Honey Garlic Chicken

Juicy chicken thighs pan-fried until golden, then coated in a sticky honey, garlic and soy glaze. It's on the table in half an hour and needs just a handful of storecupboard ingredients.

This is the kind of quick, sticky chicken that disappears fast at the dinner table. It uses boneless thighs, which stay juicy and are hard to overcook, and a four-ingredient sauce you almost certainly have the makings of already. Serve it over rice with something green and you’ve got a proper midweek dinner in about half an hour.

Ingredients

• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs — about 800g
• 1 tbsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic — crushed
• 4 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar — or cider vinegar
• 1 tsp cornflour — mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
• 1 spring onion — sliced, to serve
• 1 tsp sesame seeds — to serve, optional

Method

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the thighs for about 5–6 minutes each side until golden and cooked through (75°C, no pink, juices clear). Set aside.
3. Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
4. Stir in the honey, soy sauce and vinegar and let it bubble for a minute, then stir in the cornflour paste and cook until glossy and thickened.
5. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat in the sticky sauce. Scatter with spring onion and sesame seeds and serve.

Serve it with

• Fluffy rice or egg fried rice
• Steamed broccoli or pak choi
• A simple cucumber salad
• Noodles

Why this works

Browning the thighs first builds savoury flavour and renders a little fat, while the cornflour gives the honey-soy sauce enough body to cling to the chicken instead of sliding off — that glossy coating is what makes it feel takeaway-special.

Common swaps

• Chicken breast works too — cook a little less so it stays juicy.
• No rice vinegar? Use a squeeze of lime or a splash of cider vinegar.
• Add a pinch of chilli flakes or a squirt of sriracha for heat.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Burning the garlic — keep the heat down and only add it once the chicken is out.
• Letting the honey sauce catch: it has lots of sugar, so keep it moving.
• Overcrowding the pan, which steams the chicken instead of browning it.

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge and eat within 2 days.

Freezing: Freezes well for up to 2 months; defrost in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating: Reheat in a pan or microwave until piping hot throughout, with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Allergen notes: contains soya, gluten, sesame. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.