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Honey lemon garlic chicken served with rice and broccolini, topped with sesame seeds and green onion
Aylin Elma

One Pan Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken

Golden chicken thighs coated in a glossy honey, lemon and garlic butter sauce. Serve with rice and vegetables for an easy dinner.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the chicken
  • 1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch approximately 24 g
  • Neutral oil enough to reach halfway up the sides of the chicken thighs
For the sauce
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter approximately 42 g
  • 4 garlic cloves finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger optional
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest divided
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes or to taste
  • 3 tablespoons regular soy sauce 45 ml
  • 2 tablespoons honey approximately 42 g
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 45 ml, divided
  • 4 tablespoons water 60 ml, plus more if needed
Optional, for serving
  • Cooked rice
  • Broccolini
  • Sesame seeds
  • Sliced green onion

Equipment

  • Large, deep frying pan

Method
 

  1. Prepare the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and unfold the thighs so they lie flat. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the cornstarch and turn to lightly coat both sides. Shake off any excess.
  2. Cook the chicken. Pour enough oil into a large, deep frying pan to reach halfway up the sides of the chicken thighs. Heat over medium to high heat, then carefully add the chicken in one layer. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through. Thicker pieces may need longer. The thickest part should reach 74°C or 165°F. Lower the heat if the coating browns too quickly. Transfer to a clean plate. While the chicken cooks, prepare and measure the sauce ingredients.
  3. Make the sauce in the same pan. Take the pan off the heat and carefully drain the excess oil into a suitable heatproof container, leaving a thin coating in the pan. Remove any burnt coating while keeping the golden browned bits. Return to medium to low heat. Add the butter, grated garlic and optional ginger. Stir for 20 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest, the paprika and chilli flakes. Immediately stir in the soy sauce, honey, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and the water. Simmer gently for 2 minutes, stirring to combine.
  4. Glaze and serve. Return the chicken and its juices to the pan. Turn to coat and simmer for 2 minutes, spooning the sauce over the top. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of water. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Taste and add extra lemon juice if desired. Serve with rice, broccolini and your chosen toppings.

Notes

Measurements and servings: 1 kg chicken is approximately 2.2 lb. Gram and millilitre equivalents in the ingredient notes are for the original 4 servings; multiply these equivalents too if you adjust the servings.
Timing: The recipe takes about 30 minutes when the chicken fits comfortably in one layer. Cooking in batches or using thicker thighs will take longer. The timing covers the chicken and sauce. Cook time is 20 to 25 minutes.
To thicken the sauce: Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir a little into the simmering sauce and cook for about 1 minute. Add more only if needed.
Lemon zest: Grate only the yellow peel. The white layer underneath can taste bitter.
Salt: Taste the finished sauce before adding more salt, as soy sauce already provides plenty.
Chicken temperature: Check for 74°C or 165°F in the thickest part. Colour alone does not confirm doneness. USDA cooking guidance.
Nutrition (partial estimate): Before accounting for cooking oil retained in the finished dish, each of four equal portions provides approximately 510 kcal, 49 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates and 29 g fat. These estimates include the chicken, coating, butter and sauce. The finished dish will contain additional calories and fat from retained cooking oil, so these are not complete nutrition values for the served recipe. Sides, toppings and the optional extra cornstarch are excluded. Actual values vary with ingredient brands and portion sizes.

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