5 from 5 votes

Soy Garlic Chicken Breast

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This Asian-inspired soy garlic chicken has a sweet, savory, flavorful glaze. Like restaurant versions, it's made with simple, aromatic ingredients.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
ยฃ1.45
Makes: 4
mains
Asian
Freezable

Here’s your newest Asian-inspired go-to! This soy garlic chicken has a flavorful glaze inspired by Korean BBQ sauce. Made with ingredients like fish sauce, honey, and soy sauce, it has a sweet, savoury, umami flavour. This easy weeknight dinner comes together fairly quickly after the marination step.

A bowl with browned soy chicken pieces topped with slices of spring onion and sesame seeds on a pale green plate.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Bold Flavors – This soy garlic chicken is made with a delicious umami sauce and tossed with sticky honey for sweetness.

Fast – Once you start cooking the soy chicken, it will take less than 10 minutes for it to be done, plated, and ready to eat!

Pantry Ingredients โ€“ Most of the ingredients for this honey garlic soy chicken come from the pantry, making this an easy weeknight meal.

Budget Meal – Since most of the ingredients for this honey soy garlic chicken come from the pantry, you won’t have to spend too much on the few ingredients you’ll need to get from the grocery store.

Great for family dinners โ€“ If your family loves Asian takeout, theyโ€™ll love this soy honey garlic chicken, especially if you pair it with rice or noodles.

If you have leftover chicken, consider making one of these yummy recipes; Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta, Nandoโ€™s Mac and Cheese with chicken and Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Ingredients

Ingredients to make the soy garlic chicken laid out on a pale blue back ground and labelled.

Chicken Breasts – To keep this honey garlic chicken recipe lighter, I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs to make garlic soy chicken, but they will increase the dish’s calories/fat slightly.

Honey โ€“ Adding honey to the chicken pieces once theyโ€™re cooked helps create a sweetness that balances the savoury, umami taste. You can also make this Korean BBQ-inspired dish without honey by using maple syrup or agave instead. Both will add a delicious sweetness to the soy garlic chicken.

Cornflour โ€“ To create a thicker soy garlic sauce, youโ€™ll add cornflour to the marinade. You can also use regular flour as a thickener, which will still make a delicious sauce.

See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.

Variations/ Adaptations

Here are a few easy ways to adapt the honey garlic soy sauce chicken to your preferences! Instead of chicken breasts, you can use boneless chicken thighs, wings, or drumsticks to create soy garlic chicken. If you want to add heat to this recipe, include some gochujang (Korean spicy chilli paste), chilli flakes, or cayenne pepper in the marinade.

You can also change up the flavour slightly by using garlic powder instead of garlic cloves and dark soy sauce. To add more nutrients to the garlic honey soy chicken, consider adding broccoli or green beans to the pan with the chicken. If you don’t have honey, you can also use maple syrup to sweeten this recipe.

Pair this garlic chicken with one of these delicious side dishes; Creamy Polenta with Parmesan, Creamy White Beans or Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

How to make soy garlic chicken

  1. In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic and cornflour into a bowl (Image 1).
  2. Stir to evenly coat the chicken, then cover with cling film and place in the fridge to marinate (Image 2).  
2 step by step photos, the first withchicken pieces in a glass bowl with soy sauce and a spoon and the second with minced garlic added to the bowl.

3. After 1 hour/or up to 6 hours, remove from the fridge. Add a generous drizzle of neutral oil into a large frying pan, enough to coat the base of the pan to a depth of around 2 cm.  Allow the oil to preheat (Image 3).

4. Then place half of the chicken pieces into the pan, evenly distributing so none of the pieces are touching. Rotate the pieces after 2 minutes, then cook for another two minutes (Image 4).

2 step by step photos, the first with oil in a pan and the second with pieces of of browned chicken in a pan.

5. Once the internal temp is 165ยฐF (74ยฐC)  remove from the pan and place onto a sheet of paper towel. Repeat with the next batch (Image 5).

6. Pop the soy garlic chicken into a bowl and coat with a drizzle of honey. Top with spring onion, sesame seeds and an optional sprinkle of fresh coriander. Enjoy! (Image 6).

2 step by step photos, the first with browned chicken pieces on a kitchen towel and the second with pieces of  browned chicken in in a bowl.

Satisfy creamy pasta cravings with these other recipes to serve with the garlic chicken; Cottage Cheese Pasta, Marmite Pasta or Spaghetti al Limone

Tips for the best result

Slice off extra fat from the chicken breasts
I recommend trimming off the extra fat from the raw chicken before marinating and cooking it. Fat tends to burn faster when cooking, creating an unpleasant flavour. You can avoid this by removing extra fat or skin pieces on the chicken.

Cut the chicken into even pieces
When chopping the chicken for this soy garlic chicken recipe, be sure to cut even pieces. This method allows the chicken to cook evenly and be ready to eat at the same time.

A bowl with browned soy chicken pieces topped with slices of spring onion and sesame seeds on a pale green plate with coriander and sesame seed in partial view.

Love cooking with the air fryer? Try this easy and delicious recipes; Air Fryer Chicken Bites, Frozen Cauliflower Rice or Air fryer Halloumi

Serving Suggestions

This delicious soy garlic chicken is the perfect pairing with plain or fried rice! It’s also yummy over stir-fried noodles or ramen soup. To increase the nutrients, serve this recipe with steamed vegetables. If you want more of a takeout-like experience, create other Asian-inspired dishes to serve with this soy chicken recipe, like egg rolls, Korean fried chicken, japchae (Korean stir-fried glass noodles), or kimchi.

Or fancy a healthy salad to serve with this crispy chicken? Try my; Simple Tricolore Salad with Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing

Make Ahead Instructions

You can easily turn this soy garlic chicken into a make-ahead recipe! Add the marinade and chicken to an airtight ziplock bag, making sure the marinade covers all sides and pieces of the chicken. Then, store in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, let it defrost in the fridge overnight. Then, follow the recipe card, starting with step two.

Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions

If you have any leftover soy garlic chicken, allow it to cool fully. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze the leftovers in a baggie for up to three months.

If youโ€™ve frozen the extra chicken with soy sauce, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Then, reheat it on the stove until warmed or zap it in the microwave.

If you are still craving some other Asian inspired recipes, try my ; Korean Soy Marinated Eggs, Crispy Soy Tofu, Aubergine & Rice and Veggie Satay Noodles

A bowl with browned soy chicken pieces topped with slices of spring onion and sesame seeds on a pale green plate next to a container with sesame seeds.

 FAQs

How can I thicken the sauce?

If your sauce isnโ€™t thickening for the soy garlic chicken, you can add a slurry of cornflour, potato starch, or flour. Use a 1:1 tablespoon ratio of water and cornflour to create the slurry. Then, stir it into the sauce. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.

How can I thin the sauce?

If the easy chicken marinade is too thick, you can add a small amount of water or chicken broth to thin out the sauce.

Can this garlic soy chicken be made in the air fryer?

You can make chicken recipes like this one in the air fryer, though you’ll need to simmer the sauce on the stove separately. Marinate the chicken according to the recipe card, then cook it at 380ยฐF (190ยฐC) in the air fryer for about 3-4 minutes.

Be sure to spray some olive oil cooking spray or something similar in the basket before placing the chicken pieces in a single layer. Once the sauce has thickened on the stove, toss the chicken with it. Then, follow the last step in the recipe card before serving the chicken.

If you tried this Soy Garlic Chicken Breast recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys ๐Ÿ’› Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x

Soy Garlic Chicken Breast

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5 from 5 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
ยฃ1.45
mains
Asian
Freezable
Servings: 4
This Asian-inspired soy garlic chicken has a sweet, savory, flavorful glaze. Like restaurant versions, it's made with simple, aromatic ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 500 g (2 large) chicken breast, cut into chunks (ยฃ4.20)
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced (ยฃ0.39)
  • Couple of spring onions, thinly sliced (ยฃ0.59)
  • Fresh coriander, finely chopped to serve (ยฃ0.60)

Cupboard Essentials

  • Drizzle of neutral oil
  • 3 tbsp of soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 4 tbsp cornflour
  • Sprinkle of sesame seeds

Method

  • In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic and cornflour into a bowl. Stir to evenly coat the chicken, then cover with cling film and place in the fridge to marinate.
  • After 1 hour/or up to 6 hours, remove from the fridge. Add a generous drizzle of neutral oil into a large frying pan, enough to coat the base of the pan to a depth of around 2 cm.
  • Allow the oil to preheat before placing half of the chicken into the pan, evenly distributing so none of the pieces are touching.
  • Rotate the pieces after 2 minutes, then cook for another two minutes. Once the internal temp is 165ยฐF (74ยฐC) remove from the pan and place onto a sheet of paper towel. Repeat with the next batch.
  • Pop the soy garlic chicken into a bowl and coat with a drizzle of honey. Top with spring onion, sesame seeds and an optional sprinkle of fresh coriander. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Trim extra fat from the chicken breasts before marinating and cooking to avoid unpleasant burnt flavours.
  • Cut the chicken into even pieces to ensure it cooks evenly and is ready at the same time.

Nutrition

Servings: 4 servings
Fat: 10g
Calories: 334kcal
Carbohydrates: 30g
Protein: 30g
5 from 5 votes

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Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I hope you loved it. Iโ€™d be so grateful if you could leave a comment/rating - it makes my day hearing your feedback!

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Comments

  1. No more takeaway chicken after trying this one! So easy to make and quick. We loved the marinade too.5 stars

  2. A family favorite!5 stars

  3. Made this recipe instead of ordering a takeaway and so pleased I did! Saved money and so enjoyed the results.5 stars

  4. We loved the Asian inspired glaze And these chicken bites didnโ€™t disappoint!5 stars

    1. Mimi Harrison | 5 months ago

      Yay! Me too- so pleased you enjoyed them.

  5. Tastes so good cooking the chicken pieces in the airfryer with the delicious soy garlic dressing. Made this with noodles and pok Choi โ€ฆ the family so enjoyed this recipe.5 stars

    1. Mimi Harrison | 5 months ago

      Ahh what a delicous combo with the noodles and pak choi! So pleased you guys enjoyed it- thank you for the lovely message.

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