Honey Garlic Chicken Bowl (Printable)

Tender chicken in sweet honey garlic glaze over fluffy rice with vegetables and sesame seeds.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
03 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
04 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Honey Garlic Sauce

05 - 4 tablespoons honey
06 - 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
09 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
10 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil

→ Rice

11 - 1.25 cups jasmine or short-grain white rice
12 - 2 cups water
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Vegetables

14 - 1.5 cups broccoli florets
15 - 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
16 - 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced

→ Garnishes

17 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
18 - 2 spring onions, sliced

# Directions:

01 - Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Combine rice, water, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, rice vinegar, ginger, and sesame oil until well combined. Set aside.
03 - Toss chicken pieces with cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a bowl until evenly coated.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through.
05 - Pour honey garlic sauce over cooked chicken. Stir and let simmer for 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens and coats the chicken evenly.
06 - While chicken cooks, steam broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper in a steamer basket for 4-5 minutes until tender-crisp, or sauté in a separate skillet with a splash of oil for enhanced flavor.
07 - Divide cooked rice among 4 serving bowls. Top each bowl with glazed chicken, steamed vegetables, sesame seeds, and sliced spring onions.
08 - Serve immediately while rice is warm and sauce is still glossy.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce does all the heavy lifting—your chicken transforms from plain to restaurant-worthy in under three minutes.
  • Everything comes together in one skillet, which means cleanup is almost as quick as the cooking.
  • It's genuinely adaptable, so you can throw in whatever vegetables are lingering in your crisper drawer and it still works beautifully.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the rice—this single step is the difference between fluffy grains and a sticky, gluey mess that tastes like disappointment.
  • The cornstarch coating needs to stick; if you try to add it right before cooking and it falls off, the glaze won't thicken and cling the way it should.
  • High heat is your friend when searing the chicken—low and slow steams instead of sears, giving you pale chicken instead of that golden, slightly caramelized exterior.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for 30 seconds before sprinkling them over the bowls—this tiny step makes them taste more intense and adds a nuttiness that raw seeds can't match.
  • If you're cooking for a crowd, make the sauce ahead of time and reheat it gently when you're ready to cook the chicken, which takes stress out of timing everything perfectly.
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