Description

This Honey Garlic Chicken recipe features succulent, pan-fried chicken thighs coated in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce. Perfectly balanced with a touch of rice vinegar and soy sauce, it’s a quick and flavorful dish ideal for weeknight dinners. Served with boiled rice and garnished with fresh parsley and chili flakes, this meal brings a delicious Asian-inspired taste to your table with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Coating

8 chicken thighs (skinless and boneless)
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Cooking

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cloves minced garlic

Sauce

110 g (1/3 cup) honey
80 ml (1/3 cup) chicken stock
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp light soy sauce

To Serve

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp chilli flakes
Boiled rice

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare the chicken coating: Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and add the cornflour, salt, and pepper. Toss the chicken thoroughly until each piece is fully coated with the cornflour mixture, which helps create a crispy exterior when cooked.
Heat the pan: Warm the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or skillet over high heat. This ensures a hot surface for searing the chicken and developing a golden brown crust.
Cook the chicken: Add the coated chicken thighs to the hot pan. Let them cook undisturbed on one side for 4-5 minutes until they are golden brown. Then, flip the thighs and cook for an additional 2 minutes on the other side to continue cooking through.
Add butter and garlic: Reduce the heat to medium and add the unsalted butter to the pan. Once melted, add the minced garlic. Stir gently to combine, allowing the garlic to soften without burning, which will infuse the dish with aromatic flavor.
Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chicken stock, rice vinegar, and light soy sauce until well combined. This mixture forms the sweet and tangy sauce that will coat the chicken.
Simmer the sauce with chicken: Pour the prepared sauce into the pan with the chicken and garlic. Increase the heat to bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the chicken is fully cooked through, with no pink in the center.
Finish and serve: Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley and chili flakes over the chicken. Serve the honey garlic chicken hot over a bed of boiled rice for a complete and satisfying meal.

Notes

Chicken substitute: You can substitute chicken breasts for thighs. Slice breasts into thick strips or flatten them to cook evenly and quickly without drying out.
Gluten free option: Use tamari instead of soy sauce, gluten-free chicken stock, and verify the rice vinegar is gluten free.
Freezing: Cook and cool chicken before freezing. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 12-15 minutes covered with foil to prevent drying.
Make ahead/reheating: Cool cooked chicken, refrigerate, and reheat in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 12-15 minutes covered with foil to maintain moisture.
Ingredient swaps: Replace rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar plus ¼ tsp sugar. Use dark soy sauce instead of light soy sauce (3/4 tbsp). Vegetable oil can be swapped with any neutral high smoke point oil like rapeseed, sunflower, or ghee.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 2 chicken thighs without rice)
Calories: 350 kcal
Sugar: 18 g
Sodium: 620 mg
Fat: 18 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 20 g
Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 30 g
Cholesterol: 110 mg