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Honey Butter Garlic Chicken
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Honey Garlic Chicken

Sticky and tender boneless chicken thighs cooked in a flavorful garlic, soy, and honey sauce. This quick and easy dish is ready in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Keyword: Asian chicken dish, easy chicken recipe, honey garlic chicken, quick dinner, sticky garlic chicken
Servings: 4
Calories: 472kcal

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 8 chicken thighs skinless and boneless
  • 2 tbsp cornflour cornstarch
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves garlic minced

For the Sauce:

  • 110 g 1/3 cup honey
  • 80 ml 1/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce

To Serve:

  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
  • ½ tsp chili flakes
  • Boiled rice

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken:

  • Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and toss them with cornflour, salt, and pepper until fully coated.

Cook the Chicken:

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or skillet over high heat.
  • Add the chicken thighs and cook for 4-5 minutes on one side until golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add Garlic and Butter:

  • Add the butter to the pan and let it melt. Stir in the minced garlic and reduce the heat to medium to avoid burning the garlic.

Make the Sauce:

  • In a small bowl, mix the honey, chicken stock, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir until combined.
  • Pour the sauce into the pan with the chicken.

Simmer and Thicken:

  • Turn up the heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and coat the chicken. Ensure the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.

Serve:

  • Garnish the chicken with fresh parsley and chili flakes. Serve hot over boiled rice.

Notes

Chicken Breasts Option: Replace thighs with chicken breasts, slicing them into thick strips or flattening for even cooking.
Make It Gluten-Free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce and ensure chicken stock and rice vinegar are gluten-free.
Freezing Instructions: Cool the cooked dish quickly, then freeze in an airtight container. Defrost overnight and reheat in a 180°C/350°F oven for 12-15 minutes, covered with foil.
Leftovers & Reheating: Store in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven as above.
The chicken may be slightly less tender but will still taste great.
Ingredient Swaps:
Replace rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar + ¼ tsp sugar.
Use ¾ tbsp dark soy sauce if you don’t have light soy sauce.
Swap vegetable oil for sunflower, rapeseed, or ghee.