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Crispy Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken: The Perfect 20-Minute Dinner
Alex

Crispy Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken: The Perfect 20-Minute Dinner

This crispy air fryer honey garlic chicken is a perfect 20-minute dinner: a sticky sweet-savory glaze over juicy chicken. Get the easy weeknight recipe inside.
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Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Dinner Recipes
Calories: 650
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g 1.1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (the hero, thighs, not breasts)
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce low-sodium works great
  • 4 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes optional, I always add them
  • 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water slurry, thickens the glaze
  • Steamed rice or cauliflower rice
  • Sesame seeds + sliced green onions
  • Lemon or lime wedge

Method
 

  1. Preheat air fryer to 380°F for 3 minutes. A cold basket means uneven cooking from the start.
  2. Pat chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Dry chicken = crispy exterior. This step matters more than people think.
  3. Toss chicken with cornstarch, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and olive oil in a large bowl until every piece is evenly coated.
  4. Place in the air fryer basket in a single layer, no overlapping, no stacking. Hot air needs to circulate around every piece.
  5. Cook at 380°F for 8–9 minutes, then flip each piece. Cook another 8 minutes.
  6. While chicken cooks, combine honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until it starts to bubble gently, about 2 minutes. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir for 1 minute until the glaze thickens and coats a spoon.
  7. Brush glaze generously over each piece. Increase air fryer to 400°F and cook a final 3 minutes, the glaze caramelizes, darkens slightly, and becomes sticky and lacquered. Watch it, it goes from perfect to burnt quickly at this stage.
  8. Pull out, rest for 2 minutes, the glaze sets slightly as it cools.
  9. Plate over steamed rice, scatter sesame seeds and green onions, squeeze of lemon or lime over the top.