Description
This Soy Garlic Chicken Thighs recipe features tender, boneless chicken thighs coated in a flavorful potato starch and flour mixture, pan-fried to a golden crisp, and then simmered in a luscious soy garlic sauce with honey, rice vinegar, and dark soy sauce. Finished with fresh green onions and sesame seeds, this dish offers a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors making it an irresistible main course ideal for a comforting weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons potato starch
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (e.g., vegetable or canola oil) for frying
Sauce
- ½ cup chicken stock (or water with chicken bouillon)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Garnish
- Green onions (green parts only), chopped
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the sauce: In a bowl, mix together chicken stock, honey, rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, and cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves and the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.
- Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry thoroughly with a paper towel to remove excess moisture for a better coating adhesion.
- Mix coating ingredients: In a shallow dish, combine potato starch, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper evenly.
- Coat the chicken: Lightly dredge each chicken thigh in the flour mixture ensuring even coverage on all sides.
- Heat oil: Pour neutral oil into a large frying pan and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking.
- Fry the chicken: Add the coated chicken thighs and cook for approximately 7 minutes on each side until golden brown and fully cooked through (internal temperature 165°F/74°C).
- Remove and rest: Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside while preparing the sauce in the same pan.
- Sauté aromatics: In the same pan, add minced garlic, the white parts of chopped green onions, and red chili flakes if using, sauté for about 3 minutes until the garlic turns golden and fragrant.
- Add sauce: Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the pan with the aromatics and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Coat chicken in sauce: Return the cooked chicken thighs to the pan and toss gently to coat them thoroughly with the thickened soy garlic sauce.
- Simmer flavors: Let the chicken simmer in the sauce for an additional 5 minutes on low heat to meld the flavors fully.
- Garnish: Sprinkle chopped green onion greens and sesame seeds over the chicken.
- Serve: Serve the soy garlic chicken hot alongside steamed rice and your favorite vegetables for a complete meal.
Notes
- If you prefer spicier chicken, add extra red chili flakes when sautéing the garlic and onions.
- For crispier chicken, double-dredge the thighs by dipping them back into the sauce and then again into the starch-flour mix before frying.
- Use dark soy sauce for better color and richer flavor in the sauce.
- Make sure the chicken is patted dry completely before coating for best frying results.
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily to serve larger groups.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
