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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Thanks for this recipe, Christy! My husband has just declared it his new favorite! It is truly delicious, and Sticky Chicken will now permanently be in our rotation.
Just out of curiosity, though… Does the sauce traditionally thicken somewhat by the end? I used some drumsticks that weren’t completely thawed, so I’m thinking that added a more significant amount of moisture than I accounted for (and perhaps I should have increased the temperature for a chunk of the cooking time to counteract that moisture).
Thanks again! Merry Christmas to you and the entire Jordan clan!
I made this for dinner tonight. & it was so delicious. I usually try a new recipe & will make notes on how to tweak it next time I make it. This was PERFECT! I followed your recipe exactly. I put some sauce in a bowl & dipped the chicken in it. So good! My fiance was also impressed. This is truly one of the best things I’ve ever made. & I’m so glad I came across the recipe & your web-site. I’m really looking forward to making some more of your recpies soon.
I am so glad to hear that you liked it Melissa! It is one of our favorites as well.
What a great recipe! Can’t wait to try it. Had to laugh when I saw the plate as it brought back lots of memories because my grandmother had the same ones and I have eaten many delicious meals off them. I hope you will check out The Southern Coterie – the social network of the SOUTH – and share some of your recipes with our members! http//:thesouthernc.com
This recipe is what brought me to this site in the first place. I didn’t know about Southern Plate but it looks like a good alternative to Southern Cooking and Taste of Home. I like it.
I just got back from the grocery with legs and thighs and I’m going to make this tonight. I cook for myself and a neighbor lady who is disabled so we will see how your sticky chicken comes out. I made some sticky wings one time but that was more time consuming than this recipe seems to be. Good luck to me with this recipe. It looks great.
Yep….I did ’em up without any changes to the recipe. This has gotta be the best sticky chicken recipe on the web!!!! I love it. So easy to mix up and just throw in the oven. I just had one thigh left over and I ate that for breakfast this morning. I’ll be using this recipe exclusively from now on. The sauce will be great for prok chops and other meats as well. I’m even considering using it for baked beans.
I’ve got my pintos soaking right now and I’ll be making the pickled onions recipe to go with them along with some cornbread. Good ‘ole southern cooking……ya can’t beat it.
I just thawed out some Turkey wings and I think I’m going to try some Sticky Turkey Wings for Sunday dinner.
Thanks,
Christy
Sticky Chicken OMG is so so good..I was looking for something to do different with chicken and if you’ll haven’t tried this you really need too..My kids are picky and they loved it so try it…Thanx again for the great recipes and all the helpfull tips..God Bless everyone..
Howdy 😀 Cannot wait to try this. yummylicious!!