Honey Garlic Chicken Bowl (Printer-friendly)

Tender glazed chicken over fluffy rice with crisp vegetables and sesame seeds

# What You Need:

→ 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

# 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 evenly coats the chicken.
06 - While chicken cooks, steam broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper in a steamer basket for 4-5 minutes until tender, or sauté in a separate skillet with a splash of oil for enhanced flavor.
07 - Divide cooked rice equally among 4 serving bowls. Top each portion with glazed chicken and cooked vegetables. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.
08 - Serve immediately while hot and enjoy.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce does all the work—sweet and savory at once, glossy and thick, clinging to every piece of chicken like it was meant to be there.
  • Everything cooks in under 40 minutes, which means weeknight dinner doesn't feel like a negotiation with time.
  • It's the kind of dish that disappears from bowls without anyone asking for seconds, they just silently hand them over.
02 -
  • If your sauce looks thin after a few minutes of simmering, don't panic—cornstarch takes time to fully work its magic, and the sauce will thicken more as it cools slightly on the chicken.
  • Overcooked chicken becomes tough and shreds in your sauce, so check doneness at the 4-minute mark by cutting into the thickest piece.
  • Rice needs that 5-minute rest after cooking; it finishes cooking in its own steam and becomes light instead of gluey.
03 -
  • Cut chicken pieces uniformly so they cook evenly—irregular sizes mean some pieces dry out while others stay raw.
  • Don't skip mincing garlic fresh; it's the difference between a sauce that tastes like garlic and a sauce that tastes like actual garlic.
  • If your sauce seems too thin after cooking, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and stir it in while the sauce simmers.
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