Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken
Crispy pan-fried chicken thighs glazed in a sticky honey lemon garlic sauce. Sweet, tangy, savory, and done in 30 minutes.
Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 chicken thighs, skin on, boneless
- salt and pepper, to season
- cornstarch, enough to coat
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Garnish
- sesame seeds
- chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- Prep the chicken.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in cornstarch and shake off any excess.
- Pan-fry.
Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken skin-side down and fry for 7 minutes without moving it. Flip and fry the other side for another 7 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Build the sauce.
In the same pan, reduce heat to medium and melt the butter. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Simmer the glaze.
Add soy sauce, mirin, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika, chili flakes, and black pepper. Stir to combine and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 3-4 minutes.
- Glaze the chicken.
Return the chicken to the pan. Spoon the sauce continuously over the chicken for 1-2 minutes until evenly coated and glossy.
- Serve.
Serve over steamed rice. Spoon remaining sauce from the pan over the top. Garnish with sesame seeds and chives.
Notes
Chicken thighs only: Breasts will work but you'll lose the crispy skin and juicy texture that makes this dish. Don't substitute.
Cornstarch coat: Keep it light -- just enough to dredge. Too much and it turns gummy in the sauce instead of crispy.
Pat dry first: Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin. Paper towel the chicken before seasoning, every time.
Don't rush the sauce: Let it simmer and reduce until it coats a spoon. If it's too thin it won't stick to the chicken.
Basting matters: Once the chicken goes back in, keep spooning the sauce over it. That's what builds the glaze.
Storage: Keeps refrigerated up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan to keep the skin from going soggy.
