A plate of glazed, pan-fried chicken pieces garnished with thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds, served on a ceramic dish with chopsticks on a wooden tray.

If you’re like me, you crave a tasty and satisfying dinner after a long day. On days when you don’t have much time to cook, try my Spicy Garlic Chicken recipe. I sear chicken breast until golden brown and toss it in a savory and hot glaze to deliver big, bold flavors. It’s ready in just 30 minutes!

If you love chicken breast, try my Baked Chicken Katsu, Grilled Miso Chicken, and Pan-Fried Curry Chicken recipes next!

A plate of glazed chicken pieces garnished with sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions, served on a white scalloped dish with various side dishes around it.
Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Why I Love This Recipe

  • Bold, spicy flavor – I used simple seasonings like sriracha, garlic, and soy sauce to add heat and an umami bite.
  • Lean yet satisfying – I used skinless chicken breast that’s high in protein and low in fat, so this dish is both filling and nutritious.
  • Quick and easy – Ready in 30 minutes and perfect for any busy weeknight.
  • Budget friendly – You may already have most of these ingredients in your pantry. With chicken breast as the only fresh ingredient, this recipe is easy on the wallet.
A plate of glazed chicken garnished with green onions is served with rice, soup with tofu, and assorted side dishes on a wooden tray, presented in a Japanese-style meal.
A hand holds a bowl of white rice topped with sesame seeds and nori flakes, while chopsticks lift a piece of glazed chicken garnished with green onions and sesame seeds. Blurred plate of more chicken in the background.

Ingredients for Spicy Garlic Chicken

  • chicken breast – boneless and skinless
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • potato starch or cornstarch
  • glaze:
    • sriracha sauce – to taste
    • fresh garlic cloves
    • soy sauce
    • mirin
    • sugar
    • toasted white sesame seeds – for glaze and garnish
    • potato starch (or cornstarch) and water – for the slurry
  • neutral oil
  • green onion/scallion – for garnish

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Substitutions

Mirin: If you can’t find it, try my handy substitution: Use 1 tablespoon sake (or water) + 1 teaspoon sugar for every 1 tablespoon mirin. The flavor isn’t the same, but it’s close.

Jump to Recipe
A plate of glazed chicken garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, served with bowls of steamed rice, soup, salad, and side vegetables on a wooden tray.
A plate of glazed, pan-fried chicken pieces garnished with thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds, served on a ceramic dish with chopsticks on a wooden tray.

How to Make Spicy Garlic Chicken

Preparation

  1. Cut the chicken into flat, bite-sized squares.
  1. Dust. Coat it with a light dusting of potato starch or cornstarch.
A person slices raw chicken breast into thin pieces on a wooden cutting board using a sharp kitchen knife.
Raw chicken pieces in a metal tray are being sprinkled with a white powder, likely cornstarch, from a small glass bowl by a hand.

Cooking

  1. Sear. Pan-fry both sides over medium heat in a frying pan until golden brown and set on a wire rack to drain the oil.
  1. Make the glaze. Use a cold, clean pan to heat the sauce ingredients until bubbly, then stir in the slurry to make a thick glaze.
A hand holds metal tongs, turning pieces of chicken frying in a pan on a stovetop. The chicken pieces are both uncooked and golden brown, showing different cooking stages.
A hand stirs a pan of bubbling brown sauce with sesame seeds using a blue spatula on a stovetop.

Assemble

  1. Toss and serve. Toss the chicken and glaze to coat in a large mixing bowl. Serve on individual plates, sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Grilled chicken pieces in a metal bowl are being topped with a dark, glossy sauce containing sesame seeds, poured from another bowl on a wooden surface.
A close-up of hands mixing crispy chicken pieces coated in a shiny brown sauce inside a large stainless steel bowl on a wooden surface.
A Japanese meal set on a wooden tray with glazed chicken, steamed rice, miso soup, mixed salad, and a small bowl of pickled vegetables, all neatly arranged in separate dishes.

Nami’s Recipe Tips

  • Cut the chicken into flat squares – I tilt my knife back and slice the chicken at an angle using the sogigiri cutting technique. This makes thinner, flatter pieces that cook evenly and at the same rate, so nothing overcooks.
  • Dust lightly with potato starch – This locks in the juices and seasonings. I shake everything in my favorite stainless prep tray for the perfect light coating. Make sure to dust off any excess that could ruin the chicken’s texture.
  • Cook in batches – Sear the chicken pieces in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Leave space between the pieces so they sear evenly and develop a nice crust.
  • Sear it untouched – Don’t move the chicken while it sears; we do not saute it here. Leave it alone to develop the best golden brown crust.
  • Cook it through – Make sure the chicken is cooked inside before removing it from the pan.
  • Make the glaze in a second pan – For a silky and glossy glaze, use a cold and clean pan. You don’t want to add residual oil and charred bits left in the pan from cooking the chicken. If you’re using a non-stick pan, you can easily wipe off the excess oil with a paper towel and use the same pan.

Variations and Customizations

  • Use chili crisp. Swap out the sriracha for your favorite spicy seasoning like chili crisp, garlic chili crunch, chili oil, chili flakes, fresh chilies, or chili paste—whatever you have on hand!
  • Swap the protein. Try stir-fried shrimp, thin-sliced pork, or tender sliced beef.
  • Deep-fry the chicken. If you want a crispy chicken texture, try deep-frying it like you would karaage.
  • Add vegetables. For extra crunch and fiber, add slivers of sweet red bell peppers, carrots, bean sprouts, mushrooms, or green cabbage.
  • Make it vegetarian. Sear cubes of firm tofu or thick mushrooms for a plant-based version.
A plate of glazed chicken garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, surrounded by bowls of white rice, soup, and a vegetable salad on a wooden table set for a meal.

What to Serve with Spicy Garlic Chicken

A light-colored wooden tray containing a bowl of miso soup with soft tofu, wakame seaweed, and thinly sliced green onions, along with a bowl of steamed rice, a small plate of tamagoyaki, and a smalll side dish.
A black Staub containing perfectly cooked Japanese short-grain rice.
Apple Walnut Salad in a black ceramic bowl.
A white plate containing blanched broccoli tossed with sesame seeds.

Storage Tips

To store: Transfer the chili garlic chicken to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cook this in the air fryer or bake it in the oven?

We haven’t tested these methods for cooking the chicken, so we’re not sure about the cooking times. If you do, be sure to toss it with the spicy garlic sauce right before serving. Please let us know how it turns out!

Can I use skinless chicken thighs for this recipe?

You can, but chicken thighs take longer to cook than breast meat, so adjust your cooking time accordingly and cook it to a safe internal temperature.

Can I use honey?

Yes, you can substitute the sugar with honey or your choice of sweetener.

I’d love to hear how yours turned out! 💛 Please leave a star rating and comment below to share your experience. Your feedback not only supports Just One Cookbook but also helps other home cooks discover recipes they can trust.

A plate of glazed chicken pieces garnished with sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions, served on a white scalloped dish with various side dishes around it.
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Spicy Garlic Chicken

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Make my Spicy Garlic Chicken recipe with seared chicken breast in a bold, glossy glaze. It's a satisfying dish that's ready in 30 minutes!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients  

For the Glaze

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Top-down view of ingredients on a wooden surface, including a raw chicken breast, various sauces, seasonings, garlic cloves, cornstarch, coconut milk, green onions, and small bowls of spices and liquids.

To Prepare the Ingredients

  • Cut 1 green onion/scallion diagonally into thin slices and set aside for garnish.
    Close-up of hands using a knife to thinly slice green onions on a wooden cutting board, shown in two side-by-side images.
  • Cut 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast into small, bite-sized squares about 1½ inches (4 cm).
    Nami's Tip: I tilt my knife back and slice at an angle using the sogigiri cutting technique. This creates thinner, flatter pieces that cook evenly.
    Two close-up images show hands slicing raw chicken breasts on a wooden cutting board with a large, sharp knife. The left image shows the start of the cut; the right image shows a thinner slice being separated.
  • Place the chicken in a tray and season both sides with ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Rub well.
    Two images: On the left, hands hold small bowls of salt and pepper over raw chicken pieces. On the right, a hand sprinkles seasoning on the chicken while another hand uses a knife to cut the pieces on a metal tray.
  • Dust with 2–3 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch and coat lightly. Dust off any excess starch.
    Raw chicken pieces in a metal tray are sprinkled with white powder, likely cornstarch, from a small glass bowl. In the next image, the tray is covered with a lid, and the chicken is barely visible underneath.

To Cook the Chicken

  • Preheat a frying pan (I used a 10¼" carbon steel pan) on medium heat. When it's hot, add 2 Tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add half the chicken in a single layer, leaving space between each piece. Leave untouched to sear for about 3 minutes. 
    Nami's Tip: I cook in two batches to avoid crowding the pan. This helps to sear evenly and develop a nice crust.
    Side-by-side photos: on the left, a hand pours oil into a hot frying pan; on the right, pieces of floured chicken are arranged in the pan, ready for cooking.
  • Once the bottom develops a golden brown crust, flip to sear the other side for 2–3 minutes. When its brown and crispy on the bottom, transfer to a wire rack to drain the oil. Repeat with the next batch; if you're using a carbon steel pan like me, add an extra 1 Tbsp oil here; you won't need it if you're using a nonstick pan.
    Nami's Tip: Make sure that the chicken is cooked through after searing.
    Three side-by-side images show chicken pieces being pan-fried in a skillet: turning with tongs, turning with chopsticks, and finished golden-brown pieces resting on a rack in a baking pan.

To Prepare the Glaze

  • Make a slurry by mixing ½ tsp potato starch or cornstarch and 1 tsp water in a small bowl. Set aside.
    Two photos side by side: on the left, a hand pours water from a small glass into a bowl with white powder; on the right, a hand stirs the mixture with chopsticks on a wooden surface.
  • Add the sauce ingredients to a clean and cold pan: ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup mirin, 2 tsp sugar, and 1 tsp sriracha sauce. Crush or mince 4 cloves garlic and add it to the pan.
    Three side-by-side photos: pouring vinegar and soy sauce into a pan, adding sugar and red sauce, then using a garlic press to squeeze garlic into the simmering mixture.
  • Add 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds. Turn on the stove to medium and heat the sauce until bubbling. Then, give the slurry a final stir and add it to the pan.
    A three-panel image shows: 1) seeds and spices being added to a pan with dark sauce, 2) a person stirring the sauce with a blue spatula, 3) a person pouring a white liquid from a small bowl into the sauce while stirring.
  • Stir constantly until the sauce thickens. It's done when you can draw a line through the sauce on the bottom of the pan with the spatula. Turn off and remove from the heat.
    Three images show a hand stirring a reddish-brown sauce with a blue spatula in a stainless steel pan, with visible seeds and spices, as the sauce thickens during cooking.

To Assemble

  • Transfer the cooked chicken to a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot glaze over the chicken.
    Two side-by-side photos: cooked chicken pieces in a metal bowl on the left, and on the right, a sauce being poured over the chicken from a saucepan. Both images are on a wooden surface.
  • Toss to coat well. Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with sliced green onion and remaining toasted sesame seeds.
    A split image shows marinated chicken in a mixing bowl on the left and the cooked, sauced chicken garnished with green onions and sesame seeds on a white plate on the right.

To Store

  • Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.

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