One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice is sweet and savory with tender chicken baked with flavorful rice. This is a restaurant-quality meal made easily and conveniently at home.
We love making easy and delicious poultry meals for the family to enjoy. Among our most popular dishes are Instant Pot Orange Chicken, Slow Cooker Garlic Sesame Chicken and One Pan Italian Chicken.
One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice
One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice is so amazingly tasty that I guarantee you it will become one of your go-to dinners. This meal is so easy to make, budget-friendly, easy to find ingredients and bursting with flavors.
The chicken is incredibly tender and served with the most delicious, sticky, honey garlic sauce. You can totally cook the rice separately, but why would you, if you can easily cook everything in one pan and infuse it with flavors.
After you brown the chicken, sear the rice with some onions, you add it back to the pan, cover with foil and bake everything. You end up with amazing buttery rice and super juicy meat, covered in the most fantastic sauce. One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice may just win the medal for one of the best dinners ever.
Take a look at the video below for step by step guide on how to prepare this meal.
One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice Recipe Tips:
- I used organic boneless thighs, but this recipe also works with skin-on – bone-in chicken tights and as I have mentioned above with chicken breast. You don’t have to adjust the cooking time for bone-in chicken thighs.
- Also, if you are allergic to honey, you can replace it with maple syrup.
- You can use sesame oil instead of canola oil for extra flavor.
- For extra flavor add fresh ginger, but if you don’t have any on hand, use 1 teaspoon of ground ginger powder.
- Similarly, you can add more or less garlic, based on your own taste preference.
- You can make this meal spicier by adding 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or more or some hot sauce.
- Rice vinegar can be replaced with apple cider vinegar or any white vinegar.
- If the sauce is too runny, add a cornstarch slurry, mix 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water and add it to the sauce. Please note, that the sauce will get thicker with time, so definitely wait a bit before adding more cornstarch.
- 3-4 minutes before the dish is done, uncover the pan, brush the chicken with the honey garlic sauce and broil it for 3-4 minutes for a crispier top.
Can I make this meal using Boneless Chicken Breast?
Yes, you can, sear the chicken to brown it, set them aside, cover with foil. Add the rice to the pan, and do NOT add the chicken. Follow the directions for the sauce. Transfer the rice to the oven and cook the rice covered for 25 minutes. After that add the chicken breast on top and cook for another 20 minutes. Add the sauce on top of the chicken and enjoy.
This is such an easy recipe, that you can also adjust based on your preference. You can skip the sauce part and just cook it with a garlic rub, some oil, salt, pepper, fresh lemon zest, and juice. It will taste delicious and it will make up for a very easy and quick dinner.
What wines pair well with Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice?
- A nice, fruity red wine such as Zinfandel or Syrah will pair nicely with the flavors in this delicious homemade dish.
- For a white option, Riesling or Pinot Grigio are always a great match for the chicken dish like this.
How to store leftovers?
If you end up with leftovers, simply transfer it to an airtight dish and refrigerate. It is best to store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Also, you can freeze it using a freezer-proof dish, for up to 3 months.
One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs bone in or out, with or without skin*
- salt and pepper to season
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger optional
Rice:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme optional
- 1 cup white rice uncooked (I used basmati)
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
Garnish:
- Lemon slices
- Fresh parsley chopped
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FollowInstructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Chicken:
- Season the chicken on each side with some Kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat the cast iron skillet on high heat, once hot, add the canola oil.
- When the oil starts to slightly simmer, add the chicken, (skin side down if you are using skin on chicken thighs) and cook until browned, 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover well with foil.
Sauce:
- Add the garlic to the cast iron skillet and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.
- Add the honey, water, vinegar, ginger if using and soy sauce. Cook on medium heat until the sauce reduces down and thickens slightly (about 5-8 minutes). Stir occasionally.
- If you want the sauce thicker, cook on low for longer, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer sauce to a bowl. Set aside.
Rice:
- Add butter to the hot cast iron skillet and melt on low-medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and cook for about 1 minute, just until soft.
- Add in the uncooked rice and dried thyme, stir and cook for a minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth, stir to combine.
- Add the meat back to the pan, on top of the rice. Skin side up if using bone-in thighs.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes. When 5 minutes are left, uncover the pan, brush chicken with the sauce and broil for 5 minutes.
- Serve with lemon slices, fresh parsley and extra sauce on top of the chicken.
Nutrition Facts
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