Juicy chicken thighs with golden skin are coated in a thick, sticky honey garlic sauce. This easy honey garlic chicken recipe is ready in just 20 minutes with simple ingredients. It features a flavorful glaze that clings to every piece.
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Honey garlic chicken is a popular North American Chinese takeout dish featuring chicken coated in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce. My version uses skin-on chicken thighs that are pan-fried until golden, then coated in a sticky sauce made with honey, garlic, and soy sauce.
It's my go-to dinner when I need something fast and satisfying on busy weeknights, but it also works well for meal prep. I love serving it over steamed rice with some vegetables.
I've made this many times before and I found that patting the chicken thighs completely dry before cooking helps the skin sear until golden instead of steaming in the pan.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Exact ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Skin-on, Bone-in Chicken Thighs: I use bone-in thighs because that's what is available to me, then remove the bones before cooking. Skin-on boneless chicken thighs work even better if they're available to you.
- Vegetable Oil: Or use any neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point, such as canola or refined avocado oil.
- Salt & Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder: Do not substitute with minced garlic, or it can burn in the pan and make the chicken taste bitter.
- Green Onions
Honey Garlic Sauce
- Fresh Garlic Cloves: Finely mince the garlic so it distributes evenly throughout the sauce. Adding it directly to the sauce also prevents it from burning in the hot skillet.
- Honey: Use any unflavored liquid honey that you enjoy.
- Water: Helps prevent the honey and other sugars from burning as the sauce thickens.
- Rice Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar also works.
- Regular Soy Sauce: Light soy sauce also works. For a less salty option, use low-sodium soy sauce. Avoid using dark soy sauce as it's too overpowering for this recipe.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: This is more flavorful than untoasted sesame oil.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce. Potato starch also works.
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or online.
Expert Tips
- Use evenly sized thighs so they cook at roughly the same rate.
- Preheat the pan well before adding the chicken so the skin starts searing immediately.
- Don't move the chicken while searing so the skin can properly brown before flipping.
- Whisk the sauce again before adding it because the cornstarch can settle at the bottom.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make honey garlic chicken:
- Debone the chicken: Place each chicken thigh bone-side up on a cutting board. Locate the center bone and make shallow cuts around it with a sharp knife until the bone can easily be removed.
- Dry the chicken: Pat both sides of the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels.
- Season the chicken: Evenly season both sides with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey garlic sauce ingredients until the cornstarch and honey have fully dissolved.
- Sear the chicken: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, place the chicken skin-side down in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes without moving it, until the skin is golden. Flip and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes or until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Glaze the chicken: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk the sauce again, pour it around the chicken, and let it simmer until thick and glossy. Flip the chicken skin-side down for 15 seconds to coat it in the sauce, then return it skin-side up. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes until hot, or microwave each piece for 1-2 minutes until hot.
Variations
- Gluten-Free: Substitute the regular soy sauce with gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.
- Spicy: Add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the honey garlic sauce.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve honey garlic chicken with:
- Egg Fried Rice: Savory rice pairs well with the sweet honey garlic sauce.
- Spicy Garlic Bok Choy: Tender-crisp vegetables and spice balance the sweet chicken.
- Egg Drop Soup: A light, savory starter that complements the chicken.
FAQ
Yes. Skin-on boneless chicken thighs work well and save you the step of deboning the chicken.
I don't recommend chicken breasts because they're skinless, leaner, and thicker, so they can dry out and require a different cooking time. For best results, use skin-on chicken thighs.
Let the sauce cook a little longer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and becomes glossy.
More Like This
Check out my other chicken recipes:
📖 Recipe
Easy 20-Minute Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 green onion finely chopped
Honey Garlic Sauce
- 5 garlic cloves finely minced
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoon water cold
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil toasted kind
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Place each chicken thigh bone-side up on a cutting board. Locate the center bone and make shallow cuts around it with a sharp knife until the bone can easily be removed.
- Pat both sides of the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels.
- Evenly season both sides of the chicken with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey garlic sauce ingredients until the cornstarch and honey have fully dissolved.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, place the chicken skin-side down in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes without moving it, until the skin is golden. Flip and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes or until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk the sauce again, pour it around the chicken, and let it simmer until thick and glossy. Flip the chicken skin-side down for 15 seconds to coat it in the sauce, then return it skin-side up. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.
Susan
Wowza, Christi!! A home run. I will definitely make this again. So flavorful. I am on a low-fat diet so I chose skinless thighs and did the air fryer version. Who knew healthy could taste so good! I made the baby bok choy and for added crunch, I julienned some carrots and red bell pepper, raw. Drizzled the sauce over all. It was delicious! Thank you. I will continue to follow your recipes.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much making my recipe and for leaving this review, Susan! Happy it worked out well for you with the air fryer. I appreciate the feedback on that.
Ivette
It says to thicken the sauce but i dont see cornstach on the recioe
Christie Lai
Hi there, it's in the recipe card if you scroll down to the base of the post under the section Honey Garlic Sauce. It's not featured in the video as I recently updated the recipe to include this ingredient.
Nina H
Delicious! So glad I found your recipes.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Nina! So happy it worked out well for you!
Karen Montambo
What is the cornstarch for? I didn’t see you use it
Christie Lai
Hi there, this recipe has been updated to include cornstarch so it's not included in the initial recipe video.
Makayla Young
This is more of a question will this recipe still work if I debone chicken legs because that's what we buy I'm just trying to find chicken recipes because my best friends mom keeps buying it for us and I don't know what to do with it besides boil it I never really learned to cook chicken ðŸ˜
Christie Lai
Hi Makayla, yes that should work too and if you're able to cut the chicken into even sized pieces that would allow for a consistent cooking time. Hope it works out and apologies for the delayed response.
Isaac
Yesterday I prepared it for supper and that receipe is easy (really), accurate and also delicious.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and so glad you liked it!
chris
love it will cook it again thank u so much 🤗 God bless u more...
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the kind words and positive review! So glad you enjoyed it!
Tanya
Easy, delicious and perfectly sweet! Thank you!
Christie Lai
So glad you liked it! Thank you so much for making it.
Jd
I've bèn making your honey garlic chicken over & over, the more I make the more I like it,that's hw delicious that recipe of yours is
Quinn Puffer
I think this recipe has good composition but just didn't work out quite right when I made it (I am somewhat of a beginner cook, hence why I am leaving a 5 star as I probably messed up somewhere). I think my stove top runs cold in general, so when I made this I had to give the chicken a little extra time to cook through even though I was using tenderloins which are thinner and then I think the sauce just didn't thicken like it was supposed to. Next time I'm going to try adding the sauce earlier in to let it reduce a little more so that it's thicker. The sauce itself tastes good.
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for leaving a positive review! Yes, I find each stove top can be varying in its heat settings and its different across all brands so I'm glad you gave the chicken extra time to cook so it's cooked through. Also, if there isn't a high enough heat the sauce won't thicken as much. Hope this helps and glad you enjoyed it overall!
Kay
Thank you for this recipe. My family loved it.
Christie Lai
So glad to hear! Thanks so much for making it!
Jd
Just tried cooking your honey garlic chicken & it's so delicious just ate too much I really love ure recipes
Margot
Made this the other night and it was a hit with the family! Thank you.