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Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

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All you need is 5 simple ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make this delicious honey garlic chicken recipe. Sweet and salty, juicy, tender pieces of chicken make for the perfect weeknight meal.

honey garlic chicken with rice on a plate

 Mahalo to Foodland Hawai’i for sponsoring this post. As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don’t know about you, but busy weeknights are the bane of my existence. Between homework, sports, and everything else that goes on in the evening, it’s tough to find time. I’m always looking for quick and easy dinner ideas to get the family fed and on to the next thing. 

But you’re in luck, this honey garlic chicken thighs recipe will take you less than 30 minutes! That’s right, in the time that it would take you to watch a TV show dinner will be done.

honey garlic chicken in a pan

With very little effort you can have tender bite-sized pieces of chicken bathed in a delicious sweet and salty sauce. You’ll be sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

What do I need to make honey garlic chicken?

Oh and did I mention you only need 5 ingredients for this honey garlic chicken recipe?

(Full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post)

  1. Round onion. If you can get your hands on a sweet Maui onion you won’t be disappointed.         
  2. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can use bone-in and skin-on or even chicken breasts if you’d like.
  3. Honey. This gives the sauce sweetness and thickens it. Pick your favorite type.
  4. Shoyu. Shoyu is a Japanese style soy sauce that can be found in the Asian aisle at most grocery stores.
  5. Maika’i Whole Peeled Garlic. You can find this in the produce section at your local Foodland. Save time without the need to peel the garlic.
honey garlic chicken ingredients

Substitutions

This sauce recipe is versatile and goes well with pork, beef, seafood, and even tofu.

You can also make Instant Pot honey garlic chicken or air fryer honey garlic chicken wings.

How to make this easy honey garlic chicken?

  • Step 1: Cook down the onions until translucent in the cooking oil of your choice. 
  • Step 2: Add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. 
  • Step 3: Prepare the sauce. Add ingredients to a bowl and mix until well combined.
  • Step 4: Pour the sauce over the chicken and simmer until thickened.
  • Step 5: Serve with your favorite sides, optionally top with sliced green onions, and ENJOY!

How to store honey garlic chicken?

On the rare occasion that you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container or zip top bag and place in the refrigerator. This will keep for 3-4 days.

Can you freeze this chicken recipe?

You bet. That’s one of the great things about it. Place in an airtight container or zip top bag and store in the freezer. This will keep for 3-4 months.

honey garlic chicken in a white bowl

How to reheat?

If you are reheating this dish from frozen, all the chicken to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.

Frequently asked questions

What to serve with honey garlic chicken?

The great thing about this recipe is its versatility. Serve it up with sticky, white rice, mixed veggies, or even Instant Pot mashed potatoes.

Is honey garlic chicken sweet?

This sauce for this recipe has a sweet and salty flavor. If you prefer less sweet, you can always add less honey.

The sauce isn’t thickening up, what should I do?

Use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water, then add the mixture to the pan. Continue cooking until thickened to your liking.

The sauce is too thick. How do I thin it out? 

If your sauce is too thick, you can add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin it out to the consistency you like.

Is honey garlic chicken gluten free?

Shoyu is not gluten free, however you can swap it out for some Tamari to make this a gluten free dinner recipe.

fork picking up a piece of honey garlic chicken

Other great chicken recipes

honey garlic chicken with rice on a plate

Honey Garlic Chicken

Relle Lum
All you need is 5 simple ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make this delicious honey garlic chicken recipe. Sweet and salty, juicy, tender pieces of chicken make for the perfect weeknight meal.
4.55 from 11 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Chicken
Cuisine Asian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 361 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1/2 round onion diced
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup shoyu
  • 4 cloves garlic diced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Set a large skillet over medium high heat. Add cooking oil of choice and onions. Cook the onions until translucent and fragrant.
  • Next add the chicken, salt, and pepper. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned and an internal temperature of at least 165F, flipping halfway through.
  • While the chicken is cooking you can prepare the marinade. To a small bowl add honey, shoyu, and garlic. Stir until well combined.
  • Once the chicken has browned, pour the sauce into the skillet and continue cooking until a safe internal temperature is reached.
  • Optionally, serve with sticky white rice and top with sliced green onions. ENJOY!

Notes

*This sauce is versatile and can be used on pork, beef, seafood, and even tofu.
*If you prefer a thicker sauce add a mixture of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water to the pan.
*If the sauce is too thick, dilute slowly by adding a tablespoon of water or chicken stock until desired thickness.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 361kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 37gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 184mgSodium: 319mgSugar: 24g
Keyword 5 ingredient recipe, asian recipes, chicken, chicken recipe, dinner recipe, easy recipe, garlic, honey, honey garlic chicken, keeping it relle
Did you make this recipe?Share a photo and tag @keeping.it.relle on Instagram so I can see all your delicious creations and Let me know how it was!

© Relle Lum for Keeping It Relle. Please do not copy and paste or screenshot recipes online or on social media. I’d love it if you share a link with a photo instead. Mahalo!

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By on April 1st, 2022

About Relle

Aloha, my name is Relle and welcome to my little home on the internet where I like to share all my favorite Hawaiian recipes (and local ones too).

I am a wife, mom of two, and nurse practitioner here in the beautiful state of Hawai’i. I was born and raised in Hawai’i and I am of native Hawaiian descent. In my spare time I love to cook and bake and I have compiled many of my favorite recipes here for you to enjoy.

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