Honey garlic chicken is a classic Chinese takeout dish that’s super tasty and easy to make at home! The star of this dish is the sauce which highlights garlic in a sweet honey sauce that’s also seasoned with salty soy sauce, sour vinegar and some optional spicy heat from chili pepper flakes. The sauce is finished off with some smooth and creamy butter and I like to add a vegetable to the mix, such as snap peas, broccoli, bell peppers, etc. There is usually a meat such as chicken, shrimp, beef, pork and it can either be coated and fried until crispy or simply sauteed for a lighter version. This honey garlic chicken recipe takes less time to make than it takes to steam rice which makes for a complete meal!
Honey Garlic Chicken
Crispy pieces of chicken in a sweet and tasty honey garlic sauce!
ingredients
- 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 2 tablespoons oil (peanut or vegetable)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
- 1/3 cup chicken broth (or water)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (tamari or gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
directions
- Mix the chicken into the egg until fully coated before mixing in the corn starch until just evenly coated.
- Heat the oil in a pan/skillet/wok over medium-high heat, add the chicken, separate, and cook until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, mix the honey, garlic, broth, vinegar, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch.
- Add the sauce mixture to the pan, bring it to a boil and simmer until it thickens a bit, about a minute.
- Add the butter and let it melt into the sauce before enjoying!
Option: Omit the egg and cornstarch coating and cook the chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil for a lighter version!
Option: Add a vegetable such as snap peas, sugar peas, snow peas, bell pepper, broccoli, etc.
Option: Add 1 teaspoon chili sauce (such as sriracha or sambal oelek).
Option: Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
Option: Add 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds.
Option: Serve garnished with 2 green onions, thinly sliced.
Option: Serve over cauliflower rice.
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Is corn starch what us Brits call cornflour?
Possibly the worst directions EVER! Does a tablespoon of cornstarch go in with the meat before the sauce or does the 1/2 cup of cornstarch go in with the meat before the sauce. My sauce turned out so thick & clumpy. Literally worst directions ever
The ingredients are listed in the order that they are used. The 1/2 cup of cornstarch is mixed in with the chicken and the egg and the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch is used in the honey garlic sauce.
No the recipe is easy to follow. Think it maybe your reading skills.
Delicious Recipe, my whole family loves it! Easy recipe to follow as well!!!
Is the nutrition info for the entire recipe or per serving and is that just for the chicken?
The nutrition info is per serving and it includes the chicken and sauce. Enjoy!
What about the snow peas when do they come into the mix?
I like snow peas to be crisp so I add them near the end, with the sauce, so they just get warmed. If you prefer them cooked a bit more, you can add them before the sauce and saute them briefly.
Made per recipe with snow peas. YUMMY! Nice amount of sweetness. Very quick and easy.
SO delicious!!! Followed the instructions. Only thing I would change for next time is to double the sauce. 😋
Has anyone made this without the rice wine vinegar?
You can omit the rice wine vinegar or replace it with another vinegar. Enjoy!