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Easy Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs with Instant Rice

honey garlic chicken thighs - featured image
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A quick and easy honey garlic chicken thighs recipe served with instant rice, ready in under 20 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights, this dish features a sticky-sweet garlic glaze and tender, juicy chicken.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral oil (avocado oil preferred)
  • 2 cups instant rice
  • Optional: crushed red pepper flakes, chopped green onions, sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides lightly with salt and pepper.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and minced garlic. Set aside.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for 5-6 minutes until skin is golden and crisp.
  4. Flip chicken and cook the other side for 4-5 minutes.
  5. Pour honey garlic sauce over chicken, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer. Spoon sauce over chicken occasionally for 5-7 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F and sauce thickens.
  6. While chicken cooks, prepare instant rice according to package instructions (usually boiling water, stirring in rice, covering, and letting sit for 5 minutes).
  7. Once chicken is cooked and sauce is glossy, remove from heat. Sprinkle with optional crushed red pepper flakes or chopped green onions if desired.
  8. Serve chicken thighs atop the instant rice, spooning extra sauce over everything.

Notes

Pat chicken dry for crispy skin. Use medium-high heat for searing and reduce to medium-low for simmering sauce to avoid burning honey. Spoon sauce over chicken often to develop glaze. If sauce thickens too quickly or burns, add a splash of water to loosen it. Instant rice keeps the meal quick, but regular rice can be used separately. Variations include using cauliflower rice for low-carb, adding sriracha for spice, or substituting tamari for gluten-free option.

Nutrition

Keywords: honey garlic chicken, chicken thighs, instant rice, quick dinner, easy weeknight meal, honey garlic sauce, skillet chicken

Find it online: https://milacook.com/easy-honey-garlic-chicken-thighs-with-instant-rice-recipe-in-20-minutes/