Seared chicken thighs are coated in a flavorful soy and garlic glaze and served over rice for an outstanding Asian-inspired meal. This Soy Garlic Chicken cooks in a skillet on the stove in under 30 minutes.
Looking for more easy Asian-inspired meals you can make in under 30 minutes? Try my Cashew Chicken and Orange Sesame Ginger Glazed Salmon.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
I had one of those moments after making this Soy Garlic Chicken for the first time. It’s that moment you realize a recipe has made it on to your list of dinners that are on regular rotation. Do you have such a list? I keep mine on my phone and refer to it every week when I’m our menu and making my grocery list.
It’s a somewhat elite list with a set list of requirements. And, this easy chicken recipe checks all the boxes.
Table of contents
Recipe Highlights
- Short Ingredient List: It’s surprising how much flavor is created with just 10 ingredients. And, this includes the salt, pepper, and oil.
- Easy Prep: With less than 10 minutes of prep you’ll be ready to start cooking!
- Cooks Fast: Boneless chicken thighs and the glaze cook quickly in one skillet on the stove.
- Flavor: Ginger, garlic, and soy sauce are a match made in heaven. Throw in a little butter and brown sugar and you have the most amazing savory chicken glaze ever.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: I’ve made this recipe with both boneless skinless chicken thighs and bone-in chicken thighs and it worked well with both. I prefer boneless chicken because it’s nice to slice the pieces and serve them over rice. If you’re using bone-in thighs, I recommend pulling the skin off to avoid excess grease mucking up the glaze. I haven’t tried this recipe with boneless chicken breasts because I don’t think the result would be quite as tender.
- Seasoning: Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Oil: Go with a neutral, high smoke point oil like avocado oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil.
- Cornstarch: Coating the chicken in cornstarch prior to searing accomplishes a couple of things. It adds a nice light crust to the chicken and helps to thicken the glaze that is made in the same pan.
- For the glaze: Butter, minced garlic, ginger paste or minced ginger root, light brown sugar, and light soy sauce. I’ve been loving the ease of using ginger paste in my recipes. It stays fresh in the fridge for a long time, is easy to measure out, and adds that same great ginger flavor. Lovin’ it.
Make-Ahead Tip
If you want to serve this dish with rice, cook the rice in advance and freeze it to save time. Frozen cooked rice reheats really well and can shave quite a bit of time off your dinner prep. See my storage tips below for the details.
How to Make Soy Garlic Chicken
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and coat each piece in cornstarch, shaking off the excess.
- As you coat each piece, transfer it to a baking sheet or a large sheet of foil.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
- Combine the glaze ingredients in the same skillet over low heat. Cook, stirring, until it thickens to a glaze-like consistency. Return the chicken to the skillet. Spoon the glaze over the top, garnish with green onions, and you’re ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
Rice: I most frequently serve this Soy Garlic Chicken sliced over a bed of cooked white or brown rice. It would also be fabulous with Cilantro Lime Rice or Almond Rice Pilaf. But, I’d pay money and leave a tip if you’d bring me a bowl of this Soy Garlic Chicken served over Coconut Rice.
Veggies: A simply prepared vegetable is all you need to complete this meal. The Sautéed Broccolini you see pictured in this post is perfection. It would also be great served with Roasted Shaved Brussels Sprouts, butter and garlic Sautéed Green Beans, or Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables.
Storage Tips
For the Soy Garlic Chicken: Transfer the leftover chicken to an airtight container and spoon any glaze from the bottom of the skillet over the top. The chicken should be reheated gently in the microwave and consumed within 3 to 4 days.
For the rice: Cooked rice should be stored in a separate airtight container and refrigerated promptly. Refrigerated rice that isn’t consumed within 3 to 4 days should either be frozen or tossed for food safety concerns. I freeze my leftover cooked rice all the time because it reheats so well. Just place it in a freezer-safe ziploc bag, press out as much air as possible, and freeze it for up to a month.
Sign up for my free newsletter for all the latest recipes and join me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more cooking inspiration!
Soy Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 1 ½ pounds
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, taste
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons oil, neutral high smoke point oil like avocado, vegetable or canola oil
- 2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced (for garnish)
- Cooked white or brown rice, optional, for serving
For the Glaze
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste or minced ginger
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Place the cornstarch in a shallow bowl.
- Coat both sides of each piece of chicken in cornstarch, shaking off the excess, then set them aside in a single layer on a sheet of foil or other work surface.
- In a 12-inch skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH, heat the oil. Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
- In the same skillet over LOW heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for a minute or two, until fragrant. Add the soy sauce and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until it thickens slightly to a glaze-like consistency. Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the glaze over the top. Remove from the heat and garnish with green onions.
- Slice and serve over cooked rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Like this? Please rate & comment below!
I made this for dinner last night and it was a hit. I kept the sauce separate from the chicken so it would not get mushy and my family thoroughly enjoyed it. I used bone in chicken thighs so I cooked it a little longer. The coating was super crispy.
This recipe is easy and delicious! I will definitely be making it again. Everyone loved it!
So happy to hear this! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and comment. 🙂
Love this recipe. I use chicken cubes and substitute Coconut Aminos instead of soy. It’s on monthly meal rotation.
Made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious! The sauce is so flavourful considering how few ingredients it has in it. My husband and kids were fighting over who gets the left-overs for their lunch tomorrow! Thank you for the quick and easy recipe!
That’s so great! Thanks so much for your comment, Marie. 🙂