Discover the ultimate soy garlic chicken that will become your new obsession! It is perfect for busy weeknights or special weekend occasions. You will only need a few simple ingredients and 20 minutes of your time.
Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe
Serving: 2 to 4
Prep time: 6 minutes
Cook time: 14 minutes
For the chicken:
4 pieces (1 ½ pounds) chicken thighs, boneless
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper, or replace with black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
For the sauce:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine, or replace with water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
Soy Garlic Chicken Instructions
To prepare the chicken:
- Slice each chicken thigh about 1 inch apart without cutting all the way through. (This will allow the chicken to absorb more flavors and cook faster.)
- Season the chicken with salt and white pepper on both sides.
- Sprinkle a thin layer of cornstarch over the chicken on both sides and dust off the excess.
To make the soy garlic sauce:
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, and honey.
To cook the soy garlic chicken:
- In a pan over medium-high heat, add about 1 tablespoon of oil, and place the chicken skin side down. Pan-fry the chicken for about 4 minutes until golden brown. Then, flip the chicken and pan-fry for another 4 minutes until golden brown.
- Toss in the garlic and pour the soy garlic sauce into the pan. Flip the chicken back to the skin side down to achieve a nice color on that side. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, flip the chicken one last time, and reduce the sauce for about 2 minutes. Occasionally, pour the sauce over the chicken. Ensure the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees F or 74 degrees C.
Notes: Every ingredient in the sauce has a purpose:
• Soy sauce adds savory saltiness.
• Rice wine removes any gamey taste
• Brown sugar provides a caramel-like sweetness and helps thicken the sauce.
• Honey adds a floral sweetness and glossy finish to the sauce.
