Easy 20-Minute Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
This Easy 20min Honey Garlic Chicken recipe features tender chicken thighs cooked to golden perfection and glazed with a luscious honey garlic sauce. Ready in just 20 minutes, this dish balances sweet, savory, and umami flavors and makes for a quick weeknight dinner that’s both comforting and impressive.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Asian-inspired
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (or substitute with boneless skinless thighs)
- 2 tsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
Honey Garlic Sauce
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup/brown sugar/light corn syrup if allergic to honey)
- 3 tbsp cold water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
- 1/2 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch (or potato starch/tapioca starch)
Instructions
- Debone the chicken: Turn the chicken thighs bone side up. Using a sharp paring knife, make small slits around the bone carefully until you can remove it.
- Dry and season: Pat the chicken pieces dry on both sides with a clean paper towel. Season evenly on both sides with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Prepare the honey garlic sauce: In a small bowl, combine minced garlic, honey, cold water, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat the pan: Warm the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Cook chicken skin-side down: Place the chicken thighs skin side down in the pan. Fry until the skin is golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Cook the other side: Flip the chicken and continue cooking until the meat is cooked through, roughly 2 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached or juices run clear.
- Add sauce and thicken: Reduce heat to low-medium. Pour the honey garlic sauce mixture around the chicken in the pan. Let the sauce thicken while coating the chicken.
- Flip for absorption: Flip the chicken over so the skin side is down for 15 seconds to absorb the sauce, then flip again to finish.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with chopped green onions. Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board, slice into smaller pieces, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if preferred, but cooking times may vary slightly.
- Adjust the sweetness of the sauce by adding more or less honey according to taste.
- Ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F for safe consumption.
- This recipe can be doubled easily for a larger crowd.
- Serve with steamed rice or sautéed vegetables for a complete meal.
Keywords: honey garlic chicken, quick chicken recipe, 20 minute chicken, honey garlic sauce, pan-fried chicken, easy dinner, weeknight meals
