Description
Making sticky honey chicken brings together tender poultry glazed in a golden honey sauce that clings beautifully to each piece, creating a dish that your family will return to again and again. Simple pantry staples combine to give you an easy weeknight dinner that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when it really takes just minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
Sauce and Seasonings:
- 0.5 cup honey
- 0.25 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Cooking and Garnish:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Pat your 2 pounds of chicken breasts dry with paper towels, then season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes until it shimmers.
- Place your chicken in the hot oil and cook for 6 to 7 minutes on the first side without moving it, until the bottom turns golden brown.
- Flip your chicken and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until the second side is golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Move your cooked chicken to a clean plate and set it aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium in your skillet and add 4 cloves minced garlic and 1 tablespoon minced ginger, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds until the kitchen smells fragrant.
- Pour 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar into your skillet and stir until combined.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth, then pour this mixture into your sauce.
- Stir your sauce continuously for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to your sauce and stir to mix them in.
- Return your chicken to the skillet and turn the pieces several times so they get coated completely with the honey sauce.
- Let your chicken simmer in the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes at medium heat to make sure it’s heated through.
- Transfer your chicken to a serving plate and pour any remaining sauce over it.
- Top your dish with 2 chopped green onions and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds right before serving.
Notes
- Drying your chicken thoroughly before it hits the pan helps the surface brown properly and develop that golden crust instead of steaming.
- Don’t move the chicken around while it cooks on the first side – let it sit undisturbed so you get that nice caramelized exterior.
- If your sauce seems too thin after cooking, mix a bit more cornstarch with cold water and stir it in until it reaches the thickness you prefer.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos, and the rest of the recipe stays exactly the same for you.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-22 minutes
- Category: Sautéed Chicken
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 401 kcal
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg