If you are looking for the next dinner every member of your family will be obsessed with, you are in luck! This is it! Honey Garlic Chicken is amazingly tender chicken thighs in an Asian inspired honey garlic sauce. It’s one of those “magic” recipes that checks a ridiculous number of boxes: Super delicious? Check. Easy? Check. Adaptable? Oh yeah. (our kids eat it with rice, Eric and I have Cauliflower rice.) Multiple ways to cook it? Stove top, Crock pot, Instant Pot, oh my!
Table of Contents
- Honey garlic chicken thighs
- Honey garlic chicken recipe ingredients
- How to make honey garlic chicken
- What to serve with honey garlic chicken
- How to store leftover honey garlic chicken
- Can you freeze slow cooker honey garlic chicken?
- Honey garlic chicken frequently asked questions
- More quick and easy chicken dinners to love
- Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
On a whim, I bought some new pots and pans online the other day. After I used them a couple times I mentioned to Eric how much I liked them. “Did you do some research to pick good ones?” Not really, I said. They were pretty, and really highly rated. He said, “Well, that’s how I picked you, so good plan.”
I can’t decide whether I should feel complimented or offended by this. 🤣 ah, marriage. Always an adventure!!
I dropped my kids off for their first day of SCHOOL this morning. Yes, school, in early August. (This is something I am definitely offended by.) I love our country’s emphasis on education, but they did not check in with me on this decision. I have lots of cool stuff to teach my kids at home, give me more time!!
I’m actually reading a really interesting book related to this right now. The Anxious Generation is all about how the combination of “safteyism” (not letting our kids roam without parental supervision) and the onset of screens in children’s lives both act as “experience blockers.” Most kids dedicate a part time job’s worth of time to screens…and because of that loss of time, they literally are missing out on the social experiences they need to develop the skills to function in the real world. And then they feel anxious and sad.
My kids know the exact pitch of the yelping sound I make when I realize they’ve been on screens too long. “Turn it off! Go outside! Scrape your knee! Your creativity is being crushed before your very eyes!”
This modern world you guys, it’s weird. I’m trying to find a buddy for my second-grader to walk the quarter mile home from school with…and I can’t find one. No parent is willing to let their elementary kid walk home without supervision. How old were you when you started roaming the neighborhood?? I was 7. (update: I think I found someone for Val! There is hope!)
Well, even if my kids hate me forever because they are the only ones without phones, at least I can buy their love with amazing food. This recipe was a huge hit with everyone in our family. Cooking at the end of summer is so hard, right? I give you: the stupid-easiest last minute (or make-ahead) chicken dinner of your life.
Honey garlic chicken thighs
Have you guys tried a recipe like this? It’s famous for a reason. It’s based on a Chinese-Australian dish called Honey Chicken, that uses similar sauce ingredients tossed over battered and fried chicken breast pieces. Delicious, but who’s got time to fry chicken?? Plus, hello carbs. (or fat, I guess. “Is butter a carb?” Name that movie!! 🤣)
This recipe evolved because people were looking for a healthier, weeknight, non-fried version. My sister Laura has been making this for years, she’s the one who got me the recipe. Here’s how we make sure it’s still got that punch of flavor, even minus the vat of oil:
- we’re using chicken thighs instead of breasts, to amp up the flavor and juiciness
- we’re seasoning the chicken and letting it sit for 25-30 minutes, this adds so much flavor!
- sear the chicken! Do not underestimate the level of flavor added from browning the meat first! It’s so important!
- oceans of buttery garlic, yes please. It doesn’t turn out overwhelming, I promise.
- a touch of sweetness from the honey
- slow cook or pressure cook for the most tender, fall apart chicken thighs. I also have stove top instructions, which is delicious but not quite as tender.
Honey garlic chicken recipe ingredients
I love this recipe because it’s a “pantry meal” for me. Something I can almost always make without a trip to the grocery store. If you are the kind of person who always has chicken in the freezer (you should be), then you can keep this other stuff in your cupboards, and whip dinner out last minute like it’s nbd. Make sure to look at the exact measurements and instructions in the recipe card!
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- granulated garlic
- dried oregano leaves
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- oil for searing, avocado or olive
- butter
- garlic cloves
- low sodium soy sauce
- honey
- tomato paste
- sriracha, or chili oil, or your favorite hot sauce
- rice vinegar
- cornstarch
- water
- green onion (optional garnish)
- sesame seeds (optional garnish)
How to make honey garlic chicken
Get ready to embrace your garlicky side. We are using granulated garlic AND real garlic in this recipe. My brother was telling me the other day how much he hates when recipes call for both, but I love it actually. It’s SO good, and adds even more layers of flavor!
Start out by adding all the dry spices and salt to a lil bowl. My dad is my greens supplier. He grows his own oregano and dries it and gives it to me. You should be very jealous ;) Regular oregano from the store will do too.
Next, dry out your chicken a bit, if you have time. This helps you get a killer sear! Rub the seasoning on…
And brown your chicken in a hot hot hot pan. We are not cooking the inside of the chicken, just the edges! Set aside on a plate, or right into your crock if you’re doing that method.
Now it’s time to smash up some garlic. Use your chef’s knife!
Once the cloves are smashed, the peels come off really easy.
Do you like my new chef’s knife?? I’m in love. It was a gift from my brother Nathan. He has a friend (hi Jesse) who pivoted from his successful career as a mechanical engineer to make knives. He’s very gifted when it comes to structural design, and you can tell because the knife is incredible. Note the wavy line near the edge that reduces suction, no more potatoes and carrots sticking to the knife when you slice. It’s my new go-to knife for everything! My mother-in-law Kris visited a few weeks ago and she could not stop going on about it. It’s wicked sharp!! And so comfortable. (If you want one, visit Jesse’s website Highwater Knives or check out his Instagram. He doesn’t have any chef’s knives available right now I don’t think, but maybe if we all beg him he will make more?? Come on Jesse ;)
Okay back to the garlic. Here it is, all chopped up!
Do you guys know the secret to getting the garlic scent off your hands? Rub your fingers on the metal of the knife under running water. I showed my friend Sarah these pictures (she was editing them for me) and she was horrified that I hadn’t at least turned the blade the other direction. OOPS 🤣 sorry I guess I like to walk on the wild side. Or maybe I’m just stupid. Be careful, but I promise, if you rub every part of your skin that touched the garlic on the metal, it will not smell at all.
Once you are done searing the chicken, make the sauce.
Add the butter and saute the garlic until fragrant. This is the stuff you guys. Add in all the other ingredients, except not the cornstarch! That comes later.
Dump the sauce over the chicken.
Cook the chicken for a couple hours, you don’t need long. And that’s it! Follow instructions in the recipe for thickening the sauce with cornstarch, it’s easy. Garnish with green onions and serve with rice!
Look at how tender this goodness is.
What to serve with honey garlic chicken
My go-to is to serve honey garlic chicken with some kind of rice and a vegetable side. Here are some of my favorites that I think would go perfectly!
- How to Cook Rice on the Stove >> the ultimate, EASY stovetop rice tutorial for perfect rice, every time
- How to Make Cauliflower Rice >> not rice! But still tasty and so healthy. Eric and I make this for ourselves and give the kids regular rice.
- Cilantro Lime Rice >> the flavors in this rice would go so well with the honey garlic chicken
- How to Cook Brown Rice in Instant Pot >> the instant pot makes it so easy, and it can totally be made ahead
- Easy Roasted Broccoli Recipe >> my kids love it and it’s so stinking easy, so we eat this a LOT
- Best Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Roasted Sweet Potatoes Recipe >> this side never gets old for me. It’s one of my favorites!
- 10 Minute Sautéed Zucchini and Squash Side Dish >> super duper easy, and done in a jiffy
- Lemon Asparagus with Pistachios >> the bright flavors in this dish would be great alongside the hearty chicken and rice
- Simple Sauteed Vegetables from Budget Bytes
How to store leftover honey garlic chicken
Transfer any leftover chicken and sauce in a plastic or glass airtight container. Once it is no longer hot, you can put it in the refrigerator where it will last for 4-5 days. I like to package some of the chicken, rice, and vegetables into one small container for a quick lunch. (aka meal prep :) Yum! To warm, transfer the contents to a plate (or keep in the container if it is glass) and heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute.
Can you freeze slow cooker honey garlic chicken?
This chicken recipe freezes beautifully! Any way you cook it (slow cooker, instant pot, or stove top) it’s a great recipe to freeze leftovers.
You could even double the recipe and freeze for another family meal later down the road. To freeze, make the recipe all the way through the end, then let the chicken sit to cool to room temperature. Once cool, transfer chicken and sauce to freezer ziplock bags. If it’s a whole batch for a large family, gallon size will work best. For leftovers or meal prep, quart size will be a better fit.
To use, thaw the bag of chicken overnight in the refrigerator. You can then warm larger servings in a pan on the stove over medium low heat with a lid on it, stirring occasionally til heated through. For individual servings, you can do stovetop or heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute.
Honey garlic chicken frequently asked questions
Yes! There are instructions in the recipe card to make this dish in the crockpot as well as an instant pot, and either way is super easy.
Sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably. Honey chicken is almost exclusively used in reference to a Chinese-Australian dish of battered and fried chicken tossed in a soy sauce, garlic, and honey sauce. Honey Garlic Chicken is sometimes used for Honey Chicken, but is also used many times to refer to recipes similar to the one in this post, where the chicken is not battered or fried.
With so many varying diets these days, it’s hard to say if what’s healthy to me will seem healthy to you! But in my opinion, yes, honey garlic chicken is healthy (especially compared to battered and fried honey chicken)! The chicken is a good source of protein, the sauce keeps it lean with low amounts of oil and butter, and it’s not overly sweet. Add in the rice and vegetables, and I say it’s a well-rounded dinner!
More quick and easy chicken dinners to love
Chicken is such a versatile protein! My family eats it right up. Check out some of my best quick and simple chicken dinners!
- Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe >> this recipe is on repeat in this house, all year long
- Best Chicken Tacos Recipe (Stovetop or Crockpot) >> juicy, flavorful, and done before you know it (plus, it uses thighs like in this recipe!)
- Chicken Stroganoff Crock Pot Recipe >> another slow cooker recipe that is SO easy to put together
- Asian Seared Chicken with Stir Fried Green Beans >> so tender, and with the most amazing crispy skin!
- Oven Baked Greek Chicken with Veggies >> if you love Mediterranean flavors, this will quickly become a favorite
- The Chicken Fajitas Recipe That Changed My Mind >> just as good or better than your favorite restaurant
- Sheet Pan Rosemary Lime Chicken and Veggies >> one of my favorite sheetpan dinners, it’s so easy
- Chicken Satay Recipe (Thai) with Peanut Sauce >> takes a bit of prep the day before, but then cooks in about 20 minutes or less the day of!
- Slow Cooker Bistro Chicken Thighs from Family Food on the Table
- “No Work” Baked Chicken from The Seasoned Mom
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Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 pounds will work
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt , or sea salt*
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil , avocado or olive, for searing
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5 large cloves garlic (about a heaping tablespoon), finely minced
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup honey, plus more, if you like it sweet
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sriracha, or chili oil, or your favorite hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, after cooking!
- 1 tablespoon water
- green onion, to garnish
- sesame seeds, to garnish
Instructions
Stove top and Slow Cooker Instructions
- Dry the chicken. Lay the chicken thighs out on paper towels to dry them off a bit. Dry chicken sears and browns better than wet chicken.
- Season the chicken. Add 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to a small bowl and stir.Sprinkle the seasonings all over the chicken, making sure to get all sides. Use your hands to rub the spices into the chicken thighs really well. Let the chicken sit out on the counter for about 25 minutes, if you have time. This short marinade makes a big difference in flavor!
- Sear. Place a 12 inch skillet on the stove over high heat. When the pan is very hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. Carefully add 2 or 3 chicken thighs at a time. Once they hit the oil, don't move them. Don't crowd the pan or they won't sear as well; you will have to do this in a few batches. Let the chicken sear for about 2 minutes, until browned. Use tongs to flip, then sear for another 1-2 minutes on the other side.
- Remove the seared thighs to a plate. Continue with the remaining thighs until you've done them all. Set the plate of chicken aside.Turn the burner off and remove the pan from the heat to let it cool down (it's too hot for the butter that comes next; we don't want to scorch it).
- Prepare the Sauce. Smash and mince your 5-8 cloves of garlic…follow your heart here. See photos for a garlic tutorial!
- Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same pan you seared the chicken in. Turn the heat to medium. Once the butter has melted and has started to bubble, add all the minced garlic. Stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce and use the spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to get up all those golden browned bits from searing the chicken. Add 1/3 cup honey (you can be generous here if you want), 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon sriracha, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Stir everything together until well combined, about 2-3 more minutes. Skip to the slow cook section if you're using that method.
- Stove top instructions. To make this a super quick weeknight meal, add the chicken right back into the pan. Put a lid over the pan and turn the heat to medium low. Cook with the lid on for about 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest piece of chicken reads 160 degrees F. Add water, a couple tablespoons at a time, if the liquid starts to evaporate.
- In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon cold water and 1 tablespoon corn starch. Stir until there are no lumps. Shove all the chicken over to one side of the pan, and tilt the pan so that the liquid pools on the other side. Add the cornstarch slurry to the hot liquid and stir. Lower the pan. Turn the heat up to medium high, and cook the chicken with the sauce until it starts to bubble, then remove from heat. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
- Slow Cooker Instructions. Dump the plate of chicken thighs into a slow cooker, adding any juices that have accumulated. Carefully pour the sauce in the pan over the top of the chicken. Use a fork or spatula to move the chicken around in the sauce until it's all been covered.
- Slow cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours, or on LOW for 3-4 hours. Because the chicken has already been seared, it does not need as long a cook time, so you can check at 1 hour on high and 2-3 hours on low to see if they're cooked. They should be fall-apart tender.
- Start Rice and Veggies. About 30 minutes or so before the chicken is ready, start cooking your sides so they're finished by the time the chicken is. Check out this post on How to Cook Rice on the Stove for the perfect rice tutorial, or try some Riced Cauliflower for a low carb option. We love this Easy Roasted Broccoli Recipe or this Best Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Roasted Sweet Potatoes Recipe as a vegetable side!
- Prepare Sauce. Once the chicken is cooked, use tongs or a large slotted spoon to remove it to a serving dish. Keep warm. Turn the crock pot up to HIGH. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water to a small bowl. Stir until there are no lumps, then pour it into the crock pot and use a whisk to stir in the slurry. Put the lid on and let it cook until bubbly, another 20-30 minutes.**
- Serve. Once the sauce is thickened, pour the sauce over the chicken on the serving dish. You can choose whether to serve the chicken in whole pieces, or to shred the thighs prior to eating. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds! Serve with rice and vegetables.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Season the chicken. Follow the instructions above for drying and seasoning the chicken.
- Sear. Push the sauté button on your instant pot and adjust to the highest heat. Once it says it is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Carefully add 2 thighs at a time to sear. Don't crowd the pan or they won't sear as well. Let them sear for about 2 minutes, then flip and sear for another two minutes on the other side.
- Remove the seared thighs to a plate. Sear the remaining thighs using the instructions above until all are seared. Once all the chicken is seared, turn off the instant pot.
- Prepare the Sauce. Let the instant pot cool for 2-3 minutes. If you add the butter immediately, it will splatter and could even scorch. After a few minutes, add 2 tablespoons of butter and 5 minced cloves of garlic (about 1 heaping tablespoon). Turn the heat back on and saute for about 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add in 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce and use the spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to get up all the delicious browned bits from searing the chicken. Then, add in 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon sriracha, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Transfer. Add the chicken thighs back to the instant pot, making sure to get all the meat juices into the pan with the sauce. Use a fork or spatula to move the chicken around in the sauce until it's all been covered.
- Cook. Put the lid on and make sure it's sealed. Press the manual button and adjust the time to 10 minutes. Because the chicken has already been seared, it does not need as long of a cook time.
- Start Rice and Veggies. Once the chicken has started in the instant pot, start cooking your sides. Check out this post on How to Cook Rice on the Stove for the perfect rice tutorial, or try some Riced Cauliflower for a low carb option! For a vegetable side, we like this Easy Roasted Broccoli Recipe or this Best Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Roasted Sweet Potatoes Recipe as a vegetable side!
- Remove Chicken. When the Instant Pot finishes its cook time, turn it off and set a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer is up, manually release any remaining pressure (turn the knobby thing to "vent"). Carefully transfer just the chicken to a serving dish. Set the instant pot to sauté and adjust to high heat.
- Thicken sauce. In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Mix well, then pour the slurry into the instant pot with the sauce and use a whisk to stir it in. Use the whisk to stir occasionally until the sauce comes to a boil, then turn off the instant pot. If you prefer a very thick sauce, feel free to double the slurry.
- Serve. You can serve the chicken and sauce separately, or pour the sauce back over the chicken. You can also choose whether to serve the chicken in whole pieces, or to shred the meat prior to eating.
- Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds! Serve with rice and vegetables.
I made this recipe last night for my family. I didn’t have time for the slow cooker method, so I used the stove top instructions. Everyone loved it! We love heat, so I was generous with the Siracha – a huge hit!!! Thank you
I liked this, but the only thing I would change about the recipe is to remove the oregano leaves. I put less in than the recipe called for and they still didn’t seem to mesh well with the Asian flavors. Otherwise I liked the technique of de glazing with soy sauce – I will be using that for other recipes of my own in the future.
Sooo yummy. Definitely a keeper.
Can you use chicken breast for this recipe? By the way my teenager is a very picky eater and she can’t get enough of your chicken with homemade noodle soup. Thanks so much for all the great recipes.
Oh I’m so happy to hear that Kara! Yes you can totally sub chicken breast. Just be careful on the cook time. You don’t want to over cook breast, even moreso than thighs. Check with a meat thermometer to see when it’s reached 160. Enjoy!
Thank you for the quick reply! I ended up not making it tonight but will tomorrow. And I will trust you on the NOT very spicey as written and go for it! Thanks so much! (I’ll let you know what he says….. :) )
I’m making this tonight and was wondering how spicey it will be with the amount of sriracha and/or chili oil it calls for. I like the heat but my husband, not so much. So I’m always cutting it back some if told it’s on the spicier side…. He can handle a bit, but it’s hard to know until I actually make a dish with what is called for and then adjust. But easier if I knew upfront. Thanks so much! Enjoy your recipes!!
Hey Judy! Great question! This recipe is NOT very spicy as written But if you are still nervous, I would just omit the sriracha entirely. Then add it add the end if you feel like it could use more of a kick, adding it in 1 teaspoon at a time. I hope this helps!! Enjoy!!
Made this for dinner tonight and my husband and boys loved it! I love all of your recipes, they are easy but all have been delicious!
Sooooo very good! Thanks a bunch Karen ! I appreciated your links, story and picture of your children as well. You all will have a fabulous year!
My Truman is starting middle school this year too! 😭 I can’t believe it.
I’m going to try this! I have been looking for a recipe like this.
Our kids are growing up April! It’s crazy!! I hope you love the Honey Garlic Chicken, it’s a family fav!