Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
For the Marinade & Sauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Optional Garnishes
- Sesame seeds
- Scallions
- Steamed rice
Instructions
- Place the cubed chicken thighs in a bowl and combine with honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, and minced garlic. Mix thoroughly and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken along with the marinade and cook for about 5 minutes per side.
- Continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce has thickened and darkened into a glossy glaze.
- Serve over a fresh bowl of rice.
- Optionally garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Table of Contents
- Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe
- Introduction
- How This Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe Gets Its Flavor
- How To Get Those Caramelized Bits
- Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Sweet Honey Chicken
- What to Serve with Sweet Honey Chicken
- How to Store and Reheat Sweet Honey Chicken
- Sweet Honey Chicken Substitutions
- What to Make Next
Introduction
In my experience, effort does not correlate with taste, and this Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe is the perfect example of that. It’s super low maintenance because everything is marinated in one bowl and everything is cooked in one pan. The ingredient list is short and the cooking process is simple, and it’s a chicken dish that tastes like it took a lot of work when it was really this simple. Served over rice, with lettuce or by itself, this is an easy weeknight dinner that’s guaranteed to be loved by the family!
How This Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe Gets Its Flavor
In this Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe, the marinade also acts like the sauce, which means that all the ingredient’s flavors contribute directly in the final dish. For example, the honey that sweetens the dish and balances the soy sauce will caramelize around the chicken. Additionally, the garlic will infuse and cook in the sauce, and by the end of cooking the marinade has transformed into a delicious glaze that coats every piece of chicken and soaks into warm grains of rice.
How To Get Those Caramelized Bits
In my opinion, the best part of this Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe are those little delicious pieces of caramelized sauce, kind of like the bits you get in Korean BBQ. The important part of this dish, again, is the honey and the ketchup. As I explained above, the honey reduces and helps caramelize the chicken, but the ketchup also plays an important role. The tomato also caramelizes with the sugars, which adds more umami and complex flavor. When the sauce naturally thickens and clings to the chicken, it creates the perfect dish that will satisfy any craving you have!
Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe Ingredients
Chicken thighs – The star of the dish. Chicken thighs stay juicy and tender while absorbing all the flavor from the marinade and sauce.
Marinade and sauce (honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, garlic) – A simple but incredibly delicious sauce that reduces down into a glossy sweet and salty glaze.
Optional garnishes (sesame seeds, scallions, steamed rice) – Rice always makes chicken into a full meal, the other garnishes are for color and texture!
How to Make Sweet Honey Chicken
Combine the cubed chicken thighs with honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, and garlic in a bowl. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken along with the marinade.
Cook for about 7 minutes. Continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce reduces into a glossy glaze.
Serve immediately over rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions if desired.
What to Serve with Sweet Honey Chicken
This Swet Honey Chicken Recipe is really great on its own, but adding a few more components can really elevate the dish. A few of my favorites are:
- Steamed white rice. The perfect vessel to serve this chicken on. The hot white rice soaks up any of the leftover glaze.
- Fried rice. If you’re not a fan of regular rice, fried rice is like the super flavorful cousin that pairs great with this dish! My personal favorite fried rice is this Chili Oil Butter Fried Rice.
- Noodles. If you don’t like rice, noodles are also great to serve this with. I particularly like this Shanghai Fried Noodles Recipe!
How to Store and Reheat Sweet Honey Chicken
This Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe is super easy to store and is great for meal prep. The best way to store this is in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When reheating, you have a couple of options.
- Microwave. The most convenient way of reheating things. I like to microwave on the highest setting for two minutes. Be sure to cover with a paper towel as the chicken may splatter!
- In a pan. The best way to reheat this chicken. You can cook for 5 minutes over medium heat before serving again.
Sweet Honey Chicken Substitutions
This Sweet Honey Chicken Recipe is very flexible, and you can substitute some ingredients depending on what you have available. A few of my favorite substitutions are:
- Chicken breast. A leaner option that still works super well!
- Brown sugar. A great substitute for honey that will still reduce and caramelize just like honey!
- Ginger. Add some freshly grated ginger in the sauce if you want an even more aromatic flavor!
What to Make Next
Craving another chicken recipe? You’ll love my Sticky Sweet Chicken!
Want something a little spicier? Try my Crispy Hot Honey Chicken!
Feeling like switching to noodles? Cook my Garlic Chicken Noodles!
