Crispy Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs
Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, these chicken thighs are pan-fried to perfection and coated in a rich, savory-sweet garlic butter glaze.
This garlic butter chicken thigh recipe transforms simple ingredients into an incredibly flavorful main dish. By briefly marinating the chicken and coating it in starch before pan-frying, you achieve a beautifully charred crust that perfectly absorbs the glossy sauce. The combination of melted butter, fragrant minced garlic, honey, and soy sauce creates an irresistible sweet and savory balance that is easy to make yet tastes restaurant-quality.
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3-4 ginger slices
- 3 tbsp cornstarch (or potato starch)
- as needed cooking oil spray
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (for sauce)
- to garnish toasted sesame seedscite: 1
Instructions
- 1Marinate the chicken pieces
Place chopped chicken thighs into a metal bowl. Add a small spoon of salt, a spoon of pepper, two spoons of light soy sauce, a spoon of oyster sauce, and ginger slices. Mix everything thoroughly and let it marinate for 15 minutes.
Tip: Remember to remove the ginger slices before frying the chicken. - 2Coat with starch
Add a generous amount of starch directly into the bowl with the marinated chicken pieces. Mix evenly by hand until the outer surface of the chicken is dry and powdery.
Tip: Coating the chicken thoroughly with starch helps lock in juices and creates a better crust when frying. - 3Pan-fry the chicken
Spray oil evenly in a non-stick pan. Place the coated chicken thigh pieces flat into the pan and spray another layer of oil directly on top of the chicken.
Tip: Spray oil lightly on both the pan and the chicken to ensure even browning without excess grease. - 4Fry until charred
Fry the chicken thighs until the bottom surfaces are slightly charred. Flip them over and fry the other side until it also develops a slightly charred appearance, then remove and set aside.
Tip: Watch the heat carefully so the crust browns without burning the meat inside. - 5Melt the butter
Place a separate pan on the lowest heat setting and add two pieces of butter. Allow the butter to melt completely until it begins to foam.
Tip: Keep the heat low when melting butter to prevent it from burning or turning bitter. - 6Add minced garlic
Once the butter has melted and is foaming in the pan, add a generous amount of minced garlic into the bubbling butter using a wooden spoon.
Tip: Stir continuously after adding the garlic so it infuses into the butter evenly. - 7Add honey and soy sauce
To the foaming garlic butter mixture, pour in the honey and light soy sauce. Stir-fry everything together continuously until large, glossy bubbles begin to form in the pan.
Tip: Keep the heat low when melting butter to prevent it from burning before the garlic is added. - 8Toss chicken with sauce
Add the pre-fried chicken thighs into the pan with the bubbling garlic butter sauce. Turn the heat to medium and quickly toss everything together so that the chicken thighs are evenly coated in the sauce before serving.
Tip: Toss quickly on medium heat to absorb the flavor without burning the honey and garlic glaze.
