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Honey Garlic Chicken

Honey garlic chicken with pan-seared, caramelized chicken breasts glazed in a sticky golden sauce. The garlic honey sauce simmers to a deeply amber, blistered glaze that clings and pools in the skillet for an easy weeknight Asian chicken dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Use even thickness for faster, more consistent searing.
  • 0.5 tsp salt To taste.
  • 0.5 tsp pepper To taste.
  • 1 tsp garlic powder To taste.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil For searing the chicken.
Honey garlic sauce
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 0.33 cup honey For the sticky glaze.
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce Adds savory depth.
  • 2 tbsp butter For sautéing the garlic and rounding the sauce.
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar Brightens the sauce.
  • 1 tsp cornstarch Mixed with water to make slurry.
  • 1 tbsp water For the cornstarch slurry.
Garnish
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds Optional but recommended for texture.
  • 2 green onions Sliced.
Serving
  • 1 cup steamed rice For serving; amounts can vary based on preference.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then place chicken in the pan.
  2. Sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side, until golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Cook the honey garlic sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook minced garlic with butter for 1 minute until fragrant. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan.
  2. Add honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar to the skillet and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
  3. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens into a sticky glaze. Keep simmering until it looks glossy and clings to the spoon.
Glaze and finish
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat in the honey garlic glaze. Cook for 1-2 more minutes so the glaze blisters and deepens in amber color.
  2. Turn off the heat and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve the honey garlic chicken over steamed rice.

Notes

For the stickiest glaze, simmer the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon, then add the chicken back just long enough to re-glaze. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; freeze the cooked chicken and sauce up to 2 months (thaw in the fridge, rewarm gently). For a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium soy sauce and taste the sauce before simmering to ensure balance.