Are you after a quick chicken recipe for dinner? Look no further as this easy honey garlic chicken thighs recipe will tick all the boxes for that. It is simple, quick and requires minimal ingredients and ready in 20 minutes.
Serve this tender chicken and sticky sauce with coconut rice or mashed potatoes and some green vegetables. Let me show you how to make it in my step-by-step guide.
Easy Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs Recipe
Knowing me, you’ll know I love chicken thighs and stovetop recipes. It is no surprise that you love my stove top chicken thighs recipe. I am guessing you love the recipe because…
- It is quick
- A 20 minutes one pan chicken dinner
- Simple and delicious with an incredible pan sauce
All the above can be said about this easy chicken honey garlic chicken thighs too. The bone in chicken thighs are coated in seasoned corn flour and then pan fried until crispy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside.
You can use chicken breasts, chicken tenders or boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. Coating the chicken with cornflour before frying it is also an option too. I only did this as the coating on the chicken would act as a thickening agent for the sticky sauce.
Related post: honey garlic salmon, similar to today’s recipe but I swapped the vinegar for fresh lemon juice.
Ingredients
Chicken thighs: I used bone-in chicken thighs with the skin off, but you can use boneless chicken if you want.
Cornflour: substitute with all purpose flour, the cornflour makes the recipe gluten free.
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Smoked paprika
Fresh garlic
Butter
Honey
Rice vinegar
Chicken stock or water
Dark Soy sauce: substitute with light soy sauce.
Chopped Parsley and sesame seeds to serve.
How to make honey garlic chicken thighs
Pat the skinless chicken thigh dry and season both sides with salt and pepper
In a shallow bowl, add cornflour, paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and whisk to combine.
Dust the chicken with the flour mixture and shake off excess. Set aside on a plate.
Heat up vegetable oil on medium high heat. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and pan sear for 3 to 4 minutes undisturbed. Flip the chicken and continue to cook the other side for another 3 minutes until golden brown. Cook the chicken in batches if need be, to allow for even cooking.
Create space in the middle of the pan, add butter and garlic and move around until the butter melts and the garlic is infused.
Add honey, vinegar, soy sauce, chicken broth and move it around the pan to combine. Simmer the chicken on medium heat for another 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces in size. Flip or scoop some of the sauce over the chicken so it is evenly coated during the cooking time.
Take it off the heat and serve over boiled rice or mashed potatoes and some vegetables. Sprinkle some chopped parsley and sesame seed over the chicken for garnish. Enjoy
How to make air fryer honey garlic chicken
If you would like to make honey garlic chicken in your air fryer or oven, it is simple. All you have to do is coat the chicken with cornflour and the seasoning. Preheat the air fryer at 190C/390F for 5 minutes then spray with cooking oil.
Add the chicken pieces to the air fryer basket making sure it is in a single layer then spray the top with some more cooking oil (do not drench with oil please). Air fry for about 20 to 25 minutes carefully flipping once during this time.
Whilst the chicken is in the air fryer, add all the sauce ingredients together and cook over medium heat or in the microwave. Be careful so it doesn’t bubble over. Once the chicken is cooked and the sauce is done, add the chicken and the sticky sauce to combine. Serve as desired.
Tips
This recipe can be baked if desired. However, I believe the best way to enjoy this chicken recipe is to cook it on the stove top. The initial searing is important to lock in the flavours before adding the other ingredients.
If using chicken breasts, adjust the cooking time accordingly. It is best to cut the chicken breast lengthwise for this recipe so it cooks evenly and doesn’t dry out. It also cook faster than chicken thighs especially if using chicken tenders. Be aware so as not to overcook it.
If using boneless chicken thighs and would rather prefer less sauce then reduce or skip the chicken stock used in the recipe.
You can make the sauce ahead and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. The chicken can also be seasoned ahead then coat in flour just before you cook. Make sure the chicken comes to room temperature before cooking. The internal temperature of a cooked chicken when checked with a thermometer should read 165F/73C
Add a splash of sriracha or red pepper flakes to the sauce for a bit of kick.
How to store and reheat leftovers
To store in the fridge: let the chicken cool completely, transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: store in a freezer-safe container or a Ziploc bag and store for up to 1 month
For reheating: the honey garlic chicken can be microwaved or oven baked until warmed through. Be aware the sauce might be dryer than when you cooked it, check at intervals to see if you need to add a splash of water to aid the reheating process.
More recipes with honey garlic
You will also love my honey sriracha chicken wings
If you made this easy honey garlic chicken thighs recipe with a sticky sauce recipe, don’t forget to leave me feedback and rate it 5 stars. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox
Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken thighs
- 4 tablespoon cornflour substitute with all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 5 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ cup chicken broth or water
- 1 tablespoon dark Soy sauce: substitute with light soy sauce.
- Chopped Parsley and sesame seeds to serve.
Instructions
- Pat the skinless chicken thigh dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, add cornflour, paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and whisk to combine.
- Dust the chicken with the flour mixture and shake off excess. Set aside on a plate.
- Heat up vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and pan sear for 3 to 4 minutes undisturbed. Flip the chicken and continue to cook the other side for another 3 minutes until golden brown. Cook the chicken in batches if need be, to allow for even cooking.
- Create space in the middle of the pan, add butter and garlic and move around until the butter melts and the garlic is infused.
- Add honey, vinegar, soy sauce, chicken broth and move it around the pan to combine. Simmer the chicken on medium heat for another 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces in size. Flip or scoop some of the sauce over the chicken so it is evenly coated during the cooking time.
- Take it off the heat and serve over boiled rice or mashed potatoes and some vegetables. Sprinkle some chopped parsley and sesame seed over the chicken for garnish. Enjoy
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
Shep says
OMGosh this is so good. I made it exactly as the recipe says except for one thing. I took the chicken out of the skillet when I poured the sauce in and cooked it a little bit. Then I put the chicken back in. I was afraid my chicken would get dry. I used boneless, skinless thighs.I did not change any of the ingredients. The whole family loved it so it has been bookmarked. I told my daughter I could eat this at LEAST once a week. She agreed! Very easy to do but I got all ingredients together before I started cooking and I am glad I did.
Ajoke says
Aw Shep, thank you, I am so glad to hear you all enjoyed it.
Kay says
I made recipe last night just like Shep did only it took ALOT longer than 20 minutes for my chicken thighs to cook. They were bone in also. Next time I will make sure to start alot earlier to prepare and cook. It is so delicious we will be making quite often. Thank you for the recipe. 🙂
Tom says
I like all
Ajoke says
Thanks, Tom