This honey lavender glazed chicken recipe turns out sweet, earthy, and perfectly sticky. It’s seriously delicious.
We first experienced the lavender and honey combination years ago at a small restaurant in Virginia, the Red Fox Inn in Middleburg (if you’re ever in the area, it’s worth a visit). They served us quail glazed with herbs, lavender, and honey. It was sticky, savory, and just a touch sweet.
We loved it, and the idea stuck with us. That dinner was years ago, and now we finally get to share our take on it with you.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: You can use whole chicken legs (with thighs and drumsticks attached) or a whole chicken that’s been broken down into legs and breasts.
- Spices/Herbs: We call for dried thyme, rosemary, and culinary lavender. I buy mine from a local spice and tea shop, but you can also find it online. Herbes de Provence is an excellent substitute for all three herbs (see my tips below the recipe for how to use it). I also love adding a little heat with crushed red pepper flakes.
- Honey: This makes the glaze a little sticky, lightly sweet, and really delicious.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Adds a tangy note that balances the sweetness of the honey. You don’t need to splurge. Just choose one you enjoy the flavor of on its own, the kind you’d use for a balsamic vinaigrette.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Honey Glazed Chicken with Lavender
Tip 1: Par-roast the chicken. Before adding any glaze, give the chicken a head start in the oven for about 20 minutes. This way, the chicken is already on its way to being cooked, and the glaze won’t be in the oven so long that it starts to burn.
Tip 2: Brush on the glaze as it roasts. After about 20 minutes of roasting, start basting the chicken with the honey lavender glaze. Every 5 minutes or so, open the oven door and brush on more glaze. Each layer caramelizes and gets sticky.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken is so incredibly flavorful. It’s perfect with a side of olive oil mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, or this parsnip puree. I also love it with simple roasted carrots, roasted asparagus, and roasted cabbage.
More Chicken Recipes
- Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts with Thyme
- Roasted Butterflied Chicken with Roasted Lemon Vinaigrette
- Simple Roast Chicken
Honey Glazed Lavender Chicken
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This honey glazed chicken with lavender is inspired by something we enjoyed at a little inn in Middleburg, VA. You can find culinary lavender at spice and tea shops or online. If you cannot find it, use Herbs de Provence (tips are below the recipe).
You Will Need
4 whole chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks attached)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup pure honey
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Directions
1Prep: Position an oven rack towards the middle of the oven, then preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
2Par-roast the chicken: Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 20 minutes.
3Make the glaze: While the chicken roasts, combine the lavender, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, honey, and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until well blended. When warmed through, remove from the heat and set aside.
4Baste the chicken: After 20 minutes, brush the chicken with the honey glaze every 5 minutes until cooked through and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C), about 20 to 30 minutes more.
5Rest: Remove from the oven, loosely cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Substitute herbs de Provence: Herbs de Provence works really well for our glaze. It usually combines lavender, rosemary, thyme, as well as a few other herbs. Use 2 tablespoons.
- The nutritional information provided are estimates.
My husband LOVED this recipe!! I made a couple of modifications – used four chicken quarters, used part honey and part maple syrup, didn’t have lavender so upped the fresh rosemary, and added two cloves minced garlic. Served the chicken and sauce w/garlic quinoa and rice and roasted broccoli. Will definitely make again!!
Loved the glaze. I didn’t have dry herbs but had all of them in fresh form. I steeped them in the glaze and let them sit for an hour before cooking. I used it on bone in, skin on chicken thighs and the results were a moist juice chicken with a shellac on the skin.
I’ve made this so many times, we love it so much. I honey brine the chicken first. Excellent recipe.
I think I have time to marinate my chicken overnight… Seems like always a good addition! Is there a particular overnight homemade marinade you’d recommend?? (I’m Thinking in OJ might be nice:) And btw, I’m cooking with a whole, bone-in chicken too.
Hi! Do I have to reduce the honey balsamic mixture? Or just heating it is fine?
I found this recipe over a year ago searching for lavender and chicken…what a find! I have made this many many times , year round, and its one of hubby’s top requests. I always use a whole organic chicken that I quarter and bake in my trusty Falconware pan (thanks Jaime Oliver)…Its 100% perfect as written. Thank you Adam & Joanne for this delicious and simple recipe!
I love this recipe so much I did a trial run with a turkey because I thought it would be awesome for thanksgiving. AND, it worked! I will be using for thanksgiving this year. Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe?
This chicken is incredible. I’ll enjoy it year-round, but it has a nice, light spring/summer flavor. Wouldn’t change a thing!
Worked quite well modified for whole chicken. Makes a beautiful lacquer-like presentation. Will add to favorites.
Very good and delicious recipe. already added to our favorites. Thanks for sharing.
This recipe was fantastic!! Thanks for sharing it! I used chicken breasts and it was just as good! Paired with a Caesar salad.. Yum yum! Thank you again!
What sides would you recommend pairing this with?
How about some mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower?
Would this work the same for just chicken breast?
Yes, absolutely. Watch the cooking time, though. Since we made this with bone-in chicken, it takes longer than if you were to use boneless chicken breast.
Thank God for Google! I was in the mood for chicken with honey and couldn’t find the inspiration I was looking for until I found this. AMAZING! My family says this recipe is a keeper! I’ll be sharing your blog and these recipes with readers and friends today!
Thanks so much!
Linsey
you’re so sweet!
-joanne
I’m excited to try this soon – I once had a sweet lavender-glazed turkey dish at a cafe that was DIVINE. I have dreamed about it ever since, but haven’t worked up the energy to experiment and replicate it. I’m going to see how close this recipe is and hope that my longing can be satisfied. 😀
I have used rosemary with chicken a lot of times, and always ended up a hit on the flavor department. Now, I am ready to try lavender. Looks like an amazing combination. Great for New Year’s dinner.
This looks really delicious. Love the herb coating.
Lavender + honey is such a classic combo, but I’ve never thought about putting them together on chicken before. What a great idea!
I’ve never had lavender in food before but I’m tasted it in tea. It’s yummy!