticky chicken is an old-fashioned Southern recipe that has been around for about as long as folks have been cookin’! 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.
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. Then you bring the sauce ingredients to a boil, pour them over the chicken pieces, and bake. The result is tender and juicy chicken soaked in a deliciously caramelized and sweet Asian-style sauce!
I love this sticky chicken recipe because it’s easy to make, which means it makes a great weeknight dinner, plus, it’s even easier to double for leftovers and lunches. You can serve your meal with rice, vegetables, or a slew of other Southern sides.
Other Asian-inspired meals I recommend include crockpot cashew chicken, Asian-inspired pot roast, chicken fried rice, and Chinese chicken salad.
Recipe Ingredients
- Bone-in chicken with skin
- Ketchup
- Honey
- Brown sugar
- Soy sauce
- Garlic powder
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.
How to Make Sticky Chicken
1. Simmer the Sauce
In a medium saucepot, whisk together your ketchup, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Place it over medium-high heat. You aren’t looking to cook it down for long, just bring it to a rolling boil so all those sugars melt together into one smooth, glossy marinade!
2. Prep the Chicken
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Arrange your chicken pieces in a 9×13 baking dish. I find it easiest to use tongs here so I can tuck everything in neatly. Pour that hot, sticky sauce right over the top, making sure every piece gets a good coating!
3. The First Bake
Slide the dish into the oven, uncovered. Let it bake for 45 minutes. At this point, the sauce will be starting to thin out and bubble. Use your tongs to flip every piece of chicken over so the underside can take a turn soaking in that liquid gold.
4. Flip and Baste
Bake for another 30 minutes. Flip the chicken one last time so the skin side is back on top. Use a spoon to scoop up the sauce from the bottom of the pan and pour it over the top of each piece.
NOTE: Cooking time is the same if you use legs and thighs.
5. The Grand Finale
Bake for the final 15 minutes. This is when the magic happens: the sauce will thicken up significantly and “stick” to the chicken. Once it’s out, let it rest for a few minutes so the glaze sets.
Booyah! Easy sticky chicken!
What To Serve With Southern Sticky Chicken
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. More traditional Southern pairings include Fresh Green Beans, Broccoli with Homemade Cheese Sauce, Broccoli Salad with Bacon, or Tomato, Onion, and Cucumber Salad.
Storage
This recipe will last up to 5 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!
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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.
- Bring it just to a boil while stirring. Remove from heat.
- Arrange chicken pieces in a 9×13 baking dish. Pour the entire amount of sauce over the chicken, turning pieces with tongs to coat.
- 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.
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When I glanced at the title I thought it said “Stinky Chicken”. When I checked it out I found it to be Sticky not Stinky. Cant wait to try this on chicken and some country style ribs.
This sounds so much like something my grandmother used to make… I’m going to have to make a batch! As far as music goes… I was adopted by older parents so I was lucky because they introduced me to swing music, big bands… and then I was lucky enough to be around for what followed! There was always some kind of music in our house! Thank you for making me smile :0)
Oh before I forget to ask you AGAIN… do you know of a cake that is made in a sheet pan that has a cinnamon topping. When I was a very young girl, our next door neighbor used to make this amazing cake and I’m still searching for the recipe!
as to the diabetic question – there is a “fake” honey that my husband can eat, as long as you watch the labels on the ketchup, etc to keep the grams low. Someone told me about the “fake” honey, but the ONLY ONLY place to buy it is at Wal-Mart, you have to stand and stare at the shelf for awhile before you’ll see it. He uses it on biscuits and I use it in recipes – it’s exactly like honey …. good luck!
Made this for my sweetie over the weekend. He RAVED about it! I served it with potato salad and we both stuffed ourselves! Thanks for another great recipe!
I am so glad that you liked it Lee!!!!
I made this last night, and what a hit it was!!! So easy too. I served it with brown rice, and the sauce was perfect on it. Thanks so much.
After looking through your list of recipes, I think Chocolate Cobbler is next.
I am so glad to hear that you liked the chicken Kathie!!! I hope you like the cobbler, it is one of our favorites!!
I loved seeing a plate filled with yellow rice. When people complain about the cost of food shipped in from far away locations, I tell them it makes me happy. I still try to buy local, but if it weren;t for the globalization of our food sources how many of us would have had a chance for fresh pineapple and mangos.
I remember as a kid when my mother drove me down to my grandmother’s home in Alabama, she would pick up a case of Mahatma Saffron/yellow rice along with other items (stone-ground grits, seeds for her garden) that couldn’t be found where my dad was stationed (army). Then she would ration out that case of yellow rice for special meals about twice a month. If it weren’t for globalization, so many people, who don’t have the priviledge of being Southern, would have missed out on some wonderful foods.
Made this tonight and it was a *huge* hit! If it can get something past my 10 yr old son, it’s definitely a keeper. I have kids 5,10,13 and 16. When I asked if this was a recipe to save my 10 yr old was the first one to exclaim YES! I always buy huge packs of boneless skinless breasts when they go on sale and I love dump recipes. I’m thinking this would be a prefect dump recipe for the crock-pot!
Yay!! I am so glad it was kid approved. I have a picky eater too and know just how hard it can be to find things they like!!