Description
This easy Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken recipe delivers sticky, crispy, tender, and juicy chicken in just 20 minutes. Perfectly coated in a sweet and slightly spicy honey garlic sauce, this dish is a quick and delicious dinner option that pairs wonderfully with rice and garnishes like green onions and red pepper flakes.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound chicken breast or chicken thighs, cut into bite-size cubes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Honey Garlic Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 5 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer: Set the air fryer to preheat at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes to ensure the basket reaches the optimal temperature for cooking chicken evenly.
- Prepare Chicken: In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces with cornstarch, salt, black pepper, and soy sauce. Stir well to thoroughly coat each piece, which will help achieve a crispy texture in the air fryer.
- Prepare Air Fryer Basket: Using a spray bottle with oil, lightly coat the bottom of the preheated air fryer basket to prevent sticking. Then place the coated chicken pieces in a single layer inside the basket and spray a little more oil on top of the chicken.
- Cook Chicken: Air fry the chicken at 350°F for 5 minutes. After this, flip the chicken pieces and continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) for safe consumption.
- Make Honey Garlic Sauce: While the chicken cooks, combine honey, chicken broth, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the chopped garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the sauce mixture and cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
- Combine and Coat: Transfer the cooked chicken to the pan with the warm honey garlic sauce. Stir well so that every piece of chicken is evenly coated with the sticky sauce.
- Serve: Serve the honey garlic chicken hot, ideally with rice, and garnish with chopped green onions and additional red pepper flakes for extra flavor and color.
Notes
- Do not use commercial aerosol spray oils as they can damage the non-stick coating of your air fryer basket. Use a spray bottle filled with oil instead.
- Add more garlic for a stronger garlicky flavor or increase red pepper flakes to make the dish spicier. The current sauce is mostly sweet with a hint of heat.
- This honey garlic sauce also works great with air-fried whole chicken thighs; they will require a longer cooking time of about 20-25 minutes at 350°F.
- Always use a reliable instant-read thermometer to ensure chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat.
