Sweet and Sticky Honey Chicken (Printable version)

Tender chicken in a glossy sweet honey glaze with garlic and ginger, ready in 35 minutes.

# What you need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1/2 tsp salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
04 - 2 tbsp cornstarch

→ Sauce

05 - 1/3 cup honey
06 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
07 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
08 - 2 tbsp ketchup
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
11 - 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)

→ For Cooking & Garnish

12 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
13 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
14 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds

# How To:

01 - Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Toss with salt, pepper, and cornstarch until evenly coated.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, garlic, ginger, and chili flakes if using. Set aside.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer; cook 5–7 minutes until golden and cooked through, turning occasionally.
04 - Pour the sauce over the chicken. Stir to coat and bring to a simmer. Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and becomes sticky.
05 - Remove from heat. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot over steamed rice or with your choice of sides.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one pan, including the sauce, so cleanup is almost suspiciously easy
  • The glaze hits that perfect sweet spot between restaurant quality and something you can actually pull off on a Tuesday night
02 -
  • The sauce thickens fast in the last minute or two, so dont walk away or youll end up with candy coating instead of glaze
  • Crowding the pan creates steam instead of golden sear, so cook in two batches if your skillet looks cramped
03 -
  • Room temperature chicken cooks more evenly, so take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you start
  • Let the sauce come to a full bubble before you start the timer for thickening, otherwise you might think its done too early

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