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Honey Garlic Chicken

Honey garlic chicken with caramelized, pan-seared breasts glazed in a sticky golden honey-garlic sauce. The glaze simmers to a deeply amber, blistered sheen that clings and pools in the skillet.
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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
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Honey Garlic Sauce
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 0.333 cup honey
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch ,
  • 1 tbsp water for slurry
Garnish & Serving
  • 1 sesame seeds for garnish
  • 1 green onions sliced, for garnish
  • 1 steamed rice for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear until deep golden, 5-6 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, then remove the chicken.
Cook the honey-garlic sauce
  1. In the same pan, melt the butter and cook the minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Add honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar, stirring until combined.
Thicken to a sticky glaze
  1. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer the sauce 2-3 minutes until it thickens into a sticky glaze with a glossy sheen.
Glaze and finish
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat in the honey garlic glaze. Cook 1-2 more minutes, until the glaze clings and looks blistered and deeply amber.
Garnish and serve
  1. Top with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately over steamed rice so the sauce pools and coats each bite.

Notes

Pro tip: Make sure the cornstarch slurry is smooth before adding so the sauce thickens evenly. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the sauce can thin when thawed. For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free soy sauce and keep everything else the same.