Honey Garlic Chicken Rice (Print)

Sweet-savory chicken thighs with honey garlic sauce served on fluffy rice for comforting meal.

# Components:

→ Protein

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

→ Sauce

02 - 1/3 cup honey
03 - 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
04 - 1/4 cup ketchup
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

→ Slurry

10 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
11 - 2 tablespoons water

→ Rice

12 - 1 1/2 cups jasmine or basmati rice
13 - 3 cups water
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Garnish

15 - 2 green onions, sliced
16 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

# Directions:

01 - In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk honey, soy sauce, ketchup, minced garlic, rice vinegar, grated ginger, black pepper, and chili flakes until well combined.
02 - Lay the chicken thighs in the bottom of the crockpot and pour the prepared sauce evenly over the chicken.
03 - Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6–7 hours, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
04 - Thirty minutes before serving, rinse rice under cold water. Combine rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until water has been absorbed. Remove from heat, let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
05 - Transfer cooked chicken thighs to a plate. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Stir the slurry into the sauce in the crockpot.
06 - Return the chicken to the crockpot. Set to high and cook for an additional 10–15 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and has thickened.
07 - Spoon chicken and sauce over the prepared rice. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce gets rich and intensely flavorful with almost no effort, but feels like a restaurant treat.
  • This recipe adapts easily for guests or family, making everyone ask for seconds.
02 -
  • If the sauce isn’t simmering after adding the slurry, it won’t thicken—turn up the heat and be patient.
  • Rinse rice thoroughly; skipping this step leaves rice sticky and overly starchy.
03 -
  • Resting rice covered for five minutes gives fluffier grains every time.
  • A squeeze of lemon over the chicken brightens the whole dish—not traditional, but it’s my secret weapon.
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