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Honey Garlic Chicken

Honey garlic chicken with pan-seared, golden-brown chicken breasts glazed in a sticky, deeply amber honey-garlic sauce. The glaze simmers to a clinging texture that 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
  • Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Honey Garlic Sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 0.333 cup honey
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water
  • sesame seeds
  • sliced green onions

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear until deeply golden, about 5-6 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, then remove.
Make the honey garlic glaze
  1. In the same pan, cook the minced garlic in butter over medium-high heat for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring so it doesn’t brown. Add the honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar and stir to combine.
  2. Stir in the cornstarch mixed with water and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens into a sticky glaze with a glossy sheen.
Glaze and finish
  1. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and turn to coat in the honey garlic glaze. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until the glaze clings and the surface looks blistered and deeply amber.
  2. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve over steamed rice.

Notes

For the best clinging glaze, simmer the honey sauce until it coats the back of a spoon before adding the chicken back to the pan. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the honey-garlic sauce can separate when thawed. For a lower-sugar option, use a no-sugar-added honey alternative in the same amount.