Baking the chicken instead?

Place chicken in a baking dish. Make sauce without the cornstarch slurry. Pour half the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes. Cook the rest of the sauce and the cornstarch slurry on the stovetop until thickened. Toss the baked chicken with the thickened sauce before serving.

How do I thicken the glaze?

Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Whisk to combine. Add cornstarch mixture to sauce at the end of cooking. Continuously stir sauce. During the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, the sauce should become syrupy and sticky.

How long do leftovers keep?

Store cooked chicken in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave. You can also warm the chicken slowly in a pan on the stovetop, pouring a bit of water or chicken stock into the sauce to make it more liquid as needed.

What should I serve with it?

Serve it with steamed white or brown rice. Other good side dishes include quinoa, stir-fried vegetables, steamed broccoli, and lo mein noodles.

Adding vegetables to the skillet?

Bell peppers or snow peas would work well. Add these vegetables during the last few minutes of cooking, when the chicken is nearly done.

Honey-Soy Glazed Chicken: 30-Minute Skillet Dinner

By Mason BrooksNov 11, 2026

Prep

10 min

Cook

20 min

Total

30 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Chicken thighs and other readily available ingredients can be used to make a meal in 30 minutes. I usually make this dish using one pan for a fast meal. A honey-soy sauce topping caramelizes while the chicken cooks. Other ingredients and flavors in the dish include garlic and ginger, but ginger is not a major flavor.

Honey-Soy Glazed Chicken: 30-Minute Skillet Dinner

Pat the chicken dry and place 1-inch pieces of chicken spaced apart in your largest skillet. Pieces close together in the skillet won't brown well and will lack crispy edges. If you don't have a large skillet, brown the chicken in batches.

After adding the sauce to the pan, cook over medium-low heat for about one minute before adding the slurry to avoid burning the honey. Cornstarch is a fast-acting thickener. Stir constantly and watch the pan to make sure the sauce coats all the meat pieces evenly.

You can use chicken breasts if you otherwise prefer them. I take chicken breasts out of the pan soon after they are cooked because they tend to dry out faster than chicken thighs. Red pepper flakes can add spiciness, and bell peppers or snow peas can be added to the skillet for the last few minutes of cooking. Green onions and sesame seeds can be added to cooked dishes, and I like to add sesame seeds to the sticky glaze.

Why you'll love this recipe

Dinner can be ready in 30 minutes. Chicken and sauce are prepared in one pan.
The recipe ingredients are basic staples. There is no need to purchase anything out of the ordinary to prepare a fast chicken dish.
One skillet or wok is used for cooking. Two small bowls are used for the sauce and slurry.
Chicken thighs are juicy because they cook briefly in the pan with the sauce for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Chicken breast is also an option. Use diced chicken breast about 1 inch per side and don't cook for too long.
A spoonful of cornstarch slurry helps thicken the pan sauce to use as a glaze on chicken.

Instructions

Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Cut them into 1-inch pieces and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Whisk the soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl. Mix the cornstarch and water in a separate small bowl to make a slurry, then set both bowls aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the honey-soy sauce over the chicken and let it bubble for about 1 minute, stirring to coat the pieces. Stir the slurry again, add it to the skillet, and cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring constantly, until the glaze thickens.

Remove the skillet from the heat and serve immediately. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

FAQ

I suggest using diced boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1-inch pieces. Chicken breasts need less cooking time and dry out more easily than thighs, so take them off the heat as soon as they are cooked through. Other preparation and cooking instructions, including the sauce, are the same.

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Dinner Chicken Asian Quick Meals Stovetop

Honey-Soy Glazed Chicken: 30-Minute Skillet Dinner

Name: Honey-Soy Glazed Chicken: 30-Minute Skillet Dinner
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch pieces); salt (for light seasoning); pepper (for light seasoning); 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce; 1/3 cup honey; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tbsp fresh ginger (grated); 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp water (cold); 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking); green onions (sliced, for garnish); sesame seeds (for garnish)

By Mason BrooksNov 11, 2026

Prep

10 min

Cook

20 min

Total

30 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

Dinner can be ready in 30 minutes. Chicken and sauce are prepared in one pan.
The recipe ingredients are basic staples. There is no need to purchase anything out of the ordinary to prepare a fast chicken dish.
One skillet or wok is used for cooking. Two small bowls are used for the sauce and slurry.
Chicken thighs are juicy because they cook briefly in the pan with the sauce for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Chicken breast is also an option. Use diced chicken breast about 1 inch per side and don't cook for too long.
A spoonful of cornstarch slurry helps thicken the pan sauce to use as a glaze on chicken.

Ingredients

Servings4

•1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch pieces)
•salt (for light seasoning)
•pepper (for light seasoning)
•½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
•⅓ cup honey
•2 cloves garlic (minced)
•1 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
•1 tbsp rice vinegar
•1 tsp toasted sesame oil
•1 tbsp cornstarch
•2 tbsp water (cold)
•1 tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking)
•green onions (sliced, for garnish)
•sesame seeds (for garnish)

Instructions

1
Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Cut them into 1-inch pieces and season lightly with salt and pepper.
2
Whisk the soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl. Mix the cornstarch and water in a separate small bowl to make a slurry, then set both bowls aside.
3
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.
4
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the honey-soy sauce over the chicken and let it bubble for about 1 minute, stirring to coat the pieces. Stir the slurry again, add it to the skillet, and cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring constantly, until the glaze thickens.
5
Remove the skillet from the heat and serve immediately. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.