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Need a super quick meal that tastes incredible? This honey garlic chicken comes together in just 20 minutes and is full of flavor. Serve it with rice and veggies for an easy, satisfying meal!
Do you ever have those nights where you realize it’s almost time for dinner and you have nothing prepared?
I sure do. Fast food isn’t an option, so I need something quick to make that my family will still enjoy.
That’s where this honey garlic chicken comes in! It’s the easiest meal ever and tastes amazing with a simple side of rice and veggies.
If you’ve been around my blog for a bit, you might notice this one’s similar to my honey ginger chicken. And it is! But it’s also just different enough that I knew it deserved its own post.
You’ll definitely want to keep this recipe in your back pocket for busy nights. It just might take less time than picking up fast food!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love It
- Honey garlic chicken takes just 20 minutes to make! It’s the perfect meal to whip up on a busy night.
- While it comes together quickly, this recipe is packed with flavor. The tangy, sweet, and savory sauce is simply delicious!
- Pair honey garlic chicken with any of your favorite sides for a balanced, tasty meal. It’s such a flexible main dish.
Ingredients
- Chicken: I used chicken breast this time because it’s what I had, but I like this recipe with thighs even better. Feel free to use what you have on hand.
- Cornstarch: This gets the chicken nice and crispy and helps to thicken the sauce. If you like a runnier sauce, feel free to reduce the amount.
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil: You can use whatever cooking oil you prefer.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic, not jarred.
- Rice vinegar: Adds a nice tanginess and completes the flavor.
- Soy sauce: This gives the chicken a salty savoriness that is nicely balanced by the honey!
- Honey: Adds the perfect subtle sweetness to this chicken recipe.
- Green onions and sesame seeds: These are a nice garnish that adds a pop of flavor.
- Rice: This chicken tastes best served on a bed of white rice. Keep reading for other serving suggestions!
How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken
Step 1. Dice the chicken into roughly 1-inch cubes and place it in a mixing bowl. Add the cornstarch, salt, and pepper to the bowl and toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
Step 2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked and golden on the outside. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the skillet and set aside.
Step 3. In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil along with the minced garlic. Sauté for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic becomes fragrant—don’t let it burn!
Step 4. Stir in the rice vinegar, honey, and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 2–3 minutes, or until it starts to thicken slightly.
Step 5. Return the chicken to the skillet and toss to coat it in the sauce. Let it all simmer together for another 5 minutes so the flavors can come together and the chicken is warmed through.
Step 6. Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over rice and enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- To check the chicken, I like to cut open one of the bigger chunks. If it’s white all the way through, you’re good to go. If there’s any pink, let it cook a little longer.
- Use a meat thermometer on a few of the largest pieces of chicken to be sure it’s done. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Don’t overcook the garlic. Garlic can go from fragrant to bitter really fast. As soon as you smell it, go ahead and pour in the sauce ingredients.
- Give the sauce time to simmer. Letting the sauce bubble for a few minutes helps it thicken up and really coat the chicken nicely.
- Use the sauce to deglaze the pan. When you add the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce, make sure to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet; those little bits add so much flavor to the sauce!
What to Serve with Honey Garlic Chicken
This honey garlic chicken tastes best on a bed of Dutch oven white rice with your favorite vegetable on the side! I like to serve it with roasted broccoli, boiled asparagus, or a mix of stir-fried vegetables.
You can swap out the white rice for a different grain if you prefer. Brown rice, wild rice, or quinoa are great choices. Instead of a grain, honey garlic chicken can even go with a potato side dish, such as Dutch oven mashed potatoes.
This honey garlic chicken recipe is the ideal quick and easy protein, so don’t overthink the sides! Anything you have on hand that is quick to make will complete this simple yet delicious meal.
Recipe FAQs
The cornstarch in this recipe should thicken it quite well. If it’s not quite thick to your liking, I recommend simmering it down a little bit more.
Not this recipe! It doesn’t have any spicy ingredients, so it’s a great recipe for kids or anyone who is sensitive to spiciness. Of course, if you like a little heat, you can easily add crushed red pepper flakes to spice it up.
Yes, it’s extremely easy to make this recipe without any gluten! Simply swap out the soy sauce for tamari sauce.
More Easy Recipes You’ll Love
- Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Egg Roll Bowl
- One-Pot Sweet and Spicy Chicken
- Beef Liver Stir Fry
- Chinese Beef and Broccoli
If you tried this Honey Garlic Chicken or any other recipe on my website, I would love for you to come back and leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Honey Garlic Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken 4 breasts or boneless thighs
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- green onions for garnishing
- sesame seeds for garnishing
Instructions
- Dice the chicken into roughly 1-inch cubes and place it in a mixing bowl.
- Add the cornstarch, salt, and pepper to the bowl and toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked and golden on the outside.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil along with the minced garlic. Sauté for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic becomes fragrant—don’t let it burn!
- Stir in the rice vinegar, honey, and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 2–3 minutes, or until it starts to thicken slightly.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and toss to coat it in the sauce. Let it all simmer together for another 5 minutes so the flavors can come together, until the chicken is warmed through.
- Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over rice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
-
- To check the chicken, I like to cut open one of the bigger chunks. If it’s white all the way through, you’re good to go. If there’s any pink, let it cook a little longer.
-
- Use a meat thermometer on a few of the largest pieces of chicken to be sure it’s done. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165°F.
-
- Don’t overcook the garlic. Garlic can go from fragrant to bitter really fast. As soon as you smell it, go ahead and pour in the sauce ingredients.
-
- Give the sauce time to simmer. Letting the sauce bubble for a few minutes helps it thicken up and really coat the chicken nicely.
-
- Use the sauce to deglaze the pan. When you add the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce, make sure to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet; those little bits add so much flavor to the sauce!
- Be sure to check out the video here in the recipe card for visual reference!
Hi Laura! I love watching you on YouTube! You make motherhood and cooking look like they come so naturally to you! I made this for my family of 11 tonight and it was a big hit with everyone, which happens rarely! bonus points- it’s gluten free so my son with food allergies could eat it too. We’ll definitely be writing this one down! Thank you! Looking forward to seeing your new house and precious baby soon! ❤️
Thank you so much! That is so kind of you! I am very happy to hear you all loved it!
I’ve seriously made this recipe like five times already. We made it again tonight using pork sausage instead of chicken so good!
That’s awesome! I love hearing that you’ve made it so many times. Using pork sausage instead of chicken sounds delicious—I’ll have to try that myself! Thanks for sharing your twist on it.
I can’t wait to try it for dinner this week!
I hope you love it! Let me know how it turns out!