Description
Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken is a weeknight dinner winner, delivering crispy, caramelized chicken coated in a sweet and savory glaze in under 30 minutes. This recipe makes it easy to have juicy chicken with a sticky glaze, all cooked perfectly in your air fryer—and it’s a cleanup breeze. It offers a perfect balance of sticky, sweet, and savory flavors. Serve it with rice, noodles, or veggies for a complete and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 4 cloves garlic (freshly minced)
- 1 tsp ginger (grated, optional)
- 1/4 cup honey (good quality)
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (for garnish)
- 2 green onions (thinly sliced, for garnish)
Instructions
- Cut Chicken: Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a bowl.
- Marinate: Add the cornstarch to the chicken and toss to coat evenly.
- Preheat Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes.
- Arrange Chicken: Place the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring not to overcrowd. You may need to cook in batches.
- Air Fry Chicken: Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes.
- Flip Chicken: Flip the chicken pieces and continue to air fry for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Make Sauce: While the chicken is air frying, make the honey garlic sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger (if using).
- Simmer Sauce: Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Combine: Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a bowl. Pour the honey garlic sauce over the chicken and toss to coat.
- Garnish: Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
- Serve: Serve immediately over rice, noodles, or your favorite sides.
Notes
- Chicken Substitute: You can substitute chicken breasts for thighs, but reduce the cooking time slightly to prevent them from drying out.
- Make Ahead: The honey garlic sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat before using.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 5-7 minutes, or until heated through. You can also microwave it for 1-2 minutes.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve with white rice, brown rice, quinoa, noodles, steamed broccoli, or a simple salad.
Nutrition
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