Quick Skillet Honey Garlic Chicken (Better Than Takeout)
Make this easy Honey Garlic Chicken in your skillet for a sweet and savory weeknight dinner ready in under 30 minutes. This sticky chicken recipe is a family favorite.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 18 min
- Total Time: 28 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet/Pan-Fried
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- Cooked white rice or steamed vegetables, for serving
- Green onions, sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes (if using) in a small bowl. Pour this sauce mixture into the skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth to create a slurry.
- Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the simmering sauce while whisking constantly. Continue to cook and whisk until the sauce thickens into a sticky glaze, about 1-2 minutes.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Toss the chicken pieces until they are completely coated in the thick honey garlic glaze.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Serve the sticky honey garlic chicken immediately over cooked rice or with your favorite vegetables. Garnish with sliced green onions.
Notes
- For juicier chicken breasts, pound them to an even thickness before cutting.
- You can substitute chicken thighs for breasts; they remain moist even with longer cooking times.
- To make this a one-pan chicken dinner, add broccoli florets or sliced bell peppers to the skillet after removing the chicken and cook until tender-crisp before adding the sauce back in.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 48
- Cholesterol: 140