This honey garlic chicken is a super healthy dinner options that your whole family will love!
Hey, y'all! Welcome to my latest series on the blog; Make Ahead Mondays! Let me tell you, meal planning and meal prepping has been a game changer for me. Recently, our family grew from a family of 2 to a family of 5 when our latest group of foster children joined us.
Before, when it was just the two of us, I'd meal plan- meaning I'd sit down on the weekends and figure out what meals I was going to prepare throughout the week. I'd jot down a grocery list and head to the store to stock up for the week. Now that we're moms to a 5-year-old and 1 1/2-year-old twin boys, I had to switch over to meal prepping. Meal prepping, for me, means planning out our menu, grocery shopping, and then spending a couple of hours 1 day a week whipping up all of our meals for the week and tossing them into the freezer until we're ready to use them. Ya'll, I have so much more time on my hands doing things this way AND there's a hell of a lot less dishes.
Throughout this series, I'm going to share with you the recipes I use to on these meal prep days. Hang on tight, your life is about to get so much easier! This week, I'm highlighting my Honey Garlic Chicken.
By now it's no secret that I love Asian-inspired cuisine! I love the fresh veggies, the bold flavors and the incredible sauces that bring the dishes all together. Some of my favorite recipes are Better Than Take Out Orange Chicken, Sweet Thai Chili Chicken, and Sweet Potato Pad Thai. One of my favorite flavor combinations to play around with is honey garlic. I love how the sweetness of the honey and the slight spiciness of the garlic play together on my taste buds. I love making Honey Garlic Meatballs and Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken.
This recipe is actually one I've shared on the blog before, I've simply turned it into a freezer meal for my meal prepping.
Tips for Making Freezer Meals:
- Keep an eye on your grocery stores sale flyers and stock up on meat when it's on sale.
- Print off recipes your family likes so you don't have to hunt them down or create a special Pinterest board with all of your favorite freezer meals.
- Label each Ziploc bag with the name of the meal, simple directions and cooking time.
- Make sure you have all of the essentials before you get started- bag holders, gallon size bags, quart size bags, permanent markers, bag holders, and slow cooker liners are great to have on hand.
Kitchen Essentials:
Ingredients:
1 tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1 cup thinly sliced & peeled carrots (I used matchstick, but you could used sliced)
2 cups broccoli florets
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (you can substitute water)
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp cornstarch
salt and pepper, to taste
To Enjoy Now:
1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and carrots and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Remove the veggies from the pan. Place them on a plate and cover.
3. Turn the heat up to high. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
4. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add them to the hot pan. They will cook better if they are in a single layer so if you are upping this recipe, you may want to cook the chicken in batches. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side.
5. Add garlic to the pan. Reintroduce the vegetables to the pan.
6. In a bowl, whisk together chicken broth, honey and soy sauce.
7. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of cold water with the corn starch.
8. Pour soy sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Cook for about 30 seconds.
9. Add the cornstarch. Stir and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook for an additional minute or until the sauce has started to thicken.
10. Serve immediately.
To Enjoy Later (as a freezer meal):
1. Label a gallon size Ziploc bag with the meals name, directions and cook time. Set aside for step 4.
2. In a separate gallon-size (or half-gallon size) bag, place the broccoli and carrots. Seal, ensuring you've removed as much of the air as possible.
3. Add garlic, chicken broth, soy sauce, and honey to a quart size bag. Seal, ensuring you've removed as much of the air as possible. Shake to combine the ingredients.
4. Cut the chicken into 1" cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Place into a Ziploc bag.
5. Add all of the bagged ingredients into the labeled bag.
6. Freeze.
7. Thaw overnight or for 24 hours.
8. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and carrots and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove the veggies from the pan.
9. Turn the heat up to high. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side.
10. Add the sauce mixture and vegetables to the chicken. Cook for about 30 seconds.
11. Add the cornstarch. Stir and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook for an additional minute or until the sauce has started to thicken.
12. Serve as is or on a bed of rice.
Be sure to save this yummy pin for later! Give me a like on Facebook or follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more delicious, easy to make recipes. You can also subscribe to the blog to have the recipes delivered straight to your inbox. See you next time!
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