Description
How to make sticky honey chili garlic butter chicken penne with tender chicken and buttery sauce that creates the perfect weeknight comfort meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Protein
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Sticky Sauce Base
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Garlic Butter Mixture
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook penne according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining completely.
- Season Chicken: Pat chicken pieces dry and season generously with salt and pepper. This ensures crispy edges and prevents the sauce from becoming watery when added later.
- Sear Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook 5-6 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Make Sauce: Whisk together honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder in a small bowl until completely smooth and combined.
- Add Aromatics: Push chicken to one side of the skillet and add butter, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Combine Everything: Pour sauce over chicken and toss to coat. Add cooked pasta and toss everything together, adding pasta water as needed for silky consistency.
- Finish and Serve: Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately while the sauce is glossy and the pasta is perfectly warm.
Notes
- Don’t let the garlic brown or it will taste bitter and overpower the sweet honey flavors.
- Reserve pasta water before draining as it helps create the perfect sauce consistency.
- Pat chicken completely dry before cooking to ensure proper browning and crispy edges.
- Taste and adjust spice level with red pepper flakes according to your heat preference.
- Serve immediately while the sauce is glossy and coats the pasta beautifully.
- Leftovers reheat well with a splash of water to loosen the thickened sauce.
Allergy Information: Gluten, Soy, Sesame
Nutrition
- Calories: 485 calories
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Protein: 32g