Just in time for the holiday weekend – honey garlic chicken!
With all this time at home, and cooking at home A LOT more, I got an Instant Pot last month, and it’s been fun trying out new recipes and playing around with all the cool features.
One of the best parts of the Instant Pot is how fast it cooks things. This dish comes together in 30 minutes, so it’s great for a quick weeknight dinner. Finishing the chicken in the broiler is my easy go-to way to get that crispy grilled taste, but without the grill.
The recipe also works well for chicken legs or wings and can be easily doubled, which makes this great for a big family, feeding a crowd (but maybe save this for a post social distancing party) or just leftovers for the next day.
The sauce is the best part – savory, lightly sweet, spicy from the garlic and ginger, and a nice sour kick from the lemon. Combine with the juicy and lightly crispy chicken for a flavorful and delicious meal!
Traditional Chinese Medicine ingredient breakdown
Garlic has antibacterial properties and can help boost the immune system and benefit digestion.
Ginger is considered warm and acrid, and is used to alleviate stomach upset, nausea or motion sickness. It is also great to take when you’re coming down with a cold, and helps to warm the lungs and stop coughing.
Soy sauce is sweet, salty, and neutral in temperature to help boost digestion and strengthen the Spleen and Stomach to help treat loss of appetite.
Honey moistens the Lungs to relieve coughs, and strengthens the Spleen and Stomach to improve digestion and relieve pain.
Lemon is considered slightly cold and very sour, and can help clear heat, harmonize the Stomach, alleviate thirst, and relieve coughing.
Ingredients
2 lb chicken thighs, bone in and skin on (4-6 thighs, can substitute legs or wings)
3-5 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
Juice from 1 lemon
1 inch piece ginger, grated
Black pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Directions
Combine garlic, soy sauce, honey, lemon, and ginger in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings according to taste preference – add more lemon for more sour taste, more honey for sweetness, or soy sauce for salt. Season with black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Set aside.
Place raw chicken thighs in the Instant Pot inner pot, then pour sauce over the chicken. Place and secure lid on Instant Pot. Set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on High for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to come up to pressure, then will pressure cook for 10 minutes. Let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes after cooking time is done, then do Quick Release to finish depressurizing.
Remove chicken thighs and place skin side up on a foil lined baking sheet. Broil in the oven on high for 3-5 minutes, but keep an eye on the time, the broiler can turn the skin from crispy to burned pretty quickly! Remove from the oven when the skin is crispy.
Once the chicken is removed from the Instant Pot, you’ll still have some leftover sauce in the pot. Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode, and let the sauce reduce for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder with 1 tablespoon of water in a separate small bowl, then add this mixture to the sauce and whisk to combine and thicken the sauce.
Serve the chicken thighs with rice and vegetables to soak up all that sauce and enjoy!
**To cook the chicken without using an Instant Pot, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the sauce as directed. Place the thighs in a foil lined 9×13 inch baking dish, and pour sauce over the chicken. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the chicken thighs have an internal temperature of 165 degrees and the skin is crispy.
References
Bensky, D., Clavey, S., Stoger, E., & Gamble, A. (2004). Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd Edition. Seattle, WA: Eastland Press, Inc.
Pitchford, Paul. (2002). Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition, 3rd Edition. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.
Wang, Y., Sheir, W., & Ono, M. (2010). Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.