Description
Honey garlic chicken delivers a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors from Chinese cuisine. Home cooks can easily prepare this delightful dish with simple ingredients and minimal preparation time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) or 6 chicken thighs
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium)
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsps green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Ignite the oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking dish with parchment paper or a thin oil layer.
- Chicken Seasoning: Pat chicken pieces dry, then generously season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
- Cornstarch Coating: Delicately dust chicken with cornstarch, gently shaking off excess powder to create a light protective layer.
- Searing Process: In a scorching skillet with olive oil, quickly sear chicken pieces for 2-3 minutes per side until achieving a golden-brown exterior.
- Sauce Creation: Blend honey, minced garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking to combine.
- Sauce Refinement: Introduce a cornstarch slurry to the sauce, simmering until the mixture transforms into a luxuriously thickened consistency.
- Baking Assembly: Arrange seared chicken in the prepared baking dish, lavishly coating each piece with the aromatic honey garlic sauce.
- Roasting Stage: Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, confirming doneness when chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F (75C).
- Final Touches: Drizzle additional sauce over the golden chicken, garnishing with toasted sesame seeds and finely chopped green onions.
- Serving Recommendation: Present immediately alongside steamed rice, roasted vegetables, or noodles for a complete culinary experience.
Notes
- Optimize Chicken Dryness: Pat chicken pieces completely dry before seasoning to ensure crisp, golden exterior and prevent soggy texture.
- Control Cornstarch Application: Dust chicken lightly and evenly with cornstarch, shaking off excess to prevent clumpy coating that can turn gummy during cooking.
- Monitor Sauce Consistency: Simmer sauce slowly, stirring constantly to prevent burning and achieve perfect glossy thickness without becoming too runny or thick.
- Master Temperature Precision: Use meat thermometer to confirm chicken reaches exact 165F internal temperature, preventing overcooking and maintaining juicy meat texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg