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Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken with a sweet and sticky honey garlic sauce that has just the right amount of heat and perfect to serve over rice for a weeknight meal! Learn how to turn boring boneless chicken thighs into crispy, juicy pieces of deliciousness!
Watch the Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe Video Below!
Ingredients for Honey Garlic Chicken
I love this Honey Garlic Chicken recipe because only a few ingredients will make tender, crispy chicken and an irresistible sauce. Firstly, here are the ingredients you will need!
- Crispy Chicken Thighs
- 4 pieces chicken thigh boneless, skin-on
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 g
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper .5 g
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 2 g
- 1/2 cup cornstarch 4 g or potato starch
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil 45 ml
- Easy Honey Garlic Glaze
Can I use Chicken Breasts?
Yes, you can use chicken breasts for Honey Garlic Chicken, but keep in mind that they are often thicker than chicken thighs, so they will take longer to cook. To speed up this process, I would butterfly the chicken breasts or pound them down with a meat tenderizer to a 1/2″ thickness before coating them in cornstarch. I don’t recommending using boneless skinless chicken or skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because the skin is essential to creating a crispy crust!
Pro Tips for Crispy and Juicy Chicken!
- Season the chicken and the dredge: seasoning the chicken as well as the cornstarch dredge ensures all parts of the chicken are well-seasoned. Pack the dredge into the chicken so it thoroughly sticks when pan frying.
- The right oil temperature: Even though we are sauteing the chicken, we need to make sure the oil is not too hot, otherwise, the cornstarch will burn before the chicken is cooked through. I love to use an infrared thermometer to check the temperature of the oil and monitor it while cooking (also very useful for deep frying!). Aim for 325F to 350F.
- When to remove the chicken: Remove the chicken from the pan once the exterior is golden brown and the chicken hits 165F after resting. If you find that the exterior is browning too fast, adjust the heat lower to compensate for this and allow the chicken to cook through. Don’t be afraid to cook over medium high or medium low heat on the meat side to ensure the chicken is cooked through.
- Rest on a wire rack: I recommend resting your Honey Garlic Chicken on a wire rack once cooked, especially if you are cooking the chicken in batches. This will allow for the fat to drain and keep the exterior crispy!
Honey Garlic Chicken: Recipe Instructions
1. Season Chicken
Season the skin side of the chicken with salt and pepper. Turn the chicken over and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Let the chicken rest while you prep the remaining ingredients.
2. Coat Chicken
Season the cornstarch and dredge the chicken in the dry batter until evenly coated on both sides. Shake off any excess cornstarch before adding it to the pan.
3. Sauté the Chicken
Sauté the chicken skin side down in neutral oil over medium high heat for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 3 minutes. Flip as needed to achieve that golden brown crust. Pull the chicken when the internal temperature reads slightly below 165F so that it hits that temperature while it rests. Wipe out any excess oil.
4. Make the Sauce
Add the sauce ingredients to the pan and mix to combine. Cook over medium high heat until the sauce is bubbling and thickened.
5. Serve!
Coat the chicken in the sauce or brush it on to help preserve that crispy exterior. Slice up the chicken and serve it with freshly steamed rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions – enjoy!
If you liked this easy one-pan Honey Garlic Chicken, try some of my other popular recipes below!
If you tried this Honey Garlic Chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Honey Garlic Chicken (SUPER CRISPY!)
Ingredients
- 4 pieces chicken thigh, boneless, skin-on
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 g
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, .5 g
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 g
- 1/2 cup cornstarch, 4 g or potato starch
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, 45 ml
Easy Honey Garlic Glaze
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons honey, 30 ml
- 1/2 tablespoon sambal chili paste, 7 ml or to taste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 26 g
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 45 ml
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Season the skin side of the chicken with salt and pepper. Turn the chicken over and season the meat side with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- In a bowl, add the cornstarch along with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and mix well. Coat the chicken with a thin layer of cornstarch on both sides, dusting off any excess.
- In a pan, drizzle in the avocado oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add in the chicken, skin side facing down.
- Pan-fry the chicken for 3 minutes on each side or until crispy and golden brown, flipping as needed. Remove and set aside.
- Wipe out any excess oil in the pan. Add garlic, honey, chili paste, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Mix to combine and cook over medium high heat until bubbling and thickened.
- Add back the chicken and coat in the glaze, or brush it on. Serve with freshly steamed rice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The air fryer wings using baking powder turned out to be fantastic. Great recipe, 5 star. Get creative and add some of your favorite spices.
Game changer! It’s on our Dinner rotation now. Thank you!
@photo.girl1979
Game changer. So good. I use this as part of our dinner rotation. Thank you!!