Honey Garlic Chicken (SO CRISPY!) in 20 Minutes (VIDEO)

5 from 26 votes

Dec 04, 2023, Updated Jul 27, 2024

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My super crispy Honey Garlic Chicken is coated in a sweet and sticky honey garlic sauce that is addictively delicious and perfect to serve over rice for a weeknight meal! Keep reading to learn how to turn boring boneless chicken thighs into mouth-wateringly juicy and delicious crispy Honey Garlic Chicken in just 20 minutes!

Honey Garlic Chicken on a plate with rice

Watch the Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe Video Below!

Watch the Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe Video Below!
Ingredients for Honey Garlic Chicken
Honey Garlic Chicken: Recipe Instructions
Expert Tips for Crispy and Juicy Honey Garlic Chicken
Honey Garlic Chicken (SUPER CRISPY!) Recipe

Ingredients for Honey Garlic Chicken

Everything you need to make this irresistible Honey Garlic Chicken is probably already in your pantry!

Crispy Chicken Thighs
- 4 pieces chicken thigh boneless, skin-on – see note below on using chicken breasts for this recipe.
  - I don’t recommending using skinless chicken for this recipe because the skin is essential to creating a crispy crust! However, if you do not care about the crispy crust, you can still make this with skinless chicken and enjoy the sweet and sticky honey garlic glaze!
  - If you want a vegetarian option, try my Spicy Honey Garlic Tofu!
  - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  - 1/2 cup cornstarch – you can also use potato starch
  - 3 tablespoons avocado oil – I recommend avocado oil as my go-to neutral oil. You can also use canola or vegetable oil.
Easy Honey Garlic Glaze
- 10 cloves garlic minced
  - Love garlic? Make my Garlic Noodles (or Garlic Noodles with Crab)!
- 2 tablespoons honey
  - I love cooking with honey, like in my Honey Walnut Shrimp, Honey Sriracha Wings, and Honey Butter Fried Chicken!
- 1/2 tablespoon sambal chili paste – this is the perfect amount of heat for me (not overwhelming but complementary to the flavors). Adjust to your taste!
  - If you don’t have sambal chili paste, you can substitute with sriracha
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water

Can I use Chicken Breasts Instead?

Yes, you can definitely use chicken breasts instead. However, keep in mind that chicken breasts are usually thicker than boneless chicken thighs – this means they will take longer to cook. Therefore, if you want to use chicken breasts, I recommend butterflying them or pounding them thinner with a meat tenderizer to a 1/2″ thickness before coating them in cornstarch. Try to pound them to even thickness so they cook evenly.

Honey Garlic Chicken with sauce resting on a wire rack

Honey Garlic Chicken: Recipe Instructions

1. Season the Chicken

Note: if you are using chicken breasts, first butterfly or pound your chicken.

Begin by seasoning the skin side of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Flip the chicken over and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Seasoning chicken thigh with salt and pepper.

Let the chicken rest while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. Coat the Chicken

Season the cornstarch (or potato starch) in a small bowl. Dredge the seasoned chicken thighs in the dry batter until evenly coated on both sides. Shake off any excess cornstarch before cooking,

3. Sauté the Chicken

Take a medium or large pan and drizzle avocado oil over medium high heat. If you have an infrared thermometer, confirm the oil is 325F to 350F – you want to avoid anything higher as the cornstarch can burn. Place the chicken skin side down and sauté for about 3 minutes – you should see the chicken skin turn golden brown.

Honey garlic chicken cooking in a pan skin side down.

Flip the chicken over and cook for another 3 minutes. We are going for a deep brown curst, so continue cooking skin side down until the skin looks like the chicken in the photo.

Chicken thigh being cooked in a pan in oil.

Use a thermometer and remove chicken from the pan once the internal temperature reaches slightly below 165F. You want to pull it off before it hits 165F because the chicken will continue to cook as it rests and will eventually hit the desired temperature of 165F. Set chicken aside.

I recommend resting the 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!

Wipe off any excess oil in the pan.

4. Make the Honey Garlic Sauce and Coat Chicken

Add the honey garlic sauce ingredients to the pan and mix to combine. Cook over medium high heat until the sauce is bubbling and thickened.

Mixing the honey garlic sauce for the chicken in a bowl.

The honey garlic glazed being thickened in the pan.

Coat the chicken in the sauce – if you want to preserve the crispy skin, you can also brush it on.

Optional: Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions Slice the chicken and serve – I like mine with freshly steamed rice.

PRO TIPS

Expert Tips for Crispy and Juicy Honey Garlic Chicken

Chicken Tips

I recommend using boneless skin-on chicken thighs.
You can substitute with chicken breasts but you should butterfly the chicken or pound them until they are roughly 1/2″ thickness and even.
I don’t recommend using skinless chicken, as the chicken skin is what creates the crispy crust for this Honey Garlic Chicken. However, if you don’t care about that, you can definitely use skinless chicken and still enjoy the delicious honey garlic glaze!

Season the Chicken and the Dredge

Many people know about seasoning the chicken to build flavor, but you should also always season the dredge! Seasoning the cornstarch dredge is one more way to ensure that all parts and crevices of the chicken will be well seasoned. Make sure to pack in the dredge so it sticks well to the chicken before frying.

Monitor the Oil Temperature

Even though we are sauteing the chicken (vs. deep frying), 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 from the Pan

There are two things you should look for before removing the chicken:
- You should check that the skin is golden brown to your preference.
- The internal temperature should be slightly below 165F. I recommend removing the chicken before it hits 165F because the chicken will continue to cook as it rests and will eventually hit the desired temperature of 165F.

Rest Chicken on a Wire Rack

I recommend this step especially if you are cooking the chicken in batches.
Using a wire rack will help the fat drain while the chicken rests and preserve the crispy skin (vs. turning soggy)

Brush on Glaze for Crispy Chicken

I usually coat the chicken in the sticky honey garlic glaze but if you want the skin to stay super crispy for longer, I recommend brushing the glaze on instead.

Storage and Reheating

You can store any leftover Honey Garlic Chicken in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. The skin will no longer be crispy but the chicken coated in the sticky honey garlic glaze will still taste delicious!

You can reheat the Honey Garlic Chicken in the air fryer or oven. If using the air fryer, reheat at 350°F for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is warmed through and crispy. In the oven, place on a sheet tray and bake in a 375°F oven for 12-15 minutes until heated through and crispy.

Honey Garlic Chicken (SO CRISPY!) in 20 Minutes (VIDEO)

Watch the Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe Video Below!

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