Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe, made with juicy chicken thighs in a sweet, tangy, sticky sauce, is easy and quick to whip up with pantry staples, and ready in just 15 minutes.
The dark and garlicky marinade features honey and soy sauce, making it a delicious choice for a quick dinner. Serve this flavorful dish with sautéed vegetables and rice or noodles for a complete meal.
This Honey Garlic Chicken thighs with honey and garlic sauce is a gluten-free recipe. No flour is used to coat the chicken making it also a low-carb recipe.
Table of Contents
Choosing the Chicken
Choosing the right chicken is super important. Here’s what you need to know:
Best Choice: Chicken Thighs
- Go for chicken thighs with the skin still on.
- Why? The skin gets nice and crispy, adding extra flavor and juiciness.
Other Options
Chicken Breasts
- You can use these if you prefer.
- Tip: Flatten them out so they cook evenly.
Chicken Wings
- These are great too!
- They’re packed with flavor and make awesome appetizers.
- The skin on the wings gets super crispy in the honey garlic sauce.
Remember, the type of chicken you choose can make a big difference in how your dish turns out. Thighs are usually the tastiest, but wings and breasts can be delicious too if that’s what you like best!
Why You’ll Love This Dish
This chicken dish is a real crowd-pleaser, and here’s why:
- It’s super juicy, thanks to the chicken thighs we’re using.
- It is gluten-free as this recipe is made without flour.
- The flavor is out of this world with a perfect balance of sweet and tangy with a hint of spice.
- It’s quick and easy to make, with just a handful of ingredients – a perfect meal for busy weeknights or last-minute dinner parties.
The Secret’s in the Sauce
The star of this show is our sticky, irresistible honey garlic sauce. It’s a simple mix of honey, garlic, soy sauce, and rice vinegar with a hint of chili. The sauce coats the chicken perfectly, giving each bite a burst of flavor.
When to Serve It
This versatile dish is perfect for:
- A quick weeknight dinner when you’re short on time
- Impressing guests at your next dinner party
- Meal prep – Fry the chicken and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Just before serving prepare the sauce and add the fried chicken( at room temperature) for a super quick 5-minute meal. It also reheats beautifully for lunches throughout the week.
So, what are you waiting for? Give this Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry a try. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you!
Ingredients Notes and Variations
- Chicken: Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are used for this recipe. Any other cut of chicken can also be used.
- Garlic: Garlic is used in 2 different forms, garlic powder is used for marination and minced fresh garlic is used for the honey-garlic sauce.
- Honey: Liquid honey is best for this recipe. Maple syrup can be used as a substitute.
- Olive oil and Butter: Olive oil is used for frying the chicken and butter is used for making the garlic and honey sauce. Alternatively, sesame oil can also used.
- Soy Sauce: This recipe calls for dark soya sauce but light or low-sodium soy sauce or any regular soy sauce can also be used.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar tastes best, but white vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar can also be used as a substitute.
- Salt and Pepper: The spices for seasoning the chicken are very basic, just salt and some black pepper. Other seasonings can also be used for marination, like, onion powder, oregano, rosemary, and more.
- Chili flakes: Chilli flakes are used for adding some extra heat to the recipe. Add more or less as per taste preference.
- Garnish: Finely chopped coriander or parsley leaves and toasted sesame seeds are used. Skip sesame to make it nut-free. Thinly sliced green onions are a great addition too, to add some freshness.
Video Tutorial
How to make Chicken in Honey Garlic Sauce : Step-by-Step Photo Guide
Marinate:
Start by seasoning your chicken thighs with garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Cook:
Heat a large pan or a large skillet on medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Fry up those chicken pieces until they’re golden and crispy.
Flip and fry the chicken pieces on both sides for 4-5 minutes till it turns golden brown and is cooked through.
Remove the cooked chicken thigh pieces and set it aside.
Honey garlic sauce:
In the same pan melt 1 tbsp butter on medium-high heat.
To the butter add the minced garlic and red chilli flakes. Fry for 30 seconds.
Add dark soya sauce, rice vinegar, and honey to the sauteed garlic and chilli. Cook on medium high heat for a minute.
Add the cooked chicken and any leftover juice from the cooked chicken to the prepared sauce.
Flip the chicken a few times to coat them well with the honey and garlic sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes for the chicken to absorb the sauce.
Garnish with chopped parsley or coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds.
To serve top the Chicken with the delicious sauce and extra garnish. You’ve got yourself a restaurant-quality meal in no time. Serve hot!
What to Serve with Honey Garlic Chicken?
This Chicken with garlic and honey can be served as a meal in itself with some salad or vegetables on the side, as a side dish, or as a starter or appetizer.
Pair the dish on a bed of jasmine rice, fried rice, or cauliflower rice. It goes well with stir-fried noodles or Indian chow mein(Hakka Noodles).
Slice or chop the cooked garlic honey chicken into small pieces and add them to your favorite salad to elevate its flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to store leftover Chicken with honey and garlic sauce?
Store the leftover garlic honey chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze the dish in a freezer bag or box for up to a month.
How to make Honey Garlic Chicken crispy and juicy?
To make crispy and juicy honey garlic chicken the most important thing is to choose the right chicken. Chicken thighs with skin on add extra crispiness and the fat in the thigh pieces makes the chicken juicy from the inside.
Another way to make the chicken crispy is to coat the chicken with some all-purpose flour or cornstarch before frying it in oil.
Recipe Card
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Honey Garlic Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 6 pieces Chicken Thigh boneless and skinless
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp Red chili flakes
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce regular or dark
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Sesame seeds toasted
Instructions
Marinate:
- Start by seasoning your chicken thighs with garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Fry the chicken:
- Heat a large pan or a large skillet on medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Fry up those chicken pieces until they’re golden and crispy.
- Flip and fry the chicken pieces on both sides for 4-5 minutes on each side till it turns golden brown and is cooked through.
- Remove the cooked chicken thigh pieces and set it aside.
Prepare the sauce and chicken:
- In the same pan melt 1 tbsp butter on medium-high heat.
- To the butter add the minced garlic and red chilli flakes. Fry for 30 seconds.
- Add soya sauce, rice vinegar, and honey to the sauteed garlic and chilli. Cook on medium high heat for a minute.
- Add the cooked chicken and any leftover juice from the cooked chicken to the prepared sauce.
- Flip the chicken a few times to coat them well with the honey and garlic sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes for the chicken to absorb the sauce.
- Garnish with chopped parsley or coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds.
- To serve top the Chicken with the delicious sauce and extra garnish. You’ve got yourself a restaurant-quality meal in no time. Serve hot!
Video
Notes
- Skip sesame seeds in case of allergies.
- Add 1/2 cup chicken broth to the sauce if you want a thinner sauce.
- Serve on a bed of rice, salad, or vegetables like stir-fried or steamed broccoli, green beans, asparagus, or snow peas.
- For best results let the chicken marinate for at least 15 minutes.