Honey Soy Chicken - Marinade and Sauce (excellent grilled!)
Recipe video above. This is my premium recipe for Honey Soy chicken, a step up from this quick Honey Garlic Chicken and easy Baked Honey Soy Chicken, neither of which call for marinating. One mixture is used as a marinade, for basting, and also to make a fabulous glossy sauce to drizzle over the chicken and everything on your plate. It's especially good for grilling! (More BBQ recipes here) Pictured with Pineapple Fried Rice.Other chicken cuts - For wings, use the Honey Soy Wings recipe. For drumsticks and bone-in thighs, use the Honey Soy Baked Chicken recipe.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 5 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1.25 - 1.5 kg/ 2.5 - 3 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs OR breast ((Note 1))
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (, for cooking)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (, all purpose or light (not dark, Note 2))
- 2/3 cup honey ((sub maple syrup))
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar ((or rice vinegar))
- 1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry ((key ingredient, Note 3))
- 1 tbsp sesame oil (, toasted (Note 4))
- 1 1/2 tbsp garlic (, finely minced)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 1/2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
- Green onion (, finely sliced)
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1
Place ingredients in a jug and mix well until honey is completely dissolved.
- 2
Reserve 1/4 cup for Basting, refrigerate. (Note 5)
- 3
Reserve 2/3 cup for Serving Sauce, refrigerate.
- 4
Marinade Chicken: Pour remaining marinade over chicken in a container. Coat chicken thoroughly. Cover, refrigerate 24 to 48 hours (minimum 3 hrs).
- 5
Place reserved sauce in a small saucepan. Mix cornflour and water, then add into saucepan.
- 6
Simmer over medium for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until it thickens to a syrupy consistency. Set aside and keep warm. (If it gets too thick, just add a bit more water)
- 7
Brush BBQ plate or grills with oil and heat to medium high. Or heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- 8
THIGHS: Place chicken on BBQ. Cook the first side for 2 minutes, then flip and dab with reserved Basting Sauce. Cook for 2 minutes, flip and baste. Then flip/baste every 1 minute for total cook time of ~ 10 minutes or until a thermometer reads 75°C/165°F.
- 9
BREAST: Cook first side 2 minutes, flip, baste. Cook 2 minutes, then flip and baste every 45 sec or so for total cook time of ~8 minutes (internal temp 66°C / 151°F).
- 10
REST: Transfer to serving plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
- 11
SERVE chicken garnished with sesame seeds and green onion, with sauce on the side so people can help themselves.