This sweet and savory Honey Roasted Chicken Rice is a family favorite! Juicy chicken, fragrant rice, and fresh garnishes make it an irresistible meal.

I make A LOT of chicken rice recipes here on this blog, and today I have this Honey Roasted Chicken Rice recipe to share! Sweet, savoury, and absolutely kid-friendly, this dish is perfect for anyone looking for a quick, easy and flavourful meal. The best part of this recipe is that there is no active time cooking for all of the components here! We’re using the oven or air fryer to cook the chicken, and a rice cooker for the rice AND vegetables!
Whether you’re whipping it up for a busy weeknight or prepping it ahead for the weekend, this recipe is sure to become a family favourite.
What Is Honey Roasted Chicken Rice?
This dish features marinated chicken oven roasted or air-fried to perfection, with a beautiful caramelized glaze from the honey and soy sauce. The chicken is paired with rice cooked in chicken broth, making it fragrant and flavourful. To round off the meal, leafy vegetables is included in the rice cooking process. Garnished with fresh cucumbers, spring onions, and coriander, it’s a well-balanced meal that’s easy to prepare and enjoy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Simple: Minimal prep time with straightforward cooking methods.
- Bursting with Flavor: The marinade’s combination of honey, soy sauces, and sesame oil creates a perfect balance of sweet and savory.
- Great for Meal Prep: Store leftovers easily for a quick and delicious meal later in the week.
- No stovetop cooking required: We’re using our oven or air fryer to perfectly cook the chicken, and the rice cooker to cook everything else – including veggies!
Key Ingredients for Honey Roasted Chicken Rice
For the Chicken
- Chicken thighs: I used boneless, skin-on chicken thighs here for maximum juiciness and flavour! You can use bone-in chicken as well; make sure to extend the cook time as bone-in will cook longer than boneless chicken.
- Honey: Adds sweetness and helps achieve a caramelized glaze.
- Soy sauce (light and dark): Provides saltiness and a rich colour.
- Sesame oil: For that nutty aroma that subtly complements the rice.
- Garlic and Ginger: The key aromatic base! Finely mince or grate the aromatics, or better yet, use homemade aromatics paste.
For the Rice
- Jasmine rice: The ideal companion to the flavorful chicken.
- Chicken broth: Infuses the rice with extra flavor.
- Garlic and ginger: Adds aromatics for a fragrant base. I use my homemade ginger and garlic paste!
- Spinach (optional): Or any of your leafy vegetable of choice such as bok choy is an easy, healthy addition to round out the meal! This will steam with the rice for true efficient cooking.
To Serve
- Fresh cucumber slices
- Spring onions and coriander
- Chicken broth: Garnished with spring onions and a dash of ground pepper to accompany the meal.
- Sauces of choice: Ginger Garlic Chili sauce, ginger-scallion sauce, or dark soy sauce (kicap manis works as well).
Key Steps to Making Honey Roasted Chicken Rice
1. Marinade the Honey Roasted Chicken

- In a bowl, combine honey, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, five-spice powder, and white pepper.
- Add chicken thighs and coat thoroughly.
- Cover and marinate for at least 10 mins (overnight for best results).
2. Cook (Choose Your Method)

a. Oven Roasting:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).Place chicken on a lined baking tray, skin side up.
- Roast for 20–25 minutes, basting with leftover marinade every 10 minutes.
- Option to broil for an additional 2-3 minutes to get deeper colour and a slightly crispy skin.
NOTE: This is my preferred method! There should be some drippings on the tray – you can serve this alongside the chicken rice!
b. Air Fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Place chicken thighs skin side up in the basket and cook for 15-20 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
c. Pan-Frying (Alternative):
- You can also pan-fry the chicken, this is not my favourite method as the honey may burn easily if not careful.
- Heat 1–2 tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Cook chicken on one side for 5–7 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5–7 minutes, lowering the heat slightly to avoid burning.
3. Let Rest:
- Once the chicken is cooked through, let rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice chicken to serve.
4. Cooking the Chicken Rice

- In a rice cooker or pot, combine rinsed rice, chicken broth, smashed garlic, ginger, sesame oil and salt. Stir to combine. Let it cook as usual until rice is fluffy and fragrant.
- About five minutes before the end of the cook time, carefully open the lid and add leafy vegetables of choice. Close back lid and let vegetables steam to cook in the rice cooker.
- Once rice is cooked, remove the leafy vegetables first. Mix to combine and rice is ready to serve.
NOTE: If your rice cooker does not have a countdown timer, add the leafy vegetables immediately once the rice is cooked and close the lid. The vegetables can cook in the residual heat! Let sit for about 5 minutes or once vegetables are tender but still bright green.
4. To Serve
- Plate the rice and top with honey roasted chicken. Garnish with cucumber slices, spring onions, and coriander.
- Serve with chili sauce or sweet soy dipping sauce on the side.
How to Serve
- Serve the Honey Roasted Chicken on a bed of jasmine rice.
- Add fresh cucumber slices for a refreshing crunch.
- Garnish with spring onions and coriander for an extra burst of flavor.
- Pair it with chili sauce, or a sweet soy dipping sauce for added zest.
Tips and Tricks
- Marination Time: For the richest flavor, marinate the chicken overnight. I like to include this in my weekly meal prep marination!
- Extra Glaze: Before cooking in the oven or air fryer, give the chicken skin an extra glaze of honey for extra stickiness and flavour!
- Customizable Marinade: Adjust the sweetness or saltiness by altering the honey and soy sauce ratio.
- Batch Cooking: Double the recipe to have extra servings for meal prep. Since I’m turning on the oven for this meal, I cook extra chicken for next times!
Storing and Reheating Instructions
Storing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
- Microwave: Heat the chicken and rice in a microwave-safe dish, covering with a damp paper towel to retain moisture.
- Oven or Air Fryer: Reheat the chicken at 350°F (175°C) for 5–10 minutes to crisp up the skin.
- Freezing: Freeze the chicken and rice separately in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
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