These tangy honey garlic chicken thighs are the perfect weeknight dinner! They’re tangy, garlicky, sweet, and savory all at once! It comes together in a snap and really makes plain chicken into an irresistible dinner.

Honey garlic chicken is a staple in my house and I’m always looking for delicious ways to change it up. I’ve shared a spicy honey garlic chicken thighs recipe, honey garlic chicken skewers, and honey lime garlic chicken thighs before and today, I’ve got for you this wonderful tangy honey garlic chicken.

Overhead view of a bowl of rice with two tangy honey garlic chicken thighs topped with green onions. Rice, green onions, spinach, and sesame seeds off to the side.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s really easy to make! You season the chicken, sear them, then coat it in a delicious tangy honey garlic sauce! Easy peasy.
The ingredients are simple and you likely have them on hand so you’ll be able to easily whip this up on a weeknight.
You’ll love how flavorful these chicken thighs are! I’m obsessed with the sauce.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make tangy honey garlic chicken.

chicken thighs — I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Boneless, skin-on chicken thighs are wonderful as well!
salt & pepper — be as generous as you’d like when seasoning your chicken thighs.
mirin — mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine that adds a subtle sweetness and tang to the chicken. If you’re unfamiliar, you can read more about mirin in my post ‘what is mirin.’
flour — or potato starch, cornstarch, etc to coat the chicken thighs. It’ll help create a nice crispy crust on your chicken thighs and give the honey garlic sauce something to cling to.
oil — you can use any neutral oil to cook your chicken in. I used olive oil.
ketchup — to help create a tangy base for the honey garlic sauce.
honey — I use pure liquid Ontario honey. Make sure you’re using a runny honey.
soy sauce — I use low sodium soy sauce.
garlic — I always recommend freshly minced garlic over minced garlic in a jar. I usually buy a large batch of garlic and process them myself and freeze them so I always have minced garlic on hand.

How to Make Tangy Honey Garlic Chicken

Set of two photos showing chicken seasoned with salt and pepper then coated in flour.

Combine the chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon of mirin then season with salt and pepper. Make sure it’s evenly and well coated.
Add the flour and toss to coat. Again, make sure it’s evenly coated.

Set of two photos showing sauce ingredients combined in a bowl.

In a bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, soy sauce, mirin, and minced garlic. Set aside.

Set of two photos showing meat seared in a skillet.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat up the oil, and once hot, add the chicken thighs, smooth-side down. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for 6 minutes, or until cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan, cook in two batches if necessary.

Set of two photos showing sauce added to the meat in the pan and coated.

Add the tangy honey garlic sauce to the chicken and fully coat them and allow everything to cook for another minute.
When done, let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes before serving. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

Overhead view of a bowl of rice with two tangy honey garlic chicken thighs topped with green onions. Rice and sesame seeds off to the side.

Recipe Tips and Notes

You can switch the chicken thighs for chicken breasts. However, the cooking time will change. You can also halve the chicken breasts to speed up the cooking time.
Chicken thighs are done when they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165F/74C. Use an instant read thermometer to check.
Avoid moving the chicken when you first place it in. Allow the chicken to sear. The chicken will come off the skillet once it’s ready. If you move it too early, the chicken will stick to the skillet and tear.
Add some sriracha to the sauce if you want a little extra heat.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked chicken thighs in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freezer: allow the chicken thighs to cool before transferring them into an airtight container and storing them in the freezer. They can last for up to 3 months.

A bento box with two tangy honey garlic chicken thighs, egg, spinach, and rice.

Serving Suggestions

Need something to go with the chicken thighs? Here are some delicious ideas:

Tangy Honey Garlic Chicken

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken Thighs

1 pound chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon mirin
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Sauce

6 tablespoons ketchup
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoons minced garlic

Instructions

Combine the chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon of mirin then season with salt and pepper. Make sure it’s evenly and well coated.
Add the flour and toss to coat. Again, make sure it’s evenly coated.
In a bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, soy sauce, mirin, and minced garlic. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat up the oil, and once hot, add the chicken thighs, smooth-side down. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for 6 minutes, or until cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan, cook in two batches if necessary.
Add the tangy honey garlic sauce to the chicken and fully coat them and allow everything to cook for another minute.
When done, let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes before serving. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Nutrition Disclaimer

More Chicken Thighs Recipes to Try

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