Name: Honey Garlic Grilled Chicken
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 lb Boneless chicken thighs, skinless; Salt; Black pepper; 1 tbsp Neutral Oil; 2 cup Broccoli, florets; 2 carrots, medium, sliced on the bias; 1 tbsp Neutral Oil; Salt; 4 garlic, cloves, minced; 2 tbsp Honey; 2 tbsp Soy Sauce; 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce; 1 tbsp Rice vinegar; 1 tsp Sesame oil; 1/2 tsp Chili flakes; 1/4 cup Chicken stock; 2 tbsp Corn starch, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water to form a slurry; 1 tbsp Butter; 2 cup Rice, cooked white rice; Scallions, thinly sliced; Toasted sesame seeds; Chili flakes, extra

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Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe — Easy 15-Minute Grilled Chicken | Chef Fatty

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Cook: 15 minTotal: 15 min

The story

A lacquered sauce, the kind that coats meat in a shiny, clingy, glass-like layer, is built in two stages. First, a cornstarch slurry tightens the sauce to a sticky consistency. Second, a knob of butter emulsifies that thickened sauce into something silky and glossy. Skip either step and you get either a thin glaze or a gluey paste, not the lacquer restaurants serve.

The chicken goes first. Pat dry, season with salt and pepper, sear in a wide skillet over medium-high heat, 4 to 5 minutes undisturbed per side until deeply golden. Pull the chicken and leave all the fond behind. The browned bits stuck to the pan are the flavor foundation for everything that follows.

The vegetables cook in that same pan. Broccoli and carrots, single layer, untouched for 2 minutes so the undersides char. Toss and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. The fond gives them a layer of flavor steaming in a separate pot never could.

The sauce builds in the fond after the vegetables come out. Garlic for 20 seconds. Then honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili flakes, scallions, and chicken stock. Simmer a minute to reduce slightly.

Now the two-stage lacquer move. Cornstarch slurry, whisked with cold water so it doesn't clump, gets stirred in while the sauce is simmering. It tightens within 20 to 30 seconds into something sticky and glossy. Butter and dark soy go in next. Swirl until the butter melts and the sauce looks silky and lacquered.

Don't keep cooking after the cornstarch. Prolonged heat breaks the slurry and the sauce loses thickness. Chicken back in, spoon the glaze over the top, then over the vegetables and rice too. The glaze soaks in and colors the whole bowl.

Method

Sear the Chicken

01
Pat chicken thighs dry, season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium-high. Sear chicken 4–5 minutes undisturbed until deeply golden. Flip and cook 3–4 more minutes.

Char the Vegetables

02
In the same pan over high heat, add oil. Add broccoli and carrots in a single layer. Let sit undisturbed 2 minutes until the undersides char. Toss and cook 1–2 more minutes until tender with good color. Season with salt. Remove and set aside.

Build the Glaze

03
Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and cook 20 seconds until fragrant. Add honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili flakes, green onions, and stock. Stir and bring to a simmer. Let reduce 1 minute.
04
Stir the cornstarch slurry to recombine, then pour into the pan while stirring. The glaze will tighten and turn glossy in 20–30 seconds. Drop in the butter and dark soy sauce and swirl the pan until it melts and the glaze looks silky and lacquered.

Glaze the Chicken

05
Return chicken and veggies to the pan. Toss and spoon glaze continuously over each thigh until fully lacquered, 30–60 seconds. Remove the chicken and slice into bite-sized pieces.

Plate and Finish

06
Spoon rice into a wide bowl. Arrange broccoli and carrots around the rice. Lay sliced chicken on top so the caramelized surface faces up. Spoon remaining glaze generously over everything. Finish with scallions, sesame seeds, and chili flakes.

Chef's note

Char the vegetables in the same pan after the chicken. They pick up the fond and taste better for it.
Don't steam the broccoli. You want char marks and some bite, not soft and soggy.
Spoon the glaze over the rice and vegetables too, not just the chicken. Tt soaks in and gives the whole bowl color and flavor.
The cornstarch slurry tightens the glaze into a lacquer; the butter at the end emulsifies it into something silky and glossy that clings to every bite.
Be careful not to heat the sauce for too long after the cornstarch slurry is added. If heated for too long, the sauce will break and lose its thickness.