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Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

Sweet and savory honey garlic chicken breasts, baked to perfection, featuring a glossy glaze and tender meat, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or meal prep.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup honey
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat the Oil and Butter
   Begin by warming up 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with 1 tablespoon of butter in a spacious frying pan. Set your stove to medium or medium-high heat. This combination of oil and butter helps achieve a golden crust while infusing a rich flavor into the chicken.

2. Step 2: Prepare the Chicken
   Take the chicken breasts and slice them lengthwise to yield four thinner pieces. This ensures quicker cooking. Season each piece generously with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Once seasoned, give them a gentle coat of all-purpose flour, ensuring they're fully covered. This step adds a lovely texture to the chicken when cooked.

3. Step 3: Cook the Chicken
   With the pan ready and sizzling, add the flour-coated chicken pieces. Allow them to cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. You're looking for a nice golden brown color with the chicken being almost, but not quite, fully cooked through. Once they reach this stage, remove them and keep any lovely juices that might have collected.

4. Step 4: Sauté the Garlic
   Using the same pan, introduce the remaining tablespoon of butter on medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic, stirring it consistently for about 30-60 seconds. You want it to be fragrant, enhancing its natural aroma, but be cautious to avoid browning as it can easily become bitter.

5. Step 5: Make the Sauce
   Pour in the soy sauce and seasoned rice vinegar, taking a moment to scrape up any delicious browned bits left in the pan. Stir in the honey, adding a few cracks of black pepper and a touch of salt. Allow this mixture to simmer gently for 4-5 minutes until it thickens nicely, enough to coat the back of a spoon.

6. Step 6: Combine Chicken with Sauce
   Return the chicken and its reserved juices to the pan. Let them simmer together for about a minute, ensuring the chicken absorbs some of that delectable sauce and warms through perfectly. This step is where everything comes together in harmony.

7. Step 7: Garnish and Serve
   Now that your chicken is perfectly cooked and coated in that luscious honey garlic sauce, plate it up. Finish with a sprinkle of thinly sliced green onions for that extra pop of freshness and color. Enjoy the delightful balance of sweet and savory in every bite!

Notes

A common hiccup in this dish is overcooking the chicken. To avoid this, keep an eye on the chicken breasts as they cook. They should reach a beautiful golden hue, but don’t leave them too long. A kitchen timer is your ally here!

Another pitfall is burning the garlic. It only needs a short stint in the pan, just until fragrant. If the garlic turns brown, start over, or you'll have a bitter twist in your sauce.

Lastly, remember to scrape up those browned bits in the pan when adding soy sauce. They’re flavor gold!