Description
This quick and flavorful honey garlic chicken is pan-fried to perfection and coated in a sweet and savory sauce made with simple ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep, it’s ready in just 20 minutes!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (or boneless, skinless thighs)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Honey Garlic Sauce:
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup, brown sugar, or light corn syrup if allergic to honey)
- 3 tablespoons water (cold)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar)
- ½ tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (or potato starch/tapioca starch)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken:
Debone the chicken thighs if using bone-in pieces by carefully cutting around the bone with a paring knife. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. - Make the Sauce:
In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients: garlic, honey, water, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set aside. - Cook the Chicken:
Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Place the chicken skin-side down and cook for 4-5 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy. Flip the chicken and cook the other side for about 2 minutes, or until fully cooked and an internal temperature of 165°F is reached. - Add the Sauce:
Reduce the heat to low-medium. Pour the honey garlic sauce into the pan around the chicken. Let the sauce simmer and thicken, flipping the chicken once to coat both sides in the sauce. Allow the skin to absorb the sauce for about 15 seconds before flipping back. - Serve:
Garnish with chopped green onions. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, slice into smaller pieces, and serve.
Notes
- Crispier Chicken: To get even crispier chicken skin, make sure to pat the chicken dry before cooking.
- Substitute Ingredients: You can use boneless chicken thighs for quicker cooking or substitute honey with maple syrup or brown sugar for different flavors.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan to retain some of the crispiness.
- Freezer Option: Freeze the cooked chicken for up to 1 month, reheating it thoroughly before serving.
- Prep Time: 14 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece of chicken
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 90mg