Honey Garlic Chicken is an epic 12 minute chicken breast recipe with a magic 5 ingredient Honey Garlic Sauce! This is a terrific back pocket quick dinner idea for busy nights that’s made with pantry staples. It’s quite amazing how so few ingredients can transform into such a tasty sauce for chicken!
BONUS: This can be made with any protein – beef, pork, lamb, shrimp/prawns, even tofu!
Honey Garlic Chicken Breast
This sauce for chicken breast is a variation of my Honey Garlic Salmon which has been popular with readers for many years.
If I were ever to do a summary of my top 5 Most Used Sauces, Honey Garlic Sauce would probably be right at the top of the list. I love it because it requires so few ingredients that are pantry staples, and when simmered with a seared protein in a skillet so it becomes all bubbly and syrupy…. oh WOW.
It’s just DA BOMB!!! ( <– Who talks like that at my age???! I do. Only in extenuating circumstances. Excitement over crazy delicious secret-weapon sauce falls under this category. 😎)
Terrific quick chicken breast recipe
Though I personally have a preference for chicken thighs over chicken breast (better flavour, juicier!), I find myself putting chicken breast in my shopping trolley week after week.
Thus over the years, I’ve built up a wide variety of quick and easy chicken breast recipes – and this Honey Garlic Chicken is one of my favourite quick dinners that I find myself making over and over again.
What you need
See? I told you that you’d have everything! 😉
How to make Honey Garlic Chicken Breast
Split chicken breast in half – so 2 breasts makes 4 pieces;
Dust chicken with flour (gives the chicken a slight crust so the sauce clings to it better!)
Sear chicken, add butter, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, honey.
Simmer until the sauce thickens. Turn chicken to coat in the amazing honey garlic sauce.
And THAT’S IT!
Want to BBQ it? Use this Grilled Honey Soy Chicken recipe instead.
Notice how the sauce is clinging to the surface? That’s because we dusted the chicken with flour so when it’s pan fried, it creates a crust.
What to serve with Honey Garlic Chicken Breast
There’s enough sauce to drizzle over veggies and soak into rice or whatever you serve it with. The flavour is strong enough such that you don’t need loads – a bit goes a long way!
It’s pictured above with Cauliflower Rice (tossed with a squeeze of lemon, parsley, salt and pepper) with Cucumber Salad on the side.
Even though it’s got soy sauce in the Honey Garlic Sauce, this doesn’t taste specifically Asian-y. But it’s versatile enough that it will go just as well with Fried Rice as it will with a Macaroni Salad or even Mac and Cheese. Yes really! Try it once and you’ll understand (it only takes 12 minutes, you’ve got the time!!) – Nagi x
Honey Garlic Chicken breast recipe
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Honey Garlic Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 500g / 1 lb chicken breast , boneless and skinless (2 pieces)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup flour (Note 1)
- 3 1/2 tbsp (50g) unsalted butter (or 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white or other clear vinegar)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce , light or all purpose (Note 2)
- 1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup)
Instructions
- Cut the breasts in half horizontally to create 4 steaks in total. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.
- Place flour in a shallow dish. Coat chicken in flour and shake off excess.
- Melt most of the butter in a large skillet over high heat – hold back about 1 tsp for later.
- Place chicken in skillet and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until golden. Turn and cook the other side for 1 minute.
- Turn heat down slightly to medium high.
- Make a bit of room in the pan and add garlic and top with remaining dab of butter. Stir garlic briefly once butter melts.
- Add vinegar, soy sauce and honey. Stir / shake pan to combine. Bring sauce to simmer, then simmer for 1 minute or until slightly thickened.
- Turn chicken to coat in sauce. If the sauce gets too thick, add a touch of water and stir.
- Remove from stove immediately. Place chicken on plates and drizzle over remaining sauce.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Honey Garlic Chicken breast recipe originally published February 2018, it has since been improved with new photos and video but no change to recipe (I wouldn’t dare, readers love it as it is!).
More quick and easy chicken breast recipes
Life of Dozer
The fish down at the beach taunt Dozer endlessly, splashing around and leaping out of the water. Sometimes he’ll be in the water swimming non stop chasing fish for an hour! It’s brilliant – no effort required on my part!
Lydia says
Such a quick and easy weeknight meal, so delicious!
Cindy says
Another winner. So tasty, so easy. Loved it.
Tristan Norbury says
Just made this for dinner! Didn’t have enough honey, so I used 1/4 cup molasses and honey and it was soon good!
Sara says
I really really really like this recipe!!!
so simple and easy, perfected it on the first try and now adding it to me cookbook!!!
Barb says
Dozer! My daughters kitty is named Dozer. I’ve had Goldens my whole adult life. Four so far. They are great dogs and obviously love the water and don’t like to “give up”. Thanks for sharing the pic and story.
Barb says
YUM Honey Garlic Chicken Breast! I will be making this again!
Kristi Roth says
Thanks so much for the delicious recipe! My dad, husband and I loved it. You were right with having ingredients on hand. Perfect, very tasty chicken breast recipe. Printed it out and added to my cookbook binder. Yummmm!
Janis says
I just made this for supper. Very easy and absolutely delicious. Thank you very much for this tasty dish.
Caroline says
I made the video version that was sent out recently which I think is the same as this! The chicken was really good and the sauce delicious! Will be making again. 🙏
Kish says
Just made this for dinner and had it with butter rice. Love it!
KATHY CHACE says
So good! Happy food noises were heard at our dinner table tonight!😁 My boyfriend & son loved it!!😋 Thank you for sharing! We’ll def be making it again!!
Shaun says
I have made this several times with chicken and I love it! I have to try it next with lamb chops.
Vicki says
Just made this for dinner, so easy and delicious. Thankyou.
Mo says
I don’t normally comment but made this last night and shocked at how something so simple and with so little ingredients can be so tasty it was delicious and will be making again!
Jess says
Unfortunately this is one recipe Noone in the household could eat. Followed recipe completely but those flavors just were not working. Unfortunate.
Rebecca says
Delicious! Fast & easy!
Paula says
Hi—could chicken thighs be used? Would this make the sauce more watery…?
Patty says
Great & extremely easy recipe if you’re pressed for time!!
Corinna Anderson says
So easy and delicious. I made it two nights in a row. Will definitely be in the dinner rotation. Thank you
Carol says
Delicious. I made with a chicken breast and pork sirloin chop. Easy, quick, tasty, simple recipe. Served with a quick rice pilaf made in the oven while I prepared and cooked this recipe.