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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Hi Christy! I have made this a few times already, and everyone loves it! I’m curious though if anyone has tried making this on a grill? I would love to try it this way, I’m just not sure if I would need to make any changes to it. Suggestions?
I’m so glad you like it! You know, I just don’t know about a grill. Of course there is a way to adapt it but it would need adapting for sure. I’d start with cooking the sauce in a saucepan and cooking it down a good bit to thicken it. Then, you’d need to brush your chicken often while grilling to build up a nice coating of sauce. It should work fine. I’m just not a summer griller. I love grilling in the fall but never in my life have I looked outside on a 100+ degree day and said “MAN! You know what would be good right about now? Going out there and standing over a fire!” lol
I know I am missing something that everyone other than me gets though. I reckon I may come to my senses in my old age 🙂
I’ve tried this and the family loved it.I love your website I’ve tried a lot of our recipes and they were a big hit I’m always looking for somthing different thanks
I am so glad that your family liked one of my families favorites!!
Made this for my wife with legs and wings was awesome will be making this for years to come
I am so glad you liked it Darry!!! It is always a favorite here and I love it when it becomes a favorite in others homes. 🙂
I did not know that Dollar Tree has yellow saffron rice, Christy. We have a Dollar Tree just around the corner from our house. Can’t wait to try the Sticky Chicken recipe.
I grew up in the 60s and 70s, so my favorites were The Monkees, The Jackson Five, Petula Clark, The Beatles, The Dave Clark Five, The Carpenters, The Cryin’ Shames, The Temptations….just to name a few. Gosh, those were the good ol’ days!
I am always surprised by some of the products they have at the Dollar Tree, Jan!! Great music indeed!!
Sounds good, looking forward to trying it….Do you buy the yellow rice or do you make your own?
I love yellow rice too….
I buy it. Saffron is one of the main seasonings and it’s also one of the most expensive ones in the world (literally) to purchase so I just buy yellow saffron rice. I’ve actually started buying it at Dollar Tree! I usually keep 20 or 30 bags on hand because I know we’ll use it and there is no sense in making multiple trips.
I made this for the kids when my husband and I were planning to snag a date night – big mistake! It was impossible to try just a taste of, so I’m making it again tomorrow! I skipped the honey to reduce the sugar content, and I used half boneless chicken thighs and half breasts. It did end up a bit saucier than in your photos, but the sauce tasted great on the white rice!
I am so glad everyone liked it!!
This is still one of my favorite dishes and I even eat yellow rice with it!! Lol! Thanks for doing all you do!
It is one of our all-time favorites as well Suzette!!!
This is another of our favorite recipes you have shared. It is so easy and so delicious!
I am so glad you like it Janel!!! It is one of our all-time favorites too!!