Honey Garlic Chicken Broccoli Rice (Printable)

Tender chicken and vegetables simmered in a sweet honey garlic sauce with fluffy white rice.

# What You Need:

→ Protein & Grains

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
02 - 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 cups broccoli florets
04 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
05 - 3 green onions, sliced

→ Sauce

06 - 3 tablespoons honey
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
10 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Liquids

12 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Garnish

13 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together honey, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and black pepper. Set aside.
02 - Heat a large, deep skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil, then add chicken pieces. Sear for 2-3 minutes per side until lightly golden.
03 - Add rinsed rice, carrots, and most of the green onions to the pan. Stir to combine.
04 - Pour the sauce and chicken broth into the pan, mixing well. Bring to a gentle boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
06 - Lift the lid and scatter broccoli florets evenly over the rice without stirring. Replace the lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
07 - Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff rice gently with a fork.
08 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with sesame seeds and reserved green onions. Serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying your meal instead of scrubbing dishes.
  • The honey-garlic sauce tastes restaurant-quality but requires zero fancy techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.
  • It's genuinely flexible, so you can swap vegetables based on what's hiding in your crisper drawer without affecting the outcome.
02 -
  • Don't stir the rice once you add the liquid—constant stirring breaks down the grains and releases too much starch, turning it into risotto when you want fluffy separate grains.
  • That moment when you add the broccoli matters more than it seems, because adding it too early turns it mushy and too late leaves it raw, so trust the 15-minute timer before you check.
03 -
  • Cut your chicken into uniform 1-inch pieces so everything cooks at the same pace and you don't end up with some pieces overdone while others are still pink.
  • Don't skip rinsing the rice—this single step transforms the final texture from sticky and clumpy to light and separate, which makes the whole dish feel more polished.
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