A plate of glazed grilled chicken wings garnished with chopped green herbs and sesame seeds, served on a decorative white and blue dish on a wooden table. Chopsticks and small bowls are visible nearby.

My husband and kids love chicken wings, and Japanese Honey Soy Chicken is a family favorite. I love this foolproof recipe because it’s so simple to make. Marinated in savory soy sauce and golden honey, the chicken caramelizes beautifully in the oven, leaving a shiny glaze and irresistible flavor.

If you love easy chicken recipes, try my Karaage, Chicken Teriyaki, and Baked Chicken Katsu next!

A platter of glazed chicken wings garnished with chopped green herbs and sesame seeds, served on a decorative oval plate on a wooden table.

What is Honey Soy Chicken?

In Japan, seasoning chicken with soy sauce and sweeteners like mirin or sugar is a home-cooking staple. Honey soy chicken has a sweet-savory glaze style that’s similar to teriyaki, which began in the Edo period (1603–1867) when it became popular to grill meat or fish with soy sauce and sugar to create a glossy, flavorful coating. With honey for natural sweetness, this recipe makes tender, caramelized chicken that’s perfect for dinner and bento.

Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Why I Love This Recipe

  • So delicious! – The aromatic and sweet-savory seasonings pair so well with the succulent chicken wings. It beats takeout anyday!
  • Easy steps – It’s a failproof recipe that’s perfect for beginners or anyone looking to cook a tasty yet simple dish.
  • Budget friendly – You may already have these ingredients in your pantry. With chicken as the only fresh ingredient, this recipe is easy on your wallet.
  • Works with other chicken parts – I used wings here, but this recipe works great with chicken breasts, thighs, and drumsticks.
A white oval dish with blue patterns holds glazed, baked chicken wings sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped herbs, placed on a rustic wooden table set with chopsticks, plates, and small bowls.
A hand holds a glazed chicken wing garnished with sesame seeds and chopped herbs over a white plate, which has another similar wing resting on it. A bowl of sauce and more wings are visible in the background.

Ingredients for Honey Soy Chicken

  • Chicken wings – drumettes and flats, or use other cuts or chicken (see below)
  • Sake
  • Honey
  • Garlic cloves
  • Soy sauce
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Toasted white sesame seeds
  • Green onion/scallion or chives – optional, for garnish
  • Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) – optional, for a spicy kick

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Jump to Recipe

Substitutions

  • Chicken wings: I used flats and drumettes here, but you can use other cuts like drumsticks, thighs, and breasts. See the recipe card for marinating and cooking times.
  • Sake: If you don’t have it, substitute dry white wine (like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio), dry sherry, or Chinese rice wine.
  • Soy sauce: For gluten free, use tamari or GF soy sauce.
A close-up of hands holding a glazed chicken wing garnished with sesame seeds and herbs, with a plate of more chicken and a cup in the background on a wooden table.

How to Make Honey Soy Chicken

Marinate

  1. Prep chicken. Toss chicken with sake and soak for 10 minutes.
  1. Marinate. Mix honey, soy sauce, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and sesame seeds. Coat chicken and refrigerate for 3–24 hours in a tray or large plastic bag, flipping occasionally.
A hand pours liquid from a small glass cup over raw chicken wings in a clear glass bowl, preparing them on a wooden surface.
A metal tray filled with raw chicken wings marinated in sauce; a hand uses tongs to arrange the pieces on a wooden surface.

Bake

  1. Heat oven. Preheat to 400ºF (200ºC) and place chicken pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  1. Bake chicken. Cook for 30 minutes, flipping halfway. It’s finished cooking when golden brown and caramelized.
Raw chicken wings arranged in neat rows on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ready to be cooked.
Chicken wings arranged on a baking sheet with parchment paper, cooking inside an oven. The wings appear to be partly cooked, with a slight glaze visible on some pieces.

Assemble

  1. Garnish and serve. Transfer to a plate and top with sesame seeds, chopped green onions, and optional shichimi togarashi.
A baking sheet lined with parchment paper holds rows of glazed chicken wings, some with caramelized and slightly charred edges, fresh out of the oven.
A hand sprinkles chopped herbs onto a plate of glazed chicken wings garnished with sesame seeds, served on a white dish with blue patterns, placed on a wooden table.
A plate of glazed chicken drumsticks garnished with sesame seeds and chopped herbs, served on a white and blue decorative dish atop a wooden table set with chopsticks and small bowls.

Nami’s Recipe Tips

  • Marination matters – Wings need 3+ hours, but larger cuts like drumsticks should marinate overnight in the fridge for deeper flavor.
  • Prick or pound – Poke chicken skin with a fork for faster marination, or pound breasts to an even thickness for even cooking.
  • Don’t crowd the pan – Space the wing pieces apart so they cook and caramelize well.
  • Watch the oven – Honey burns quickly, so don’t add the marinade to the baking sheet. Cover with foil if wings char too fast, or broil briefly if they’re not browning enough.
A plate of glazed grilled chicken wings garnished with chopped green herbs and sesame seeds, served on a decorative white and blue dish on a wooden table. Chopsticks and small bowls are visible nearby.
A hand holds a glazed chicken wing topped with sesame seeds and chopped green onions; more chicken wings sit on a white plate in the background, with chopsticks and a cup nearby on a wooden table.

Variations and Customizations

  • Use different chicken parts. Drumsticks, chicken thighs, or boneless chicken breast work beautifully!
  • Try it with beef or pork. This marinade would taste delicious with flanken-style beef short ribs, thin-cut beef ribeye, beef flank steak, pork tenderloin, or pork loin chop.
  • Spice it up. If you love heat, pump up the marinade with your favorite chili seasoning like sriracha, chili crisp, chili oil, chili flakes, fresh chilies, or chili paste.
  • Grill it. Add a fantastic smoky flavor by cooking it on the BBQ grill or smoker!
  • Make it vegetarian. Swap thick mushrooms or firm tofu steaks or cubes for a plant-based version.
  • Pack it to go. Make it the star of your picnic or lunch box in a Honey Soy Chicken Bento.

What to Serve with Honey Soy Chicken

This honey soy chicken recipe is great to make year-round. Pair it with:

A light-colored wooden tray containing a bowl of miso soup with soft tofu, wakame seaweed, and thinly sliced green onions, along with a bowl of steamed rice, a small plate of tamagoyaki, and a smalll side dish.
An indigo round plate containing chopped cabbage dish called Yamitsuki Cabbage served with a pair of chopsticks and small dishes and sake cups and the table.
A white ceramic plate containing Edamame.
An oval Japanese plate containing Japanese rolled omelette, Tamagoyaki, placed over a bamboo leaf.
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Storage and Reheating Tips

To store: Keep the cooled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.

To reheat: Warm in a toaster oven or oven until heated through. Avoid microwaving too long, as it may dry the chicken.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

Yes. Marinate the chicken overnight (up to 24 hours) and bake the next day. You’ll get a lot of flavor from the long marination and save time on cooking day.

What can I use instead of honey?

You can easily substitute granulated white sugar for the honey. If you try another type of sweetener like brown sugar, agave syrup, or date sugar, please let us know how it turns out!

A platter of glazed chicken wings garnished with chopped green herbs and sesame seeds, served on a decorative oval plate on a wooden table.
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4.76 from 86 votes

Honey Soy Chicken

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
My simple and delicious Honey Soy Chicken is a failproof recipe that works every time. This savory and sweet dish requires minimal prep and just a few pantry ingredients for an easy weeknight dinner.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Marinating: 3 hours
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 3

Ingredients 
 

  • 1½–2 lb chicken wings (flats/drumettes) (12–20 pieces, depending on size; or other chicken parts like drumsticks or breasts)
  • 2 Tbsp sake (or dry white wine (e.g., sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio), dry sherry, or Chinese rice wine)

For the Marinade

For the Garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires at least 3–4 hours (and up to 24 hours) of marination time. If you use drumsticks, marinate them overnight. 

To Prepare the Ingredients

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Nami's Tip: Prick the skin of the wings with a fork for faster marination. If you're using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pound them to an even thickness.
    Raw chicken wings in a glass bowl surrounded by small bowls of soy sauce, hot sauce, oil, vinegar, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, chili flakes, sesame seeds, and two stalks of green onion on a wooden surface.
  • Add 1½–2 lb chicken wings (flats/drumettes) and 2 Tbsp sake to a large bowl. Toss well to coat (I use my hands). Set aside for 10 minutes, turning the wings halfway through.
    Nami's Tip: The sake removes odors and tenderizes the chicken.
    Two side-by-side images: On the left, liquid is being poured over raw chicken wings in a glass bowl. On the right, a gloved hand mixes the chicken wings in the bowl. Both are on a wooden surface.
  • Combine ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup honey, ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper in an airtight container (I used my favorite stainless prep tray) or a large resealable plastic bag.
    Two images side by side: left shows hands holding cups of soy sauce and honey; right shows hands holding small bowls of salt and black pepper over a sauce mixture.
  • Crush or mince 2 cloves garlic (I use a garlic press) and add to the marinade. Then, add 1½ tsp toasted white sesame seeds, saving the rest for garnish. Mix well together.
    A person adds sesame seeds to a red marinade in a metal tray, then stirs the mixture with a blue spatula, blending the ingredients together.

To Marinate

  • Pat the wings dry with a paper towel and add to the marinade.
    Close-up of hands preparing chicken wings: on the left, drying a raw wing with a paper towel; on the right, arranging wings in a metal tray with marinade.
  • Toss the wings in the marinade to coat well. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3–4 hours (and up to 24 hours).
    Nami's Tip: For drumsticks, marinate them overnight.
    Two images: On the left, raw marinated chicken wings are arranged in a metal tray. On the right, the tray is covered with a clear plastic lid, showing the marinated wings inside.
  • Flip the wings a few times while marinating, as the marinade won't cover the wings completely in the container. If you're using a resealable plastic bag, rub the chicken in the bag a few times, making sure it is coated well with the marinade.
    Side-by-side images: left, hands closing a container with marinated chicken wings; right, metal tongs arranging sauced chicken wings in a metal tray on a wooden surface.

To Bake

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove the wings from the marinade and place them on the baking sheet in a single layer, spaced apart. Do not add the marinade, as the honey can burn easily.
    Two images side by side: on the left, raw marinated chicken wings in a metal tray; on the right, two raw marinated wings placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Optional: Cover loosely with foil for the first 15 minutes if you're using a smaller oven or if your wings charred too quickly in the past. Then, uncover to finish cooking and let the glaze caramelize.
    Nami's Tip: Drumsticks usually take 45 minutes. Boneless chicken thighs take 25–30 minutes, while boneless chicken breasts need 20–25 minutes.
    Two images side by side: raw chicken wings spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet on the left, and the same tray of chicken wings placed in an oven for baking on the right.
  • Take out the baking sheet halfway through cooking, close the oven door, and flip the chicken. This prevents the oven temperature from dropping.
    Two images side by side show chicken wings on a parchment-lined baking sheet; one image shows the wings before baking, and the other shows cooked wings with tongs picking one up.
  • After flipping, put the chicken back into the oven to finish cooking.
    Nami's Tip: From this point, watch closely since honey can burn quickly. On the other hand, if the chicken isn’t browning enough, switch to the broil setting for a few minutes once it’s cooked through.
    Two images side by side show chicken wings coated in sauce arranged on baking trays lined with parchment paper, placed in an oven for baking. The left tray has raw wings; the right tray shows wings partially cooked.
  • Remove from the oven once the chicken is cook through, nicely browned, and charred in spots.
    Two images side by side: both show a baking tray lined with parchment paper holding rows of cooked chicken wings in an oven and out of the oven, golden-brown and slightly crispy.

To Serve

  • Transfer to a plate. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, optional chopped green onions or chives, and optional shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) for a spicy kick. Enjoy!
    A plate of glazed chicken wings on a white floral dish. In the left image, tongs are being used to arrange the wings; in the right image, a hand sprinkles herbs over them.

To Store

  • Transfer the cooled leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. To reheat, warm in a toaster oven or oven until heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 410mg, Potassium: 195mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 180IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @justonecookbook on Instagram so we can see your delicious creation!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 9, 2013, and updated on May 15, 2020. The recipe was revised (with garlic and sesame seeds added to the marinade) on September 28, 2025, and the post was republished on October 5, 2025.