If you are on the hunt for quick and easy recipes that don’t skimp on flavour, look no further than my Soy and Garlic Chicken. Imagine a bowl of fluffy rice topped with succulent chicken thighs, the crispiest chicken skin, cooling cucumber salad and the most delicious sweet and sticky soy, garlic and honey sauce. Oh, and did I mention it takes less than 20 minutes? Trust me, you need to make this one…
This Soy and Garlic Chicken is one of those dishes that’s so delicious you assume it must be very complicated to put together, but I promise you, it is actually very simple. Once you have tried it, there is no going back. The crispy chicken skin is just so addictive (I challenge you not to nibble on it while you make the sauce!) and the gloriously glossy honey and garlic sauce has so much flavour. You would not believe it only has 4 ingredients. It is also super versatile (a bit like my Teriyaki Salmon Bowl) and you can switch up the base depending on what you fancy. If I have time, I like serving with egg fried rice - but noodles are also delicious.
Why you will love this Soy and Garlic Chicken recipe:
- It is so quick and easy - you can have it on the table in under 20 minutes!
- Packed full of flavour and texture thanks to the incredible combination of sweet honey, salty soy sauce, spicy chilli flakes, sour lime and crispy chicken skin. Yum!
- It is super versatile - I serve with fluffy rice in this recipe, but you can switch it up by serving with your favourite noodles.
- It is a delicious fakeaway option that will be on the table quicker than any Deliveroo rider.
- It is budget-friendly thanks to the chicken thighs which are one of the more affordable cuts of meat. Plus it is much cheaper than ordering a takeaway when you crave an Asian-inspired meal.
Ingredients:
Chicken thighs - chicken thighs are so tender and succulent. I use skin-on in this recipe as the crispiness of the skin is just so good.
Salt - a sprinkling of flaky sea salt helps to create the most incredible crispy chicken skin. I recommend Maldon Salt Flakes.
Olive oil - this adds a mild, slightly fruity, flavour to the chicken.
Butter - opt for unsalted as the soy sauce and salt flakes on the crispy chicken skin already bring all the salt you need.
Garlic cloves - I have been generous with the garlic as you really want the flavour to come through in the sauce.
Runny honey - this adds a lovely sweetness which balances out the salty soy (and makes the sauce super glossy).
Soy sauce - this is full of salty, umami flavour which makes for the most delicious sauce.
Cucumber - baby cucumbers tend to be slightly crisper and a little sweeter, but you can use regular cucumbers if that is what you can find.
Chilli flakes - a generous pinch of dried chilli flakes add a fiery kick to the cooling cucumbers.
Sesame oil - I love the nutty flavour of sesame oil. You don’t need much as a little goes a long way.
Lime juice - this brings zestiness and acidity which helps really bring this Soy and Garlic Chicken to life.
Sesame seeds - I love sprinkling Asian-inspired dishes with sesame seeds. Toast them gently for extra flavour.
Rice - a bowl of fluffy rice is a thing of beauty and the perfect base for this dish. You could use the microwavable pouches if you are short on time.
Spring onions - these add to the subtle onion flavour and are perfect as a garnish.
Thai basil - this is entirely optional but I love the flavour it brings to this dish.
See recipe card for the exact recipe with a full list of ingredients and measurements
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Substitutions and Variations:
Honey - I love the sweet stickiness the honey brings. I would argue it’s a key component but you could use maple syrup for sweetness in a pinch but, be warned, it will have a distinctively different flavour profile. I would use less maple syrup and a little more brown sugar - perhaps also adding a pinch of sea salt too. Taste before you drizzle over the chicken to check you’re happy with it, that way you will avert a disaster!
Soy sauce - I tend to use light soy sauce but you can also use dark soy sauce, just add a little less as it’s much more intense. You could swap for tamari, just bear in mind it tends to be thicker and have a stronger flavour.
Lime juice - you could swap for lemon juice or rice wine vinegar for acidity.
Rice - I love this with a bowl of steaming fluffy rice but you could opt for egg fried rice if you have the time. You could also serve with noodles instead (any kind will do… egg, udon, rice, vermicelli - the choice is yours!).
Sesame seeds - I have used white sesame seeds in this Soy and Garlic Chicken but you could use a mixture of black and white. The black ones have a slightly stronger taste which is perfect if you like sesame! A sprinkling of toasted cashew nuts or crispy onions are also delicious ways to add crunch.
Thai basil - this is such a great herb to use and, luckily, you can get it in most supermarkets now! It is nothing like regular basil, so you can’t use them interchangeably - if you can't find Thai basil, you could swap for roughly chopped coriander. It has a different flavour profile but still works really well with this Soy and Garlic Chicken. So would spring onions or chives.
Ginger - if you like the warming flavours of ginger, feel free to add a little ginger paste or grated fresh ginger to the sauce.
Directions:
Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.
ONE: Make the cucumber salad, slice the cucumber, mix it with chili flakes, sesame oil, and lime juice, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
TWO: Pat the thighs dry, sprinkle with salt
THREE: Cook skin-side down with a weight on top for 7 minutes.
FOUR: Flip and cook until crispy. through. Remove from the pan and leave to rest.
FIVE: To make the sauce, drain excess oil from the pan, add butter and rest of ingredient and heat over low heat.
SIX: Assemble and serve.
Cooking Tips:
Weighing the chicken down is key: the trick to get the crispiest chicken skin is to weigh it down as it cooks. It makes such a difference and will result in the crispiest crunchiest chicken. Also try not to disturb it as it cooks - trust the process. Keep the heat to medium as you don't want it to burn - remember to keep turning the pan occasionally to make sure the heat is evenly distributed.
How to debone chicken thighs: you don’t need any finely honed knife skills to remove the bones from chicken thighs - it is much easier than you think! I use a strong pair of scissors to snip them out. The first one is slight trial and error and then you will get the knack and it only takes a few seconds. Discard the bones or use them for stock if you are very organised. You can keep bones like this in a bag in the freezer until you are ready to make stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all - if you can’t get hold of chicken thighs you can use skin-on chicken breasts and adjust the cooking time accordingly. Poached chicken would also be nice - the sauce is kind of the star of the show and it would work with all sorts of things, chicken or pork meatballs. The sauce is also delicious with pork chops - especially if you get the skin gorgeously crispy and crackling-like. So good!
Yet another thing I love about my Soy and Garlic Chicken recipe is that you can serve it with so many different things… rice is my go-to (you could even use those microwavable pouches - they are a weeknight lifesaver in my house), egg-fried if I am feeling fancy, but noodles also work really well. Udon, egg, rice, vermicelli - whatever you have in your cupboard is perfect.
You can also get creative with the garnishes - a sprinkling of crispy onions is super tasty. I also often add some toasted chopped cashew nuts.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments… I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!
PrintSoy and Garlic Chicken
This Soy and Garlic Chicken is almost guaranteed to become your new go-to midweek meal. Imagine the crispiest chicken skin, tender chicken thighs, cooling cucumber salad and the most delicious sweet and salty sauce - all on top of a bowl of fluffy rice. Need I say more?
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 20 Minutes
- Yield: 2 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan Fried
- Cuisine: Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken:
4 boneless skin-on chicken thighs
Flaky sea salt
Olive oil, to drizzle
For the sauce:
30g unsalted butter
5 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp runny honey
2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
To serve:
Steamed rice
Spring onions, thinly sliced
Thai basil
For the cucumber salad:
5 baby cucumbers (or ½ English cucumber)
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp sesame oil
Juice of ½ a lime
Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Instructions
- For the cucumber salad: slice the cucumber into thin rounds and place in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix together the chilli flakes, sesame oil and lime juice. Pour over the cucumber, sprinkle with sesame seeds, then toss to coat the cucumber. Set aside.
- For the chicken: pat the chicken thighs dry then sprinkle with flaky salt on both sides. Heat a heavy-based pan (ideally cast iron, but any large pot will do) set over a medium heat. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan skin-side down. Now for the important bit, you need to weigh the chicken down - I do this by completely covering the chicken with a layer of tin foil, then placing a smaller heavy pan, filled with tins (beans/baked beans are a good option but you can use whatever you have to hand) on the top. Cook for about 9 minutes undisturbed, then remove the foil and the weight and flip the chicken over. It should be unbelievably crispy and golden.
- Cook for 2 more minutes - or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and leave to rest, skin-side up, to guarantee seriously juicy chicken with perfect crispy skin.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: drain off any excess oil from the pan you have just cooked the chicken in, then add the butter (you want to keep the delicious chicken bits in the pan, but not lots of extra oil) and place over a low heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add the garlic, soy sauce and honey. Bubble away gently for 2 minutes or until the soy sauce has reduced slightly to form a sticky sauce - watch closely to ensure it doesn’t get too hot or the garlic will burn. .
- Scoop the rice into bowls, slice the chicken and place on top of the rice. Spoon over the sauce, add a handful of the crunchy cucumber salad and garnish with a sprinkling of spring onions and Thai basil. Enjoy!
Notes
Crispy chicken skin: don’t be tempted to cover the chicken as it rests otherwise the skin might not stay crispy.
Serving suggestion: you can swap the rice for any noodles of your choice, if you prefer.
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