Easy Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe for Quick Weeknight Dinner

Spread the love

Honey Garlic Chicken

Do you want a simple, tasty chicken meal that everyone in your family will enjoy? This Honey Garlic Chicken is just right! This meal has a great mix of flavors in every bite because it combines the sweet richness of honey with the strong, savory flavors of garlic and soy sauce. You probably already have all the ingredients you need in your kitchen, and it doesn’t take long to make. This honey garlic chicken is perfect for a comfortable evening dinner or to amaze your visitors. Read on for step-by-step directions, helpful hints, and ideas for serving!

About the Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

Honey Garlic Chicken is a tasty and simple recipe that uses honey, garlic, soy sauce, and other spices to form a sauce that the chicken cooks in. As it cooks, the sauce caramelizes and coats the chicken with a sweet and savory glaze that is sticky and shiny. You can use chicken breasts, thighs, or even wings to make this recipe. It goes nicely with rice, veggies, or noodles. This is a great choice for a quick weekday dinner that tastes great.

Ingredients

Four chicken breasts (or thighs) without bones or skin
¼ cup of honey
¼ cup of soy sauce (low sodium is better)
2 teaspoons of garlic powder or 5–6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of olive oil (to sear the chicken)
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger (or ½ teaspoon of ground ginger, if you want)
¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional, for some heat)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons of cornstarch (optional, to make the sauce thicker)
¼ cup of water (for the cornstarch slurry)
Sesame seeds (for decoration)
Fresh green onions (for decoration)

Possible Variations and Substitutions

You may simply change this Honey Garlic Chicken recipe to fit your tastes or dietary needs. Here are some possibilities for substitutions and changes:

You can use chicken thighs or drumsticks with bones and skin for more taste, but they will take longer to cook. If you want finger food for a party, chicken wings are also a fantastic choice.
Tamari or coconut aminos can be used instead of soy sauce if you can’t eat gluten.
If you’re looking for a vegan alternative or a different kind of sweetness, you can use maple syrup or agave nectar instead of honey.
Garlic: If you don’t have any fresh garlic, garlic powder can do in a pinch. You can also use roasted garlic to make the flavor richer and sweeter.
Vinegar: If you don’t have rice vinegar, you may use apple cider vinegar or even lemon juice to provide acidity and balance out the honey’s sweetness.
Add Vegetables: For a one-pan meal, add broccoli, snap peas, or bell peppers in the last few minutes of cooking.
To make Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken even spicier, add more red pepper flakes or a dab of sriracha or chili sauce.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Prepare the chicken: Salt and pepper the chicken breasts or thighs on both sides. Put it away.
Sear the chicken: Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until it is golden brown. At this time, the chicken doesn’t need to be entirely cooked. Take the chicken out of the skillet once it has been seared and set it aside.
Make the sauce: Add the minced ginger and garlic (if using) to the same skillet and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic become too hot. Put the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes (if using) in the pan. Mix everything together and bring the sauce to a boil.
Put the chicken back in the pan: Put the seared chicken back in the skillet and make sure each piece is covered with the sauce. Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat, or until the chicken is done (the internal temperature should be 165°F or 74°C).
(Optional) Produce the sauce thicker: If you want a thicker sauce, add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup of water to produce a slurry. Add this to the skillet and heat for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the time, until the sauce is as thick as you like it.
Finish and serve: When the chicken is done cooking and the sauce has thickened, take the skillet off the heat and serve. Add sesame seeds and chopped green onions on top as a garnish. Hot!

Cooking Tips & Notes

Searing the chicken first gives it a nice golden-brown coating and keeps the liquids in, which adds taste and texture to the finished dish.
Make the sauce: When you sauté garlic in the same pan, the oil gets flavor. You may make a balanced sauce by adding honey, soy sauce, and vinegar. It will be sweet, savory, and tangy.
Finish cooking the chicken in the sauce: The honey garlic sauce keeps the chicken moist and lets it soak up all the sauce’s rich ingredients.
Optional: To make the sauce thicker, mix cornstarch with water and add it to the sauce. Cook for a few minutes, or until the sauce is as thick as you like it.
Burning the garlic: Garlic cooks quickly and can burn easily, especially when you put it in a hot pan. When you add the garlic, turn down the heat and stir it regularly so it doesn’t burn.
Cooking the chicken too long: Chicken that has been cooked too long can be dry and rough. Check the inside temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure it doesn’t get above 165°F (74°C).
If you want a richer sauce, don’t skip the cornstarch slurry. It helps make the glaze that makes this meal so tasty sticky and shiny.
If you want a thicker sauce, combine a teaspoon of cornstarch with water and add it to the sauce. You can alternatively roast the chicken if you don’t want to touch it, or you can use chicken thighs for a juicier result.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the honey garlic chicken over white or brown rice that has been steamed. The rice will absorb up the tasty sauce.
With noodles: For a quick and tasty noodle dish, mix the chicken and sauce with cooked noodles like lo mein or spaghetti.
With vegetables that have been roasted: Serve with steamed or roasted veggies like broccoli, carrots, or green beans to make a healthy, balanced dinner.
On a salad: For a lighter meal, cut the chicken into pieces and put it on top of a fresh green salad with a tangy vinaigrette.
Add sesame seeds on top: For more texture and visual interest, sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Offer fresh herbs on top: Chopped green onions or cilantro offer a splash of color and flavor.
Put the chicken in a big serving dish and pour the extra sauce over the top. This is how to serve it family-style. For a pretty display, top with sesame seeds and green onions.
Make it ahead of time: You can make the sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. When you’re ready to cook, just sear the chicken and then add the sauce that you created ahead of time.
Honey Garlic Chicken is great for dinner prep. Make a lot of it, split it into meal-sized servings with rice and vegetables, and put it in the fridge for up to four days. You can heat it up in the microwave or on the stove.
Change the sweetness: If the sauce is too sweet for you, you can cut back on the honey or add additional soy sauce to make the tastes more even.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is it okay to use chicken with bones in it for this recipe?: A: Yes! You can use chicken thighs or drumsticks with bones, but you’ll need to cook them for longer. Make sure the temperature inside gets to 165°F (74°C).
Q: Is it okay to use frozen chicken?: A: Yes, but you need to let the chicken defrost all the way before cooking it. If you cook frozen chicken directly in the pan, it may not cook evenly.
Q: Is it possible to do this in a slow cooker?: A: Yes, of course! Put the sauce ingredients and the chicken in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours. If you need to, add cornstarch to the sauce at the end to make it thicker.
Q: How long will food that is left over last?: A: You may keep leftover Honey Garlic Chicken in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. You may reheat it in the microwave or on the stove.

Additional Information

Time to get ready: 5 minutes
Time to cook: 20 minutes
Main Course Category: Asian-Inspired Cuisine: Pan-Seared
Food: One chicken thigh is a serving size.
Nutrition: Four hundred calories, 20 grams of sugar, 800 mg of sodium

This Honey Garlic Chicken recipe has the right mix of sweet, salty, and garlicky flavors that will make everyone want more. It’s quick, easy, and can be used in a lot of different ways, so it’s great for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or even having friends over. Serve it with rice, noodles, or vegetables to make a whole dinner that will fill you up. This recipe is guaranteed to become a favorite in your kitchen, no matter how long you’ve been cooking. Try it out today and experience how good it tastes!