Do I have to use chicken thighs?

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!

What else could I serve this Soy and Garlic Chicken with?

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.

Soy and Garlic Chicken

Name: Soy and Garlic Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Chicken
Ingredients: 4 boneless skin-on chicken thighs; Flaky sea salt; Olive oil, to drizzle; 30g unsalted butter; 5 garlic cloves, crushed; 3 tbsp runny honey; 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce; Steamed rice; Spring onions, thinly sliced; Thai basil; 5 baby cucumbers (or ½ English cucumber); ½ tsp chilli flakes; 1 tsp sesame oil; Juice of ½ a lime; Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Soy and Garlic Chicken

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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?

Author: Margie
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Yield: 2 Servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Pan Fried
Cuisine: Chicken

Ingredients

Scale

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 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

To serve:

Steamed rice

Spring onions, thinly sliced

Thai basil

For the cucumber salad:

5 baby cucumbers (or 1/2 English cucumber)

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp sesame oil

Juice of 1/2 a lime

Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

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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.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/soy-and-garlic-chicken/