Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

Taylor Kiser | Food. Faith. Fitness.

Honey Garlic Chicken with a crunchy coconut coating and zucchini noodles for a healthy meal. Who needs takeout with homemade food like...

Honey Garlic Chicken Photo

Cooking for a living can be totally fun and awesome. Especially because it gives you an excuse to not wear real pants every day.

Pajamas FTW!

How-ev-er, it also means that since I cook all day long and, by the time dinner comes where I am actually supposed to be cooking, I don’t want to.

Enter: Asian takeout.

It’s quick, I can stay on the not-putting-on-pants-train, and it’s really delicious. I mean, have you ever met a Styrofoam box of honey garlic chicken that you didn’t like?

That’s what I thought.

Unfortunately, after one too many take-out dinners, I’m finding the days that I have to wear – GASP! – real clothes, with buttons and belts and other constrict-y things, well, a little uncomfortable.

Honey Garlic Chicken Image

I’ve been trying to remedy that situation by trying to create my own healthier versions of my favorite take-out food. I’ve had Sesame ChickenPonzu Chicken and Lettuce Wraps on my weekly menu rotation for a while now, and frankly, I’m getting a little bit bored.

Not wanting to give in to my not-so-button-or-belt friendly ways, I decided to try my hand at giving a classic take-out dish a creative spin. This is how homemade honey garlic chicken with coconut and zucchini noodles was born.

The sauce is a no brainer for me, and if you’re not so sure about it, see the above comment about Styrofoam boxes of honey garlic chicken. It wins. Always. Plus, it’s one of the easiest sauces to make, and is so versatile that you can keep ‘er in the fridge and use it on ALL THE THINGS.

As good as the sauce is, the coconut coating is the real show-stopper here folks. Using coconut flakes and coconut flour keeps the breading light and gluten free, while making the chicken super crispy and golden brown – one of the most important parts of a good, take-out chicken in my books.

Honey Garlic Chicken Picture

Not to mention this uses less oil than a traditional, restaurant version, and it’s coconut oil – not some mystery oil that has who knows what added to it. Hello health!

I was a little bit worried that using zucchini noodles would push this into “trying too hard to be healthy” territory, and I would miss eating out of Styrofoam but, you guys, I think I’ll be sticking to real dishes for all the evers.

Especially since that means that my “real clothes” days will be a lot more comfortable.

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

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Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

    4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Zoodles:
  • 4 Zucchini Squashes, large
  • Salt
For the Chicken:
  • 1 pound Chicken Breast
  • 6 tablespoons Coconut Flour
  • pinch of Salt and Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Egg Whites, about 4 large egg whites
  • 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
  • 1/3 cup Coconut Oil, for frying
For the Sauce:
  • 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil
  • 2 teaspoons Fresh Ginger, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 1/3 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce, plus 2 teaspoons (use a certified gluten free soy sauce to keep the recipe gluten free)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon Cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon Boiling Water
For Garnish:
  • Green Onions, diced

Directions

To make the Zucchini Noodles:

  1. Slice the zucchini on a mandolin using a 5mm julienne blade.
  2. Place the noodles in a large strainer and place the strainer over top of a large bowl.
  3. Sprinkle the noodles generously with salt and let them sit for 30 minutes, stirring every so often.

For the Chicken:

  1. Place the coconut flour and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large Ziploc bag.
  2. Cut the chicken breast into bite sized pieces and place into the bag with the coconut flour. Shake around until the chicken is well coated.
  3. Pour the egg whites and the coconut flakes into separate large shallow bowls. Dump the chicken into the egg whites, mixing around until the chicken is well coated (it gets messy!)
  4. Transfer the chicken into the coconut flakes, tossing and lightly pressing to coat the chicken.
  5. Heat just enough oil to cover the bottom of large wok on medium heat (I did the chicken in 4 batches, using just over 1 tbsp for each batch) and place the chicken in. Do not crowd the chicken.
  6. Cook until the bottom is golden brown (about 3-4 minutes,) flip and then cook again on the other side. I find using kitchen tongs makes the flipping process a lot easier. Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel lined plate and blot of excess oil. Repeat until all the chicken is done.


For the Sauce:

  1. While the chicken cooks, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large pan on medium/high heat. Cook the ginger and garlic until fragrant, just a minute or so.
  2. Add in the honey, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil and bring to a boil.
  3. When the sauce begins to boil, whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and pour into the sauce, stirring constantly to ensure it mixes smooth and evenly.
  4. Boil the sauce until it begins to thicken, just a minute or 2, and then reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer until it’s thick and shiny. Remove from heat.

Bringing Everything Together:

  1. Squeeze out the excess water from the zucchini noodles and toss into the pot with the sauce, stiring to evenly coat the zucchini noodles.
  2. Divide the noodles between 4 places and then top with chicken. Garnish with diced green onion.

Notes

  • Because zucchini has a high water content, the sauce will thin slightly once mixed with the noodles.

Recommended

Published:
Modified:
Author:
Cooking Method:
Sauteed
Cuisine:
Gluten Free
Category:
Healthy Eating
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Related Recipes:
Healthy Eating Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Copycat Recipes, Asian Recipes, Sauteed Recipes, Vegetable Recipes, Coconut Recipes, Zucchini Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Sauce Recipes, Egg White Recipes
Recipe Yields:
4 servings
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Related Post:
Published:
Author: Taylor Kiser
Recipe Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 154
Calories 552

% Daily Value*
30%
Total Fat 19g
5%
  Saturated Fat 1g
12%
Sodium 280mg
19%
Total Carbohydrate 57g
8%
  Dietary Fiber 6g
  Sugars 40g
71%
Protein 35g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.
Taylor Kiser

About Taylor

Taylor keeps food, faith and fitness close to the heart on her blog of the same name. We're excited to have her as a Healthy Eating fanatic.

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