Honey Garlic Chicken (2025)

This honey garlic chicken features tender chicken thighs pan-fried with a delicious sweet and savory garlic sauce! It serves best with steamed rice and vegetables.

You'll often find this chicken dish served at Asian and American restaurants as honey garlic chicken doesn't come from a specific country, even though it uses many Asian ingredients.

The best part about this chicken recipe is that it easily comes together in little time and in one-pan making cooking and cleanup easy!

It's fantastic for families or for busy weeknights when you need a dish on the dinner table fast!

I also share how to air fry the chicken below, if you prefer that cooking method.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make honey garlic chicken:

1. Debone the chicken thighs by turning the chicken thigh bone side up. Then locate the bone and make small slits around the bone with a sharp knife until you’re able to remove it.

2. Pat dry the chicken pieces on both sides with clean paper towel.

3. Season on both sides of the chicken thighs with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl combine the honey garlic sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.

5. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Place the chicken skin side down and fry until skin is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Fry on the other side until the meat is cooked through (about 2 mins) or until an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit with a digital cooking thermometer or until juices run clear.

6. Reduce to low-medium heat. Pour in the honey garlic sauce around the chicken thighs and let the sauce thicken.Flip the chicken over so it’s skin side down for 15 seconds so the skin can absorb the sauce and flip over again.

7. Garnish the chicken with green onions.

8. Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board to slice into smaller pieces and enjoy!

To Air Fry

1. Spray the air fryer basket with neutral oil or cooking spray or line the base of the basket only with a square piece of parchment paper. Make sure your parchment paper is not touching the hot elements of the air fryer. The latter makes clean up easier.
2. Place the seasoned chicken thighs in the basket in a flat single layer and skin side up. Do not overlap. You will need to air fry in batches depending on how many thighs you can fit without overlapping.
3. Air fry for 6-9 minutes at 375 degrees F or until you reach an internal temperature of 165 F and skin is browned to your liking. No need to flip halfway.
4. In a large pan, simmer the sauce until thickened on low-medium heat and add in the cooked chicken thighs.

Pairing Suggestions

Honey garlic chicken serves well with:

• starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
• white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, or fried rice
• chow mein, lo mein, plain noodles
• cooked vegetables likebok choy,spicy garlic bok choy,choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
• protein dishes like Mongolian Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp, Shrimp Omelet, Soy Garlic Tofu and more!

FAQ

• 4 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (or substitute with boneless skinless thighs)
• 2 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder

Honey Garlic Sauce

• 5 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup honey or maple syrup/brown sugar/light corn syrup if you're allergic to honey
• 3 tablespoon water cold
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• ½ tablespoon regular soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch/tapioca starch

• Debone the chicken thighs by turning the chicken thigh bone side up. Then locate the bone and make small slits around the bone with a sharp paring knife until you’re able to remove it.

• Pat dry the chicken pieces on both sides with clean paper towel.

• Season on both sides of the chicken thighs with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.

• In a small bowl combine the honey garlic sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.

• Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Place the chicken skin side down and fry until skin is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Fry on the other side until the meat is cooked through (about 2 mins) or until an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit with a digital cooking thermometer or until juices run clear.

• Reduce to low-medium heat. Pour in the honey garlic sauce around the chicken thighs and let the sauce thicken.Flip the chicken over so it’s skin side down for 15 seconds so the skin can absorb the sauce and flip over again.

• Garnish the chicken with green onions.

• Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board to slice into smaller pieces and enjoy!

To Air Fry

1. Spray the air fryer basket with neutral oil or cooking spray or line the base of the basket only with a square piece of parchment paper. Make sure your parchment paper is not touching the hot elements of the air fryer. The latter makes clean up easier.
2. Place the seasoned chicken thighs in the basket in a flat single layer and skin side up. Do not overlap. You will need to air fry in batches depending on how many thighs you can fit without overlapping.
3. Air fry for 6-9 minutes at 375 degrees F or until you reach an internal temperature of 165 F and skin is browned to your liking. No need to flip halfway.
4. In a large pan, simmer the sauce until thickened on low-medium heat and add in the cooked chicken thighs.