Simple 7-Ingredient Recipe

🍯 Golden Honey-Garlic Glazed Chicken

A quick, savory-sweet dish that turns basic pantry staples into a restaurant-quality meal. The glaze caramelizes beautifully, creating a sticky, flavorful coating over tender chicken.

⏱️ Time Estimate:

• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 15 minutes
• Total: 25 minutes

🛒 The 7 Pantry Ingredients:

1. Chicken Thighs (boneless, skinless) – The protein base.
2. Soy Sauce – For saltiness and umami depth.
3. Honey – For sweetness and glaze texture.
4. Garlic (minced fresh or jarred) – For aromatic punch.
5. Vegetable Oil – For searing.
6. Black Pepper (freshly ground) – For a hint of spice.
7. Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce into a glossy glaze.

(Note: Salt is often already present in soy sauce, but if your soy sauce is low-sodium, a pinch of salt from your rack counts as part of the "common pantry" assumption, though strictly sticking to the list above works perfectly due to the soy sauce.)

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👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Prep the Chicken Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Cut them into bite-sized chunks (about 1.5 inches). Season generously with black pepper. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with the chicken pieces until lightly coated; this helps crisp the exterior and thicken the sauce later.

2. Sear the Meat Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer (do this in batches if your pan is small to avoid steaming). Cook for 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.

3. Make the Glaze In the same pan (don't wipe it out; those brown bits add flavor!), lower the heat to medium. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in ¼ cup soy sauce and ¼ cup honey. Stir well to deglaze the pan, scraping up any stuck-on bits.

4. Thicken and Combine Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water to create a slurry. Stir this into the simmering sauce. Let it bubble for about 1 minute until it thickens into a shiny, syrupy glaze.

5. Final Toss Return the cooked chicken to the pan. Toss everything together vigorously for 1–2 minutes until every piece is evenly coated in the sticky golden glaze.

6. Serve Remove from heat immediately. Serve hot over rice (if you have it) or enjoy on its own. The result is a perfect balance of salty, sweet, and savory flavors.

Enjoy your Golden Honey-Garlic Glazed Chicken!