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.
Video
Well, I should have NEVER made this chicken. It’s all we want to eat now! This is SO delicious it’s just unbelievable!!!!
Hey Christy, I am making this Sticky Chicken as we speak. I had to poke my finger in the sauce and taste it and wow is it delicious! I can’t wait to get my magazines. I ordered 5 for family and friends. I have enjoyed so many of your recipes already. I’ve got your cookbook and get a lot of recipes from your website too. Thanks for the good ole Southern cookin’.
Christy You are so funny! Love and print all your recipes. I’m making this to take to a friends house who is laid up after surgery. As for the music I used to listen to well if its soul music I was for it. The platters, The Surpremes,and Elvis god rest his soul . Thanks for all your delicious recipes. I also have your cookbook and cook away. Thanks Christy
Christy I love this DOWN HOME site! you wanted to know what music we listen to well as an oldie (57) i listen to the oldies but goodies which includes a lot of Elvis. Needless to say my 17 year old grew up listening to Elvis and became a huge Elvis fan. Her dream was to go to Graceland every since the kid could talk which was early. You know us parents can’t wait for our kids to walk and talk so we can spend the rest of their lives telling them to sit down and hush. Well this spring break I surprised her and we took a Thelma and Louise trip to Graceland except we didn’t drive off a cliff, momma is not in to that. People at Graceland looked at this poor little girl being dragged around by her momma all over Graceland and I am WHOA WAIT A MINUTE! It is the 17year old dragging her old momma around. So sometimes our choice of music comes back to haunt us. But at least the oldies are clean good music and not the nasty stuff of today. And Graceland was worth the 8 and 1/2 hour drive from Texas.
I don’t see many posts from men ,but that’s ok. You remind me of my sister, she is a great Southern cook and she is an Angel. I haven’t had sticky chicken since
My grandmother used to cook, years ago. I’m gonna try this for Sunday supper.
Thanks for all you do, I’m learning from you and that’s a blessing.
Pat. aka. TheDaddyBird
Is there a trick to getting the sauce to thicken? I used 4.5 lbs of chicken drumsticks in a 9×13 pan.
YAY!! I am so glad I found you on here! I love the Southern Plate cookbook & the recipe for your Crunchy Beef Casserole is my husband’s all-time favorite dish! I swear, I have to buy double the amount of French fried onions if I want to be sure to have some left for the recipe! (If he could just use his nose for good instead of sniffing out my hidden groceries, I’d have one good hound dog on my hands!) I can’t wait to try this. Thank you for saving my marriage! Ok, maybe not that extreme but you have surely spiced up my menu & I am truly grateful! Keep it up, Christy! You’re awesome! 🙂
Thank you so much Misty!! I am so glad you found me too, I just love having you here!!