Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz chicken thighs, cubed
- Neutral oil, for cooking
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
For the Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
For the Slurry
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp cold water
Optional Garnish
- Sesame seeds
- Scallions
- Steamed rice
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium heat with a bit of oil. Add the minced garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
- Add the cubed chicken thighs, stir, and cook until about 80% cooked through.
- Add the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, brown sugar, and honey. Mix until the sauce is simmering and starting to thicken.
- Stir the cornstarch and cold water together, then add the slurry to the pan. Continue cooking until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the chicken, then remove from the heat.
- Serve over a fresh bowl of rice.
- Optionally garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.
Video
Notes
- Cook the chicken to about 80% before adding the sauce. It finishes cooking in the glaze and stays tender.
- Mix the cornstarch with cold water before adding it so it blends in smoothly without lumps.
- Using both brown sugar and honey gives a deeper, glossier glaze than either one alone.
- Swap in chicken breast for a leaner option and reduce the cook time, or use ground beef or pork with the same sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Table of Contents
- Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Introduction
- Why You’ll Love This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Why the Sauce Matters In This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
- What You’ll Need To Make This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
- How to Make This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
- What to Serve With This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
- How to Store Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken for Meal Prep
- Reheating Instructions
- Substitutions for Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
- What to Make Next
Introduction
If you’re looking for an easy rice bowl to make at home, this Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe is one you’ll want to keep in the rotation. All you need are cubed chicken thighs, a simple four-ingredient sauce, and a quick cornstarch slurry to make a glossy glaze that coats every single piece of chicken. One of the reasons this Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe turns out so good is because the chicken finishes cooking in the sauce instead of having the sauce poured on at the end. As the chicken cooks through, it lets out a little of its natural juices into the pan, which helps the glaze come together and cling to every bite.
The whole meal comes together in about 25 minutes with pantry staples you probably already have on hand, and it reheats really well too, which makes this Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe great for meal prep!
Why You’ll Love This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
One of my favorite things about this Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe is how easy it is to get the sauce to the right consistency. Instead of simmering it down for several minutes and risking the sauce getting too salty, the cornstarch slurry thickens everything up quickly while keeping all the flavors balanced.
Cooking the garlic first is another small thing that makes a big difference. As it cooks in the oil, it flavors the whole pan before the chicken and sauce even go in.
The honey and brown sugar also do a lot of the work here. As the sauce reduces, little bits start to caramelize around the edges of the pan, which adds another layer of flavor and helps create that sticky coating that tastes so good over a bowl of rice.
Why the Sauce Matters In This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
The sauce is what really makes this Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe, and every ingredient has its own job. Light soy sauce brings most of the seasoning, while dark soy sauce gives the chicken a deeper color and a little extra richness without making the glaze too salty.
Using both brown sugar and honey gives you a better result than using just one of them. The brown sugar adds a deeper sweetness from the molasses, while the honey caramelizes easily and helps create that glossy, sticky glaze that coats the chicken so well.
The cornstarch slurry gets added at the end after being mixed with cold water. This helps it blend smoothly into the sauce and thicken everything in about a minute without any lumps.
What You’ll Need To Make This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Chicken thighs – Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay tender while finishing in the sauce. Chicken breast can also be used but cooks more quickly.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic creates the base of the dish and flavors the oil before the chicken is added.
- The sauce – Light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, and honey combine to create a glossy sweet and savory glaze.
- The slurry – Cornstarch mixed with cold water thickens the sauce quickly while keeping it smooth.
- Optional garnish – Sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and steamed rice complete the meal.
How to Make This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a small drizzle of oil. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t brown too much.
Add the cubed chicken thighs and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re about 80% cooked through. They will finish cooking once the sauce is added, which helps keep the chicken tender.
Pour in the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, and honey. Stir everything together and let the sauce come to a gentle simmer.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with cold water until smooth, then pour it into the skillet.
Continue stirring for about a minute until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze that coats the chicken evenly.
Serve immediately over steamed rice and finish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions if you’d like.
What to Serve With This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe is already really good over rice, but a few easy sides make it even better.
- Steamed jasmine rice. Warm rice soaks up all the extra glaze and goes perfectly with the chicken.
- Cucumber salad. Thinly sliced cucumbers tossed with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt add a cool and refreshing contrast.
- Garlic bok choy. Quickly sauteed bok choy adds some freshness and balances out the richness of the glaze.
How to Store Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken for Meal Prep
Store the chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For the best texture, I like to keep the chicken and rice in separate containers until I’m ready to eat. As the glaze cools, it will naturally thicken because of the cornstarch and sugars. That’s totally normal, and it loosens right back up with a splash of water when you reheat it.
Reheating Instructions
- Stovetop (best method). Add the chicken to a skillet over medium heat with about 1 tablespoon of water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the glaze loosens and the chicken is heated through.
- Microwave. Place the chicken in a microwave-safe bowl with a splash of water. Cover loosely or with a damp paper towel and microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Substitutions for Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
This Sticky Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe is really easy to switch up with ingredients you may already have at home.
- Chicken breast. A leaner option that still works great. Just reduce the cooking time since it cooks faster than chicken thighs.
- White sugar or maple syrup. Either one can be used instead of the brown sugar or honey. White sugar makes a similar glaze, while maple syrup gives it a slightly different sweetness.
- Ground beef or ground pork. This same sauce works really well with ground meat. Brown the meat first, drain any excess fat if needed, then make the sauce as directed.
What to Make Next
Want the same glaze with a crispy coating? Try my Crispy Sticky Sweet Chicken!
Craving a beef version instead? You’ll love my Sticky Garlic Ground Beef!
Prefer something with more heat? Cook my Gochujang Chicken!
