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–+ servings
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.

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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