This Honey Garlic Chicken is sweet, sticky, crispy, and incredibly easy to make. The chicken is coated in cornstarch and pan-fried (or deep-fried) until crispy, then tossed in a sweet and sticky honey garlic sauce. It's perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal!
Can't get enough of delicious takeout meals? Try my Sweet And Sour Chicken next!
About This Recipe
Honey garlic has to be one of my favorite flavor combinations. The sweetness from the honey combined with the spiciness from the garlic is a match made in heaven. This was my first time making honey garlic chicken, and it did not disappoint!
I tried looking into the origins of honey garlic sauce, but surprisingly, there isn't much information out there. The closest thing I found is this Wikipedia article and it just says that honey garlic sauce is very popular in Canada. And that makes sense- I grew up in Canada and some variation of a honey garlic dish was at basically every Chinese restaurant I went to.
For today's recipe, I opted to pan-fry the chicken to make it easier for you guys, but you can deep-fry it if you want to. If you've tried any of my other deep-fried recipes, you can follow a similar method- just heat the oil to 350°F and deep-fry until the chicken is cooked through.
But I think the pan-fry method did an extremely good job. The chicken came out nice and crispy, and it was much easier not having to deal with leftover oil afterwards.
Key Ingredients
Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 1-inch chunks. You can also use chicken breasts, but I much prefer thighs because they end up way juicier.
Cornstarch: This is for coating the pieces of chicken. It serves two purposes. First, it creates a crispy crust on the outside of the chicken. Second, it allows the sauce to cling to the meat better!
Oil: For frying the chicken and sautéing the garlic.
Sauce: You'll need minced garlic, honey, sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
Instructions
STEP 1: Combine the honey, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar in a small bowl.
STEP 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until it smells delicious.
STEP 3: Add the sauce mixture and cook until it starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and set aside.
STEP 4: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Add half the chicken and cook until both sides are golden brown. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
STEP 5: Add the sauce and toss to evenly coat. I garnished mine with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Easy Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts; cut into 1-inch pieces)
- ½ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Combine the honey, sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds until it smells delicious. Add the sauce mixture and cook until it starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken and cornstarch. Toss until evenly coated.
- Pan-Fry Option: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the bottom with about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add half the chicken and fry on both sides for a couple of minutes until crispy and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining half of the chicken.
- Deep-Fry Option: Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches for 3 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat, and pour in the sauce. Toss to evenly coat. Enjoy!
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