This 20-minute recipe requires only 8 ingredients and it makes the most delicious sticky honey garlic chicken – even better than takeout!
Honey Garlic Chicken Made Easy
For most of my life I convinced myself I didn’t like Chinese food (without ever really even trying it). My parents were the ultimate fans and it wasn’t until I was in my mid-20’s that I finally understood the hype. There are so many amazing Chinese dishes and even varieties of cuisines! From dim sum to noodles, to saucy fried meats. And I find it so wild how many different chicken recipes and sauces they have! My personal favorites are honey walnut chicken, orange chicken, and sticky and sweet honey garlic chicken.
Looking at a completed dish of Chinese chicken, you’d think it’s something that can only be created in a commercial kitchen, but it’s actually really easy to recreate in your own home. This recipe in particular only requires a few ingredients and about 20-minutes of your time – so it’s perfect if you need to make something quick (and bland, salted chicken won’t cut it – we’ve all been there lol).
The Secret to Honey Garlic Chicken
I never understood how Chinese chicken dishes became all crispy and crunchy. Maybe if I had been raised on fried chicken I’d have known (ha!). But I was surprised to learn the secret is CORN STARCH! It isn’t flour and eggs as I had thought, but good ol’ corn starch.
Personally, when I make this dish, I love to get cornstarch nice and thick on each piece, fully coating as much of each chicken chunk as possible. It truly is the secret to any crunchy Chinese chicken recipe!
How Did Your Honey Garlic Chicken Turn Out?
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Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter, unsalted
- 2 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
Topping Options
- green onions, chopped
- red pepper chili flakes
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- PREP CHICKEN: Add cornstarch, salt, and pepper to a bowl and mix. Add chicken thighs and fully coat.3 tbsp cornstarch, salt,, pepper,, 2 lbs chicken thighs,
- COOK CHICKEN: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium to high heat (6 to 7), then add cornstarch-coated chicken thighs, and cook on each side until golden brown (about 10 minutes). Add butter to the pan with the chicken and let it melt, then add the garlic and stir it in with the chicken. Turn the heat to low to medium (3 to 5).2 tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 tbsp butter,, 2 1/2 tbsp garlic,
- MAKE SAUCE + COOK: In a bowl combine the honey, chicken broth, vinegar, and soy sauce, stir to combine. Add the sauce to the pan with the cooked chicken, and increase the heat to medium/high (~7) and bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer until sauce thickens (about 5 minutes). Make sure the chicken is cooked through.1/3 cup honey, 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce,
- Serve and enjoy warm over rice, garnished with green onions, sesame seeds, and/or red pepper flakes.green onions,, red pepper chili flakes, sesame seeds