Ever had one of those moments when you take a bite of something so good you just gotta close your eyes and savor it? That’s what happens with a perfectly made soy garlic chicken I’m gonna show you how to create this mouthwatering dish that combines the umami richness of soy sauce with the aromatic punch of garlic. Trust me, this is about to become your new go-to dinner recipe!
Why Soy Garlic Chicken Deserves a Spot in Your Recipe Collection
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s talk about why this dish is so amazing:
- Quick to make – Most versions take under 30 minutes from start to finish
- Simple ingredients – You probably have most of them in your pantry already
- Versatile – Works with different chicken cuts and cooking methods
- Family-friendly – The perfect balance of flavors that even picky eaters love
- Restaurant-quality – Tastes like takeout but costs a fraction of the price
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Soy Garlic Chicken
Let’s gather everything we need before we start cooking
The Chicken
You’ve got options here! While boneless, skinless chicken thighs are most commonly used (and my personal fave because they stay so juicy), you can also use
- Bone-in chicken thighs (pull off the skin for less grease)
- Chicken breasts (though they won’t be quite as tender)
The Flavor Makers
Here’s where the magic happens:
- Soy sauce – Low sodium is best so you can control the saltiness
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is a must (1-2 tablespoons depending on your love for garlic)
- Ginger – Either fresh minced or ginger paste works great
- Brown sugar – Creates that sticky, caramelized coating
- Butter – Adds richness to the glaze (this is key!)
- Sesame oil – Just a touch for that authentic Asian flavor
- Optional add-ins: allspice, dark soy sauce, honey, rice wine or sherry
Cooking Essentials
- Neutral cooking oil (avocado, vegetable, or canola)
- Salt and pepper
- Cornstarch (for thickening and creating a light crust)
How to Make Classic Soy Garlic Chicken (Stovetop Method)
Now for the good stuff! This is the basic stovetop method that takes about 20 minutes:
Step 1: Prep the Chicken
- Pat your chicken thighs dry with paper towels
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
- Lightly coat each piece in cornstarch, shaking off the excess
Step 2: Cook the Chicken
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat
- Add the chicken pieces in a single layer (don’t overcrowd!)
- Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate
Step 3: Make the Magical Soy Garlic Glaze
- In the same skillet over low heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter
- Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger, sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant
- Pour in 4 tablespoons soy sauce and 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- Cook, stirring, until it thickens to a glaze-like consistency
Step 4: Bring It All Together
- Return the chicken to the skillet
- Spoon the glaze over each piece, making sure they’re well coated
- Garnish with sliced green onions
- Serve hot over rice and prepare for compliments!
Korean-Style Soy Garlic Fried Chicken Variation
If you’re feeling a bit adventurous and want to try a Korean twist, here’s how to make Korean soy garlic chicken:
For the Korean Soy Garlic Sauce:
Mix together:
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, minced
- 1 chopped spring onion
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 heaped teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Cooking Method:
- Bring all sauce ingredients (except cornstarch slurry) to a boil in a small saucepan
- Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes
- Stir in cornstarch slurry and simmer another 3 minutes until thickened
- Let cool slightly, then blend until smooth
- Drizzle over your crispy fried chicken pieces or toss them in the sauce
This Korean version has a stickier, more intense flavor that’s absolutely addictive but without the spiciness of traditional Korean fried chicken.
Tips for Soy Garlic Chicken Success
Here are some pro tips I’ve learned from making this dish countless times:
- Don’t skip the cornstarch – It creates a light crust on the chicken and helps thicken the glaze
- Keep an eye on the glaze – It can go from perfect to burned quickly because of the sugar
- Make extra sauce – Trust me, you’ll want to drizzle it over your rice too!
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing to keep all those juices inside
- For meal prep: Cook rice in advance and freeze it to save time on busy weeknights
Serving Suggestions
Make it a complete meal with these perfect pairings:
Rice Options:
- Plain white or brown rice
- Coconut rice (absolute heaven with this chicken!)
- Cilantro lime rice
- Almond rice pilaf
Veggie Sides:
- Sautéed broccolini or green beans
- Roasted brussels sprouts
- Sheet pan roasted vegetables
- Simple steamed broccoli
Storage Tips
Got leftovers? Lucky you! Here’s how to handle them:
- Store chicken and glaze together in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days
- Keep rice in a separate container for food safety
- Reheat gently in the microwave to avoid drying out the chicken
- You can freeze cooked rice for up to a month in a freezer-safe bag with the air pressed out
Why This Recipe Works Every Time
What makes this soy garlic chicken so foolproof? It’s all about balance:
- The sweetness of brown sugar balances the saltiness of soy sauce
- The aromatic garlic and ginger create depth of flavor
- The butter adds richness that ties everything together
- The cornstarch creates the perfect texture for both chicken and sauce
Final Thoughts
Soy garlic chicken is one of those recipes that proves you don’t need a ton of fancy ingredients or complicated techniques to make something spectacular. It’s become a regular in my dinner rotation, and I bet it will in yours too!
Whether you go with the classic stovetop version or try the Korean-inspired approach, this dish delivers big flavor with minimal effort. And isn’t that what weeknight cooking is all about?
Now go on, give this recipe a try and watch as your family fights over who gets the last piece. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!
What’s your favorite way to serve chicken? Drop me a comment below – I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Why you will love this Soy and Garlic Chicken recipe:
- It is so quick and easy – you can have it on the table in under 20 minutes!
- Packed full of flavour and texture thanks to the incredible combination of sweet honey, salty soy sauce, spicy chilli flakes, sour lime and crispy chicken skin. Yum!
- It is super versatile – I serve with fluffy rice in this recipe, but you can switch it up by serving with your favourite noodles.
- It is a delicious fakeaway option that will be on the table quicker than any Deliveroo rider.
- It is budget-friendly thanks to the chicken thighs which are one of the more affordable cuts of meat. Plus it is much cheaper than ordering a takeaway when you crave an Asian-inspired meal.
Chicken thighs – chicken thighs are so tender and succulent. I use skin-on in this recipe as the crispiness of the skin is just so good.
Salt – a sprinkling of flaky sea salt helps to create the most incredible crispy chicken skin. I recommend Maldon Salt Flakes.
Olive oil – this adds a mild, slightly fruity, flavour to the chicken.
Butter – opt for unsalted as the soy sauce and salt flakes on the crispy chicken skin already bring all the salt you need.
Garlic cloves – I have been generous with the garlic as you really want the flavour to come through in the sauce.
Runny honey – this adds a lovely sweetness which balances out the salty soy (and makes the sauce super glossy).
Soy sauce – this is full of salty, umami flavour which makes for the most delicious sauce.
For the cucumber salad and to serve:
Cucumber – baby cucumbers tend to be slightly crisper and a little sweeter, but you can use regular cucumbers if that is what you can find.
Chilli flakes – a generous pinch of dried chilli flakes add a fiery kick to the cooling cucumbers.
Sesame oil – I love the nutty flavour of sesame oil. You don’t need much as a little goes a long way.
Lime juice – this brings zestiness and acidity which helps really bring this Soy and Garlic Chicken to life.
Sesame seeds – I love sprinkling Asian-inspired dishes with sesame seeds. Toast them gently for extra flavour.
Rice – a bowl of fluffy rice is a thing of beauty and the perfect base for this dish. You could use the microwavable pouches if you are short on time.
Spring onions – these add to the subtle onion flavour and are perfect as a garnish.
Thai basil – this is entirely optional but I love the flavour it brings to this dish.
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Honey – I love the sweet stickiness the honey brings. I would argue it’s a key component but you could use maple syrup for sweetness in a pinch but, be warned, it will have a distinctively different flavour profile. I would use less maple syrup and a little more brown sugar – perhaps also adding a pinch of sea salt too. Taste before you drizzle over the chicken to check you’re happy with it, that way you will avert a disaster!
Soy sauce – I tend to use light soy sauce but you can also use dark soy sauce, just add a little less as it’s much more intense. You could swap for tamari, just bear in mind it tends to be thicker and have a stronger flavour.
Lime juice – you could swap for lemon juice or rice wine vinegar for acidity.
Rice – I love this with a bowl of steaming fluffy rice but you could opt for egg fried rice if you have the time. You could also serve with noodles instead (any kind will do… egg, udon, rice, vermicelli – the choice is yours!).
Sesame seeds – I have used white sesame seeds in this Soy and Garlic Chicken but you could use a mixture of black and white. The black ones have a slightly stronger taste which is perfect if you like sesame! A sprinkling of toasted cashew nuts or crispy onions are also delicious ways to add crunch.
Thai basil – this is such a great herb to use and, luckily, you can get it in most supermarkets now! It is nothing like regular basil, so you can’t use them interchangeably – if you can’t find Thai basil, you could swap for roughly chopped coriander. It has a different flavour profile but still works really well with this Soy and Garlic Chicken. So would spring onions or chives.
Ginger – if you like the warming flavours of ginger, feel free to add a little ginger paste or grated fresh ginger to the sauce.
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.
ONE: Make the cucumber salad, slice the cucumber, mix it with chili flakes, sesame oil, and lime juice, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
TWO: Pat the thighs dry, sprinkle with salt
THREE: Cook skin-side down with a weight on top for 7 minutes.
FOUR: Flip and cook until crispy. through. Remove from the pan and leave to rest.
FIVE: To make the sauce, drain excess oil from the pan, add butter and rest of ingredient and heat over low heat.
SIX: Assemble and serve.
Weighing the chicken down is key: the trick to get the crispiest chicken skin is to weigh it down as it cooks. It makes such a difference and will result in the crispiest crunchiest chicken. Also try not to disturb it as it cooks – trust the process. Keep the heat to medium as you don’t want it to burn – remember to keep turning the pan occasionally to make sure the heat is evenly distributed.
How to debone chicken thighs: you don’t need any finely honed knife skills to remove the bones from chicken thighs – it is much easier than you think! I use a strong pair of scissors to snip them out. The first one is slight trial and error and then you will get the knack and it only takes a few seconds. Discard the bones or use them for stock if you are very organised. You can keep bones like this in a bag in the freezer until you are ready to make stock.
Not at all – if you can’t get hold of chicken thighs you can use skin-on chicken breasts and adjust the cooking time accordingly. Poached chicken would also be nice – the sauce is kind of the star of the show and it would work with all sorts of things, chicken or pork meatballs. The sauce is also delicious with pork chops – especially if you get the skin gorgeously crispy and crackling-like. So good!
Yet another thing I love about my Soy and Garlic Chicken recipe is that you can serve it with so many different things… rice is my go-to (you could even use those microwavable pouches – they are a weeknight lifesaver in my house), egg-fried if I am feeling fancy, but noodles also work really well. Udon, egg, rice, vermicelli – whatever you have in your cupboard is perfect. You can also get creative with the garnishes – a sprinkling of crispy onions is super tasty. I also often add some toasted chopped cashew nuts.
If you only have 20 minutes, make Soy Glazed Chicken!
FAQ
What is garlic soy chicken?
This Garlic Soy Chicken proves how a simple Asian inspired glaze can turn simple boring chicken thighs into delicious, super flavorful, tender chicken thighs that will be the star of your dinner. Subscribe & receive a FREE Comfort Food Recipe Book! Did you try this recipe?
How do you make soy garlic chicken?
Make the soy garlic sauce: In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, and honey until well combined. 3. Cook the soy garlic chicken: In a pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and place the chicken skin side down. Pan-fry for 4 minutes until golden brown. Flip and fry the other side for another 4 minutes.
How do you make garlic soy chicken thighs?
This Garlic Soy Chicken proves how a simple Asian inspired glaze can turn simple boring chicken thighs into delicious, super flavorful, tender chicken thighs that will be the star of your dinner. Pat the chicken dry and trim any fat if preferred. In a small bowl bowl whisk together the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, allspice, garlic and brown sugar.
How do you cook chicken in soy sauce?
In a small bowl bowl whisk together the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, allspice, garlic and brown sugar. Set aside. In a skillet heat the olive oil and sesame oil. Add the chicken to the skillet. Using a brush, brush about half the soy sauce mixture over all the chicken pieces. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip over and brush with the remaining sauce.