Want some finger-lickin’ good sticky Guinness chicken? Tender chicken thighs are seared to perfection and then bathed in a delicious sticky sauce, infused with deep and complex flavors from your favorite Irish beer. Guinness melds with honey, ketchup, and balsamic vinegar to create a well-balanced glaze that’s rich and savory, with a hint of sweetness. Everyone will be coming back for seconds.
With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, pouring Guinness into dinner feels like exactly the right move. This Guinness chicken is one of my favorites because it delivers big flavor with very little effort — always a win.
As the chicken cooks, the Guinness reduces into a rich, BBQ-style sauce with a subtle smokiness that coats everything beautifully. I like to serve it with a simple salad and some potatoes for an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner that disappears fast.
For another recipe that uses Guinness, try this deep, complex Guinness Irish chili next.
Ingredients needed
Guinness chicken is made from just a handful of simple, kitchen-staple ingredients. This is all you need:
- Guinness chicken: A cup of Guinness and boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Other ingredients: Ketchup, honey, balsamic, dijon mustard, garlic cloves, and cooking oil.
Variations
Guinness chicken can be flexible – whether you can’t find Guinness, have chicken breasts in the fridge, or want a gluten-free variation, there are some modifications you can make:
- Beer : While Guinness beer adds a distinctive flavor to this recipe, you can use other beers if you have trouble finding Guinness. Experiment with another dark stout, porter, or dark beer for a similar result. Just keep in mind that the flavor profile may vary slightly depending on the beer used.
- Chicken : While boneless, skinless chicken thighs are recommended for their tenderness and flavor, you can use chicken breasts. Cut the breasts to smaller pieces if you’d like. You could also make this with chicken wings by pouring the glaze over baked wings – just adjust the cooking time for different cuts.
- Gluten-free: Guinness does contain gluten, but it is possible to find gluten-free stouts. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, you’ll need a gluten-free beer. Ensure that other ingredients, such as the ketchup and balsamic vinegar, are gluten-free as well. Always double-check ingredient labels to confirm.
More recipes using Guinness
The dark, rich, and complex flavor profile of Guinness allows it to add so much depth to recipes. If you’re buying Guinness to cook with, you’ll usually find them in packs of four. This means that after you use a can of Guinness for this chicken dinner, you’ll have more cans left to use for other delicious recipes! Here are some of our favorites:
- Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
- Guinness Irish Chili
- Guinness Chocolate Cake
What to serve with Guinness chicken
Guinness chicken is a great main course and the star of the show, so you’ll want to serve it with sides that can soak up the Guinness sauce, like roasted garlic mashed potatoes or some crispy roasted potatoes .
Add some veggies or salad to round out the meal, like broccoli coleslaw or a spring mix salad . Guinness chicken also works well with parmesan corn on the cob or sweet potato wedges .
Cheesy cheddar cauliflower will keep the Irish flavors going – soak up the sauce with some whole wheat Irish soda bread . Finish the evening with a Guinness chocolate cake .
Sticky Guinness Chicken Recipe
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Ingredients
- ▢ 1 cup Guinness
- ▢ ¼ cup EACH: ketchup and honey
- ▢ 2 tablespoons balsamic
- ▢ 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ▢ 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Add the Guinness, ketchup, honey, balsamic, dijon, and garlic to a small pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until it starts to thicken. 1 cup Guinness, ¼ cup EACH: ketchup and honey, 2 tablespoons balsamic, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 2 cloves garlic
- While the sauce is simmering, start the chicken. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and brown it on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Drain the fat from the pan. 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Reduce the heat to medium and then pour the slightly thickened Guinness sauce over the chicken and continue to cook the chicken, uncovered, turning it over a few times so the sauce coats both sides, for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and is thick and sticky.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here .
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Sticky Guinness Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Guinness
- ¼ cup EACH: ketchup and honey
- 2 tablespoons balsamic
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Add the Guinness, ketchup, honey, balsamic, dijon, and garlic to a small pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until it starts to thicken. 1 cup Guinness, ¼ cup EACH: ketchup and honey, 2 tablespoons balsamic, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 2 cloves garlic
- While the sauce is simmering, start the chicken. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and brown it on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Drain the fat from the pan. 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Reduce the heat to medium and then pour the slightly thickened Guinness sauce over the chicken and continue to cook the chicken, uncovered, turning it over a few times so the sauce coats both sides, for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and is thick and sticky.
