Every once in a while a recipe comes together and you know that it will be an instant family favorite. One of those recipes that years from now when your kids come home for a visit, they ask for. This herb chicken recipe is one of those! The moistness of the chicken, the aroma of the herbs, and the color of the honey glaze create a sensory experience while dining.

The glue that holds this dish together (figuratively and literally!) is the honey balsamic glaze. Balsamic vinegar by nature has a very acidic taste. The best way to balance that out is with a sweet ingredient with a similar texture and consistency. That’s what makes Pure Southern Honey such a perfect fit.

Baking anything with Pure Southern Honey alters the texture and taste of anything it’s paired with. In this case, the heat of the cast iron skillet causes the glaze to crisp and caramelize. This gives the chicken a little bit of crunch and a whole lot of flavor!

Anytime you are working with honey, you are going to get messy. No matter how hard you try, someone or something is going to be a sweet sticky mess. This meal is a favorite of my children’s and often they forego the fork and knife and pick up a chicken drumstick with their bare hands. Be sure to have extra napkins on the table. You will thank me for it!

Char on your meat is not always a sign that it is cooked all the way through, especially in recipes like this! The Pure Southern Honey glaze is almost guaranteed to blacken before the meat is fully cooked. I like to keep a meat thermometer close to be positive that the main course is safe to eat.

Start out by preheating the oven to 400 degrees while you get everything else ready. I like to measure out all my ingredients and put them into their own small bowls or dishes to make for easy organization. By this time the oven should be ready to go. Before your bake, dust the chicken quarters with salt and pepper to create the foundation for the dishes’ flavor. Now place your chicken quarters in a cast-iron skillet, and place them in the oven. Set a timer for 20 minutes. While that’s cooking, pour the balsamic vinegar and Pure Southern Honey into a small saucepan on low to medium heat. We want to get it warm enough to create a glaze, but do not want it to boil. Once the timer goes off, carefully pull the chicken out of the oven and baste it with the contents of the saucepan. Sprinkle about half of each of the dried ingredients on the meat, and place it back in the oven for another 15 minutes (or until the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165 degrees). When the chicken is finished, pull it out of the oven, and cover with foil. Let it sit for a few minutes so the glaze thickens and then serve with your favorite side dishes.

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