Description
This Honey Garlic Chicken recipe features tender chicken tenders simmered in a sweet, sticky, and mildly spicy honey garlic sauce. Perfectly balanced with garlic, honey, and a hint of chili, it's an easy stovetop dish that rivals take-out, served best over rice with steamed broccoli.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1.5 lbs chicken tenders
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Sauce
- 4 large cloves minced garlic
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp garlic chili crisp (optional)
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to spice preference)
To Serve
- Cooked rice
- Steamed broccoli
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together chicken stock, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and garlic chili crisp if using. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds if needed to help dissolve the honey. Set aside.
- Season and coat the chicken: Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper evenly. Dredge each piece in cornstarch, coating thoroughly.
- Cook the chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken tenders in batches to avoid overcrowding, cooking each side for 1-2 minutes until light golden brown. Remove and transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
- Sauté garlic and melt butter: Reduce heat to medium-low, add butter to the same skillet, and let it melt. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Combine chicken with sauce: Pour prepared sauce into the skillet, stirring it with the garlic and butter. Return chicken tenders to the skillet, submerging them in the sauce.
- Simmer and thicken the sauce: Lower heat to low and let everything simmer gently for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce has mostly evaporated and thickened to a sticky glaze.
- Finish and serve: Sprinkle red pepper flakes and fresh parsley over the chicken. Serve immediately over cooked rice with a side of steamed broccoli.
Notes
- For a milder version, reduce or omit the red pepper flakes.
- Use chicken thighs instead of tenders for a juicier result.
- If you don’t have garlic chili crisp, you can substitute with a pinch of chili flakes or omit entirely.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the pan to ensure chicken browns nicely instead of steaming.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
