Description
Hot Honey Feta Chicken combines juicy bone-in chicken thighs with a sweet and spicy honey glaze, creamy feta cheese, fresh thyme, garlic, and lemon. This easy Mediterranean-inspired dinner bakes in one dish and delivers crispy skin, tender meat, and bold flavor.
Ingredients
2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/3 cup honey
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Additional fresh thyme for garnish, optional
Lemon wedges for serving, optional
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels.
3. Season both sides of the chicken generously with salt and black pepper.
4. Whisk the honey, olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
5. Arrange the chicken thighs skin-side up in a large baking dish.
6. Brush the hot honey glaze evenly over each chicken thigh.
7. Scatter the crumbled feta over and around the chicken.
8. Sprinkle the fresh thyme leaves across the baking dish.
9. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
10. Baste the chicken with the pan juices halfway through the cooking time.
11. Continue baking until the thickest part of each thigh reaches 165°F.
12. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes at the end if you want extra crispy skin.
13. Remove the baking dish from the oven.
14. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
15. Spoon the pan juices over the chicken.
16. Garnish with additional thyme and serve with lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the juiciest texture and crispiest skin.
Pat the chicken thoroughly dry before seasoning.
Use a meat thermometer to confirm the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
If the honey glaze starts browning too quickly, loosely cover the baking dish with foil.
Increase the red pepper flakes for more heat or reduce them for a milder flavor.
Boneless chicken thighs may be used, but they will cook more quickly.
Chicken breasts can replace the thighs, although they require careful monitoring to avoid dryness.
Goat cheese can replace feta cheese.
Fresh oregano or rosemary can replace thyme.
Add cherry tomatoes, olives, or sliced red onion for extra Mediterranean flavor.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Freeze cooled chicken in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen chicken overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by ingredient brand and portion size.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg