Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Five-Spice Glaze

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-08-08 · Updated 2026-08-08

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Juicy chicken thighs seared to perfection and coated in a fragrant five-spice glaze that balances sweet and savory flavors. This Asian-inspired chicken recipe, ready in about 30 minutes, pairs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, soy sauce, honey for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min Serves 4 Asian cuisine 320 cal/serving

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Ingredients

4 pieces (about 1.5 lbs) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced

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Instructions

Step 1: Pat dry 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and season both sides with 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Step 2: Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for 6-7 minutes without moving until the skin is golden brown and crisp, then flip and cook 5 minutes on the other side.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1 tsp grated fresh ginger until combined and fragrant.
Step 4: Pour the soy-honey mixture over the chicken in the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes, spooning the glaze over the chicken until the sauce thickens and coats the thighs.
Step 5: Transfer the chicken to a serving plate, sprinkle 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and 2 thinly sliced scallions over the top, and serve immediately.