Honey Garlic Chicken Bowl (Printable version)

Tender glazed chicken over fluffy rice with crisp vegetables

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
03 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
04 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Honey Garlic Sauce

05 - 4 tablespoons honey
06 - 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
09 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
10 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil

→ Rice

11 - 1.25 cups jasmine or short-grain white rice
12 - 2 cups water
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Vegetables

14 - 1.5 cups broccoli florets
15 - 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
16 - 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced

→ Garnishes

17 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
18 - 2 spring onions, sliced

# How-To Steps:

01 - Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Combine rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, rice vinegar, ginger, and sesame oil until well combined. Set aside.
03 - Toss chicken pieces with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until evenly coated on all sides.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.
05 - Pour honey garlic sauce over the cooked chicken. Stir well and simmer for 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens and coats the chicken evenly.
06 - While chicken cooks, steam broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper in a steamer basket for 4-5 minutes until tender-crisp, or sauté in a separate skillet with a splash of oil for enhanced flavor.
07 - Divide cooked rice among 4 serving bowls. Top each with glazed chicken and steamed vegetables. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.
08 - Serve immediately while hot and enjoy.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce is genuinely addictive—sweet, savory, and glossy enough that you'll find yourself scraping the bowl clean.
  • It comes together in 35 minutes, which means weeknight dinner without the usual stress or takeout box guilt.
  • You can customize vegetables based on what's in your fridge, so it works year-round without feeling repetitive.
02 -
  • Don't crowd the pan when you're cooking the chicken—if you dump it all in at once, it steams instead of sears, and you lose that golden exterior that makes this dish special.
  • Rinsing the rice truly matters; skip it once and you'll taste the difference in how clumpy or fluffy everything turns out.
  • The sauce thickens quickly once it hits the hot chicken, so watch it carefully and don't let it reduce so much that it becomes sticky and thick.
03 -
  • Cook your chicken and sauce while the rice is steaming—this way everything finishes at roughly the same time, and you're not juggling multiple heating elements at odd intervals.
  • If your sauce isn't thickening properly, you can always whisk a tiny bit of cornstarch with cold water and stir it in while the sauce simmers—this trick has saved countless batches.
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