We’ve got another Chinese takeout fakeout for you. Our take on Chinese Garlic Chicken will be ready in less time than order and delivery takes at your favorite restaurant.
Chinese Garlic Chicken is so easy that my kids make it themselves all the time. The other reason they make it themselves is because it is so so so tasty! It’s ready in under 20 minutes, which is quicker than going for take out, and it tastes better too.
Scroll down to learn more about it or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Video: How To Make Chinese Garlic Chicken:
The Garlic Sauce
The garlic sauce looks pretty unassuming when you mix it up. But when it hits the hot pan, you’ll see how it starts to get thick and sticky like a real Chinese chicken sauce. What’s the secret? The cornstarch helps thicken it and gives it that classic consistency. Don’t skip it or the sauce definitely won’t thicken as it’s supposed to.
Are you obsessed with garlicky chicken? Try this Garlic Butter Chicken recipe or our Creamy Garlic Chicken recipe.
Type Of Chicken To Use
We opted for boneless, skinless chicken breast in this recipe, but boneless skinless chicken thighs also work well. The sauce cooks quickly, so be sure to cut the chicken into small, one-inch pieces that are fairly uniform so it finishes cooking at the same time as the garlic sauce.
Cooked Chicken: Yes, you can use already cooked chicken in this recipe, like leftover cubed chicken, shredded chicken, or diced rotisserie chicken. You’ll still add it at the same point in the recipe below, but it will cook in the sauce for 2 less minutes. You’re just heating the chicken through and allowing the sauce to thicken.
Garnish with some sesame seeds and sliced green onion for a little crunch and color and serve this classic over rice.
More Great Chicken Recipes
Chicken is always such a great option for a quick dinner. We have a collection of over 70 chicken recipes over here for you to choose from. And here are some reader favorites:
Podcast Episode: Making Chinese Garlic Chicken
Listen to our editor-in-chief, Christine Pittman, explain briefly about how to make this tasty Chinese Garlic Chicken recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print Chinese Garlic Chicken Recipe
We’ve got another Chinese takeout fakeout for you. Our take on Chinese Garlic Chicken will be ready in less time than order and delivery takes at your favorite restaurant.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce*
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 lb. chicken breast**, cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
- 1 green onion, sliced (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Whisk together minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and cornstarch until smooth.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.
- Add chicken and garlic mixture to pan and stir fry, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion, if desired.
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Notes
*I typically use low-sodium soy sauce here. If you are concerned about salt, or if you want to make sure it’s not too salty, use low-sodium soy sauce as well.
**One pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead, also cut into 1″ pieces.
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This post originally appeared in March 2019 and was revised and republished in August 2022.