This 5-Ingredient Chicken Is My Family’s Most Requested Dinner

Dear Dinner Therapist: My biggest dinner struggle is timing, with kids needing to eat as soon as we get home from school and work. The kids are ready to eat within 20 minutes of arriving home, but we are not ready to eat until an hour or more later. I end up playing short-order cook to the kids and preparing another dinner for ourselves after bedtime. I need a recipe that’s quick without a lot of prep. — Erin

Dear Erin: With an active five-year-old at home, I feel this dilemma so, so deeply — as I’m guessing a number of readers with kids do. When weeknight dinner needs to get on the table fast, preferably with minimal prep and effort, one of my absolute favorite solutions is a pan of tender, juicy chicken bites. This saucy version is a hit with the whole family. And here’s where it gets even better: You can serve it to the kids as soon as it’s ready, and it also reheats incredibly well, so it can pull double duty for when you’re ready for an adult dinner later. Round it out with a simple pot of fluffy rice or steamed broccoli, or spoon it onto a rice bowl with sliced avocado, a quick slaw, or sautéed greens.

Why You’ll Love It

• The sauce! This is the star for sure. With just five basic ingredients (we don’t count salt, pepper, and oil, since those staples are likely on hand), you get a totally irresistible, glossy sauce that’s just the right balance of sweet, savory, and tangy.

• It checks all the boxes for an easy weeknight dinner. This one-pan recipe cooks in three simple steps in less than 20 minutes.

• There are so many ways to serve it. Partner the chicken with an easy weeknight side dish, toss with noodles, or add to a grain bowl or salad to turn it into dinner; tuck it into a wrap or pita for lunch.

Key Ingredients in Honey Garlic Chicken Bites

• Chicken: You can use boneless, skinless chicken breast, thighs, or a combination of the two. The cook time will be about the same regardless of the cut.

• Honey: While this is the main ingredient in the sauce, the dish is still decidedly savory. Besides adding sweetness, honey is also the key to the thick, glossy sauce.

• Soy sauce: Just a couple of spoonfuls balance out the sweetness of the honey.

• Garlic: I’m generally on board with using a garlic press for convenience, but for this recipe I think chopping the garlic by hand works a little better. The slightly larger bits are also less likely to burn.

How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken Bites

1. Sear the chicken. Work in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. The chicken may not be fully cooked through at this point; that’s okay.

2. Cook the garlic. Return all the chicken to the pan. Add the garlic and cook just until it’s fragrant.

3. Stir in the sauce and finish. Add the sauce and cook, spooning the sauce over the chicken occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened slightly, glossy, and reduced by about half.

Dinner Therapist is my column dedicated to solving your dilemmas around the most important — but let’s be honest, sometimes most dreaded — meal of the day. Prepping dinner night after night can be so hard. Here, I deliver practical and hopefully fun advice to make cooking less complicated and more enjoyable. Follow along for all the recipes. Got your own dinner struggles? We want to hear from you! Fill out this super-quick form for your chance to be featured in an upcoming column.

Honey Garlic Chicken Bites Recipe

The sauce is just the right balance of sweet, savory, and tangy — it’s perfect.

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 15 minutes to 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a combination, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup honey

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

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1. Pat 1 1/2 pounds chopped boneless, skinless chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Season all over with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

2. Whisk 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar together in a small bowl.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of the chicken in a single layer. Cook until golden-brown on the bottom and the chicken easily releases from the bottom of the pan, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate (some pieces may not be cooked through).

4. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in the skillet and repeat browning the remaining chicken. Transfer to the plate.

5. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Increase the heat to medium-high. Pour in the sauce and cook, spooning some of the sauce over chicken, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened slightly, glossy, and reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions if desired.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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