Honey Ginger Chicken and Carrots
Updated April 10, 2026
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Ready In
- 35 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
¼ cup soy sauce, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths, white and light-green pieces separated from dark greens
1 white onion, halved and thickly sliced
3 medium carrots (about ½ pound), thinly sliced on the bias in coins
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 bird’s-eye or serrano chiles, thinly sliced (reduce for less heat or omit entirely)
2 tablespoons fermented black beans (douchi), optional, chopped
Steamed rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
24 grams carbs; 142 milligrams cholesterol; 335 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 968 milligrams sodium; 33 grams protein; 9 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey and ginger.
- Step 2
Cut each chicken thigh in half crosswise. Next, slice the chicken against the grain: Examine the direction of the muscle fibers, which will be visible as faint parallel lines. Position your knife perpendicular to those lines and slice the thighs into ¼-inch-wide strips. Add the chicken to the soy marinade, toss to combine and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Step 3
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the chicken — heads up, it will splatter a bit — and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is caramelized in parts.
- Step 4
Add the white and light-green scallion pieces, onion, carrots, garlic, chile and fermented black beans (if using), and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender-crisp and chicken is cooked through.
- Step 5
If the skillet is dry, add ¼ cup water and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Stir in the scallion greens and taste, adjusting seasoning with more soy sauce if needed. Serve over rice.
Private Notes
Comments
@Matt I came to make the same comment. Against my better judgement I followed the recipe and did all the chicken at once. Although my skillet was hot and range was on full blast, 2 lb of chicken just steams instead of browns. Doing in batches then veggies then uniting them all for a final meld is the right call, and probably just as fast.
Are we supposed to add the marinade in with the chicken or discard?
This was great. The only change I made was there was too much chicken for the pan so I did it in batches. Given that, I pulled all the chicken when it was done and put in a bowl while I cooked the vegies, which I didn’t have to hope they were done at the same time as the chicken. As someone else implied, the vegies cooked faster than I thought and it was good that I kept trying them. Also, it called for a Serrano pepper and I replaced that with a dried Passilla which is a smokey mild Mexican. Maybe that and a jalapeño next time.
I used Laoganma instead of douchi, added more black beans and stirred in some spinach at the end - it was delicious!
used asofetida in olive oil Used maple syrup instead of honey added cooked broccoli as a green veggie no onions or peppers cooked chicken and veggies separately in same panl
I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this recipe - the ingredients looked good, but simple. I was really blown away with bow tasty it was. Everything browned up so nicely, I think because of the honey in the marinade and the flavors worked well together. Added just a bit of sesame oil at the end.