I absolutely love this honey soy chicken meal prep as a lean protein lunch. Served on a bed of rice with veggies (yes, they're also coated in the sticky honey soy glaze), it makes a great dinner in under 30 minutes or delicious meal prep recipe that you'll enjoy all week.
I have these memories growing up and mum buying the honey soy chicken wings you get from woolies - what am I talking about, I still buy them now.
I sometimes get these intense cravings for them so I've made a meal prep friendly version that uses chicken breast bites for affordability, and the sticky glaze is on par with the Woolies honey soy chicken wings - but because it's served as a rice bowl, there's no sticky fingers!
I've made this dish for friends, family and countless times for my partner and I meal prepping because I honestly just can't get enough (and because eating honey soy chicken wings every day without any carbs or veggies is slightly frowned upon).
TL;DR
- Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes
- Meal prep: Balanced with lean protein chicken breast, rice and lots of veggies
- Fridge storage: 4 days
- Freezer storage: Recommended in separate components for 3-6 months
- Reheating: Add ice cube to rice and 2-3 minutes in microwave or stove-top for crispiness
- Customise: Adjust sauce ratios to your preference, mix-and-match rice with other carbs and adjust veggies to your faves.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Lean protein. Most recipes use chicken thighs, but by using breast bites as a lean protein source for meal prep, it makes it perfect for athletes.
Asian-inspired. It's giving fakeaway vibes, but with the goodness of a wholesome rice bowl with vegetables like my chicken red pepper onion stir fry and kung pao chicken stir fry with rice.
Meal prep friendly. The honey soy chicken is grilled, not fried, and reheating on the stove-top keeps that crispiness.
Ingredients
Chicken Breast. I use chicken breast as an affordable option instead of bites. Plus, it's more meal prep friendly than having to deal with the bones of wings or drumsticks. But you can swap for other styles of meat if you prefer.
Cornstarch. Or cornflour help to provide a light crispy crust without needing to be deep-fried. If you're gluten-free, you can opt for arrowroot powder.
Soy Sauce. All-purpose soy sauce is the recommended option for the best flavour. You can opt for low-sodium if you choose. I don't recommend dark or sweet soy sauce as this will change the flavour.
Honey. A good quality honey will help you here, but you can use whichever variety you wish. I wouldn't recommend swapping for maple syrup or agave as this will change the flavour profile.
Vinegar and lemon juice. Helps balance the sweetness from the honey.
Garlic and ginger. Fresh is recommended for the best flavour, but you can substitute for pre-minced in jars if you prefer.
See recipe card for quantities. See below for more substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Vegetarian. If you prefer a vegetarian version, you can try my honey soy sauce with tofu (which has convinced my boyfriend he actually likes tofu)
Noodles. If you're looking for something a bit different than a rice bowl recipe, you could try my honey soy chicken noodles which has the same sauce!
Mix-and-match veggies. I've used a combination of carrot, capsicum (bell pepper) and zucchini for this one because they have versatile crunch and they can be seared quickly in the pan with the honey soy sauce after the chicken is done. But you could also steam some different veggies or use frozen veg for ease.
How to make honey soy chicken
Step 1: Add cornflour to diced chicken. Set aside while preparing other ingredients
Step 2: Mix together sauce ingredients and add 1 tablespoon to the chicken mixture.
Step 3: Heat the pan up on medium heat then add diced chicken and cook until mostly white on the outside
Step 4: Add sauce to the chicken. When it starts to bubble and thicken, lower the temperature and cook until it has coated the chicken and the chicken is cooked through. You can test this with a meat thermometer measuring the chicken at 160F / 69C
Step 5: Cook the vegetables in the leftover sauce. You may need to do this in batches so the pan isn't overcrowded.
Step 6: Serve on top of rice with the chicken and vegetables.
Lauren's Top Tips
Marinate. The longer you marinate the chicken, the deeper the honey soy flavour is going to be. If you can prepare the night before and cook the next day - perfect.
Taste and adjust. Too sweet? Add more vinegar/lemon. Too salty? Add more honey. Not punchy enough? Add more garlic and ginger.
Meal prepping chicken and rice
This is a great chicken breast meal prep recipe as the marinade and cornstarch help keep the chicken tender for leftovers. By serving with some rice and your favourite vegetables, it makes a fantastic rice bowl like my Greek chicken rice bowl or lemongrass chicken rice bowl or even my satay chicken rice bowl (the options are endless) where you can mix-and-match the veggies and grains for a balanced dish.
Storing and reheating
Store cooked chicken, rice and veggies in a container for up to 4 days. If possible, store the components separately like I have pictured above as this helps keep the integrity of the rice which will go mushy if it's too close to the saucy chicken.
Stovetop reheating will take approx. 5 minutes. Add a small amount of oil to the pan and reheat the chicken. You could also reheat the rice and veg this way.
If you're out at work and only have the option for a microwave, add a small amount of water to the rice only then reheat on small bursts (approx. 1 minute) until heated through (approx. 3-4 minutes). It will be slightly soggier, but still tastes great!
How do you reheat honey soy chicken?
Microwave. This is the easiest option. Add a drizzle of water over the chicken and rice (or an ice cube). This will help steam the rice and loosen the sauce of the chicken. Reheat on 1 minute intervals until heated through (approx. 3 minutes)
Stovetop. If you want the chicken and veg a little crispier, you can reheat on a pan with a small amount of oil. This will take about 5 minutes. If you want to crisp up your rice you can do this for it too (gives fried rice vibes).
Freezing cooked chicken and rice
If you're wanting to freeze the whole meal, I recommend freezing the chicken, rice and veggies separately (or you can use frozen veggies). This helps keep the integrity of the rice which can go mushy if combined with the sauce.
On the other hand, you want to freeze the chicken in the sauce as this helps keep it moist (I've done this in 1 cup souper cubes for portion control).
You could also freeze raw marinated chicken (like I've shown below in a ziplock bag with a slightly different garlic soy sauce). This helps on those busy nights when you crave something freshly cooked but don't have the energy. If you are going to freeze this way, I recommend in thighs or in chicken breast bites as these are thinner than a whole breast and won't take as long to thaw and cook.
FAQs
Whisk a slurry of cornstarch (1-2?tsp) with cold water (1-2 tbsp), then add to the sauce stirring until glossy and thickened; sauce consistency should coat the back of spoon. Alternatively reduce by simmering low and slow for richer flavour.
Yes, absolutely! Chicken thighs work great in this recipe if you prefer a juicier, richer flavour. They naturally have more fat than breast, which helps keep the meat tender and moist-even after meal prepping. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time slightly, as thighs take a little longer to cook through than diced chicken breast.
You can get away with 10-15 minutes in a pinch, but if you've got the time, aim for at least 30 minutes to let the honey soy marinade really soak in. If you have the time, I suggest marinating overnight. It'll then save you time the next day when you want to cook it.
Other chicken breast recipes
Or, you can have a browse through my chicken breast meal preps for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Honey Soy Chicken and Rice (Meal Prep)
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Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Bites
- 700 g (1 ½ lb) chicken breast, approx.3
- 50 g (½ cups) corn starch / corn flour, Note 1
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) soy sauce, all purpose
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) sesame oil, or other high-heat oil
Honey Soy Sauce
- 45 g (3 tablespoon) soy sauce, all purpose
- 60 g (½ cups) honey
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) white wine vinegar, Note 2
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) lemon juice, fresh recommended
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) sesame oil, optional but recommended
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed, see note 3
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) ginger, grated, see note 3
Serve with
- 200 g (1 cups) rice , yields. approx.3 cups cooked
- 1 bell pepper / capsicum
- 2 carrot
- 1 zucchini
Instructions
Cook Rice
- Begin 200 g (1 cups) rice by preparing your way, or read my post for tips and tricks.
Prepare ingredients
- Mince or grate: 2 cloves garlic and 5 g (1 teaspoon) ginger. Mix together with 45 g (3 tablespoon) soy sauce, 60 g (½ cups) honey, 15 g (1 tablespoon) white wine vinegar, 15 g (1 tablespoon) lemon juice, 5 g (1 teaspoon) sesame oil. Set aside.
- Slice: 1 bell pepper / capsicum, 2 carrot, 1 zucchini into even pieces.
- Slice 700 g (1 ½ lb) chicken breast into 1 inch pieces.
Prepare chicken
- Add chicken pieces to a bowl with 50 g (½ cups) corn starch / corn flour and 30 g (2 tablespoon) soy sauce. Coat well.
Cook
- Heat pan over medium heat with 5 g (1 teaspoon) sesame oil Add chicken and flip every couple of minutes until mostly white (approx. 5 minutes).
- Add sauce to the pan with the chicken and allow it to come to a bubble. Reduce heat to low and allow to thicken over the chicken until it reaches 69°C (160°F). Remove and rest.
- Add 1 bell pepper / capsicum, 2 carrot, 1 zucchini to the pan (might have to do it in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan). Cook for approx. 5 minutes, tossing regularly.
- Serve the chicken with the rice and vegetables.
Araluen
This recipe is delicious. 10/10. I have made it twice for work lunches and last time I made it, I did a triple batch and frozen batches for a couple of weeks ahead when I be away on weekends and short of meal prep time. Will definitely make this again.
athletelunchbox
Thank you so much for your comment! This is one of my favourite recipes, it's so tasty 🙂