Sweet and Salty Boneless Chicken Thighs is a one skillet chicken dish, prepared in under 30 minutes. It’s a perfect chicken recipe for a weeknight dinner or when you don’t have a lot of time on your hands and don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen.
Just brown the chicken and then add the combo of maple syrup, Tamari soy sauce and apple cider vinegar! Super delicious and irresistible.
Why make Sweet and Salty Boneless Chicken Thighs
- EASY Simple ingredients that produce foolproof recipe
- AMAZING FLAVOR Sweet and salty flavor of maple syrup/Tamari soy sauce/apple cider combination is amazing with chicken thighs
- ONE SKILLET RECIPE Minimal clean up since everything is cooked in the same skillet
Chef Tips on making sweet and salty chicken thighs
- Use 1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. If you are using more than that, increase the amount of sauce accordingly.
- If your boneless and skinless chicken thighs are large, make sure to halve them. Mine were so small, I only had to cut two of them.
- Make sure to pat dry chicken thighs with paper towel before it’s ready for the pan. This will remove extra moisture and guarantee nice browning of the chicken!
- Do not overcrowd the pan when browning the chicken. There should be plenty of space for any liquid to evaporate to ensure proper browning.
- If you are cooking more than 1 pound of chicken, either use multiple pans or make them in batches.
How to make sweet and salty syrup mixture:
Simply combine maple syrup, Tamari sauce (which is gluten free version of soy sauce) and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
Can I use regular soy sauce instead of Tamari?
Yes, regular soy sauce can be used. Keep in mind that it’s not gluten free, if that’s a concern. Also Tamari sauce has a darker color and richer flavor than regular sauce.
When to add sweet and salty mixture to chicken?
The mixture is added after chicken is added to the hot skillet and then reduced to a syrup consistency which is what coats the chicken thighs.
This amazing syrup makes the perfect coating for the chicken thighs!
This recipe can be doubled very easily. If you decide to double the recipe, avoid crowding the chicken thighs into one pan. Cook the chicken thighs in several batches to ensure they get the nice brown and crispy coating.
Interested in more delicious chicken recipes?
Sweet and Salty Boneless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Sweet and salty mixture:
- 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons tamari sauce (or regular soy sauce)
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Chicken:
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs (small, about 8 pieces)
- Sea salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
Sweet and Salty Mixture
- Combine apple cider vinegar, tamari, maple syrup and ground pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Paper towel dry the chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat.
- When the oil and butter are shimmering, add the chicken thighs and brown on each side for 4-5 minutes per side ( 8-10 minutes total), flipping only once.
- Pour over the maple syrup mixture and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat slightly and let the sweet and salty mixture simmer and reduce, while you flip the chicken thighs every 2 minutes or so to ensure they are completely coated in the glaze.
- When the chicken thighs are cooked through and the sweet and salty mixture is thick and syrupy, remove the chicken from the heat and serve immediately.
I’m almost finished cooking this for the first time. I used mango chutney instead of syrup. I just tasted a little and it is terrific! My only regret is that I got distracted and didn’t pour off the excess fat. The sauce would have been just as you describe it if I had. Tonight it will just have to be a little too greasy. But tomorrow, after the leftovers have chilled in the fridge overnight, I can remove the solidified fat and microwave the rest. It will be even better!
Sharon, it sounds delicious with mango chutney!
can the thighs be frozen after cooked and cooled.
Yes!
This was a hit! Sweet but not too sweet. I Used soy sauce but next time I’ll have to try the tamari sauce. There WILL be a next time and a time after that and . . .
Oh!! That’s so nice to hear. Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing! Does it reheat well?
I would do it in the microwave.
This looks so good! Is this sauce good on any other types of meat?
Thin pork chops would be great with it!
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
Yes, honey will be perfect.
I’ve made this recipe numerous times. It’s a BIG hit even with my picky eaters. Thank you for sharing.
I loved reading your review – thank you!
Is the amount of the sweet and salty mixture enough to cover and baste 8 chicken thighs?
How big are your chicken thighs? If it’s a pound or less – then it’s enough. If you were to lets say double the liquids – it might not have a chance to evaporate enough and as a result it won’t become sticky to create the coating for the chicken.