Healthy Honey Garlic Chicken (Frugal Food Thursday)

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Today, I had a hankering for some Chinese food for dinner.  It's been a long week, and it would've been so easy to just call up the Chinese restaurant over the corner, order up some honey garlic chicken, and go over and get it.

But realizing how much it would cost for something I could just make myself, I resisted the urge to spend all that money and made some Healthy Honey Garlic Chicken.

My version of the dish isn't breaded and deep-fried in unhealthy hydrogenated oils; instead, I stir-fry in canola oil.  The sauce does have honey and brown sugar in it, but it isn't filled with high-fructose corn syrup.  And I use my own unsalted homemade chicken broth - frozen in ice cubes just for this purpose - for the base of the sauce, rather than a salt-laden bouillon.  Plus, I add a bunch of vegetables to the dish.

Altogether, my version of Honey Garlic Chicken is much healthier and much cheaper as well!

Here's the recipe:

HEALTHY HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN

1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces


In a small bowl mix the chicken broth, honey, brown sugar, and garlic powder until the sauce is well blended.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl with a lid, mix the cornstarch with a small amount of water.  Shake until the cornstarch is dissolved in the water.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until translucent.  Add the green pepper and cook, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes until the green pepper is softened.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, being sure not to let the garlic burn.  Remove the vegetables from the pan and place in a bowl.

Add the chicken to the skillet, adding more oil if necessary.  Cook chicken for 5-6 minutes or until there is no pink in the inside of the chicken pieces.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Turn the heat to high and add the sauce.  When the sauce is boiling, add the cornstarch-water mixture and stir until the sauce is thickened.  Add the vegetables and chicken to the pan and mix until they are well-coated with the sauce.  Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 5-10 minutes more.

Serve over brown rice.

There are lots more easy and cheap recipes posted here at Frugal Follies.  Click here for the list!

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