Hairy Bikers Sticky Chicken Recipe

Hairy Bikers sticky chicken is boneless thighs baked in a honey and chilli glaze with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar, and it comes from the Hairy Dieters Eat for Life cookbook. The whole thing takes 35 minutes at just 226 calories for the chicken alone.

Si and Dave say to make extra because this is one of the few chicken dishes that works just as well cold for lunch the next day. The glaze firms up as it cools rather than going soggy, which is why they designed it as a cook-once-eat-twice recipe.

The technique is two bakes in one: you coat the thighs in the sauce, bake for 15 minutes, then brush the dripped sauce back on and bake for 10 more. That second coat is what builds the glossy sticky finish, since one layer alone comes out too thin.

Hairy Bikers Sticky Chicken Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 25 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 35 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:320 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Chicken thighs coated in a honey, ketchup, and chilli glaze, baked at 200°C until sticky and glossy. From Si and Dave’s Hairy Dieters Eat for Life at 320 calories with the coleslaw, served hot for dinner or cold for lunch.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 5 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
• Flaked sea salt and black pepper

For the coleslaw

• ¼ white cabbage (about 150g)
• 1 medium carrot
• 4 spring onions, trimmed
• 75g light mayonnaise
• 125g fat-free natural yoghurt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Prep the chicken: Preheat the oven to 200°C (Fan 180°C, Gas 6) and line a large baking tray with foil. Trim any visible fat from the chicken thighs and season with black pepper.
2. Make the glaze: Put the ketchup, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, and chilli flakes in a medium non-stick saucepan. Bring to a simmer over a low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken thighs until completely coated.
3. First bake: Place the coated thighs on the baking tray and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Glaze again: Remove from the oven and brush the chicken with any sauce that has dripped onto the tray. Return for a further 10 minutes until cooked through and the coating is glossy.
5. Make the coleslaw: While the chicken bakes, finely slice the cabbage and separate the leaves into a large bowl. Coarsely grate the carrot and finely slice the spring onions, then add them to the cabbage. Spoon in the mayonnaise and yoghurt, season with pepper, and mix well.
6. Serve: Serve the chicken hot or cold with the coleslaw and a fresh green salad.

FAQs

Is this the honey chilli chicken recipe?

The book calls it Sticky Chicken because the glaze is built on ketchup and Worcestershire sauce with honey and chilli flakes stirred in. It catches that honey chilli flavour, but the sticky texture comes from the ketchup reducing in the oven rather than from the honey alone.

Can I use chicken drumsticks instead?

Drumsticks work but need longer in the oven since the bone slows the cooking down. Give them 20 minutes for the first bake and 10 for the second, and check the thickest part has no pink left.

Does this work cold for packed lunches?

Si and Dave designed it specifically for this, which is why they say to make extra for the next day. The coating holds its texture in a lunchbox because the ketchup and honey set into a firm glaze rather than a wet sauce.

Can I make it spicier?

The chilli flakes are listed as optional in the book, so Si and Dave left it up to you. For more heat, add a full teaspoon instead of half, or stir in a teaspoon of hot sauce with the glaze. The honey balances the chilli, so you can push the heat further than you think.

What else goes with this?

Si and Dave suggest a green salad or boiled new potatoes alongside the coleslaw, adding about 94 calories for a 125g portion. The Hairy Bikers chilli prawn pasta uses a similar chilli heat if you want another quick weeknight meal from their books.