Garlic Chicken features pan-fried chicken thighs cooked in garlic-infused oil with a light soy-flavored sauce. The chicken is lightly coated with flour before cooking, resulting in a crispy exterior and juicy interior. The aroma of garlic stimulates your appetite and makes every bite irresistible. While this easy dish isn’t traditional Japanese cuisine, it’s a kind of food Japanese people eat regularly and it makes a great dinner option for anyone in any occasion.
What’s Garlic Chicken?
Garlic Chicken is literally garlic-flavored chicken—an easy dinner entrée cooked in no time. Make garlic chips in oil first, then pan-fry the chicken in the fragrant garlic oil. The garlic chips are added on top at the end to be eaten with the crispy chicken. With its bold garlic flavor, garlic lovers can’t get enough of it. The beauty of this dish is that it’s not only absolutely delicious but also easy to make at home with minimal preparation and no long cooking time. The only thing you may have to think about is what side dishes you want to serve with Garlic Chicken. That said, that’s easy too. Because Garlic Chicken has a relatively mild flavor profile, it pairs well with any Japanese side dish—or beyond. This is perfect for busy weeknight dinners when you didn’t prep ahead but need something whipped up at the last minute.
What to serve with Garlic Chicken?
You can serve any side dish with Garlic Chicken! Salad, soup, steamed rice, mashed potatoes —literally anything. But here are some of our suggestions:
- Steamed Rice
- Egg and Spinach Miso Soup
- Tako Sunomono (cucumber and octopus salad)
- Macaroni Salad
- Onion Salad
- Shrimp Avocado Asparagus Salad
More recipes like Garlic Chicken
Garlic Chicken
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Pan-fried chicken thighs that are cooked in garlic oil and topped with garlic chips
Instructions
Thinly slice 2 cloves of garlic and grate 1 clove. Set both aside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then lightly coat with flour.
Heat oil with the sliced garlic in a frying pan over medium heat. Remove the garlic once it turns lightly browned and crispy. In the same pan, cook the chicken thighs. If using skin-on thighs, start cooking skin side down. Cook for a few minutes until golden brown and crispy, then flip and cook the other side covered until fully cooked through. Remove the chicken and let it rest while making the sauce.
In the same pan, add all the ingredients for the garlic sauce and bring to a boil for 30 seconds. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, pour the sauce over, and top with the garlic chips.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: chicken, garlic
English (US) · 