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
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BizzyLizzy says
Great recipe thanks but just to say that to make it GF you also need to substitute the soy sauce which it made with wheat. Tamari would be great, Its the Japanese version of soy but wheat free.
Leigh says
La Choy makes gluten free soy sauce
Nagi says
Yes – Tamari is the best substitute 🙂
Jessica Self says
This was super easy to make! I doubled the sauce ingredients because I like my stuff saucy! I also sprinkled a little mozzarella cheese on top of it and let it melt, and it turned out beautifully! Thank you! 💜 I’ll be tagging you on IG! 😉
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Jessica, and cheese always makes things better 😉
Bobby Taylor says
Oh my!
Even better than I thought it would be.
So easy and chicken so tender
I really liked your Video.
Thank you
Nagi says
I’m so glad you loved it Bobby!!
Kay Miller says
How many servlngs?
Nagi says
Hi Kay, This serves 4 – N x
Ahmed Asmal says
Thank you for the recipe. Very tasty will definitely make it again.
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Ahmed!
Melissa says
Made this for my parents the other day, my mom said it was pretty good while I freaking loved it. Today she asked me to make it again. So yeah, she loved it too, she just doesn’t like to admit she loves my cooking.
Great recipe, yummy yummy, recipe saved.
Nagi says
Oh that’s great Melissa!!
Lisa M says
Quick, simple and easy to make. Was finger licking good. Enjoyed by all 6 of us. I served it with rice and home grown freshly picked broccoli. 😋
Nagi says
I’m so jealous over the home grown broccoli Lisa, sounds like you made a wonderful dinner! – N x
Emily says
Hi Nagi! It always stuns me how, whenever I think of a yummy food and want to make it at home, then google its name, your blog is always the first place to pop up with a recipe! I’m so excited to see I can make this recipe with things I already have at home! What side dishes would you recommend serving with this chicken?
Nagi says
Hi Emily, anything would go great here; Mash, a simple side salad, rice, baked potatoes, green bean salad… the possibilities are endless!
Nita says
Haha same here, nagi’s name always comes up first on the list of best recipes 😀
Liz Logan says
Didn’t have much luck making this dish first time around, but this time…Wow! However I made some changes as follows:
1: Caramelised an onion with garlic and some salt.
2: Added 2 Tbs of soy sauce, 2 Tbs of apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbs of Hot Chilli sauce (Fountain), and 1 1/2 Tbs of honey.
3: Waited till it started bubbling then added chicken.
I am in 7th Heaven. Did I say Wow? I meant WOW!!!
Almost committed the ultimate bad manners sin – I was thisclose to licking my plate clean.
Nagi says
I’m so glad you got it to work for you Liz! Winner winner chicken dinner – N x
Jennifer says
I make this regularly for my family and they love it as a regular! I omit the soy sauce and it’s still delicious.
Heather says
Delicious!!! Thank you for such a great recipe!!
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Heather!
Jennifer says
Hi! I’m allergic to soy, so the soy sauce is out. Can I substitute successfully with coconut aminos? I generally use the Big Tree Farms Organic Coco Aminos when substituting soy sauce. Just wondering if it will work!
Jen says
I’ve used it without soy sauce and its still great.
Nagi says
Hi Jennifer, I haven’t tried to be honest but would love to know if it works!
Windy says
My HUSBAND (not a chef in the family, moi) cooked this and it was awesome!!!! I am recovering from a length stay at the the hospital with its own lengthy recovery period. It’s an abdominal issue, so I am most certainly not have the energy to do the cooking right now. Although it’s just for the two of us, he works long hours and he should have a homemade breakfast and dinner at the very least. Came up with idea of my over whelming recipe book and sharing it with him (using AnyList Recipes- love that app!!) so I am starting to pick out the easiest recipes and then I am laying in my hospital bed in the living room and walking him through the recipe. It’s amazing how well he follows instructions and it shows!! Thanks so much for posting this!
Nagi says
That’s so wonderful to hear, what a great Hubby! Wishing you well for your recovery ❤️
Casie says
Wow, Thank You for this great recipe!!! My Husband and I loved it!!!
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Casi!
Michelle says
I made this dish for my guests and everyone complimented me on how tasty and good it was. But Nagi I have to thank you and give you credit for that, because without your recipe I could never have made it. So once again thank you very much.
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Michelle, that’s lovely to hear!
Oyu says
My family loved it! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Oyu!
Motun says
Hi, Nagi, I love your recipes. I need to make this for a party of 40+ people, should I make it the day of or the day before? Also how should I store them if I did?
Nagi says
Hi Motun, I would make the sauce the day before and then cook the chicken the day of the party and coat in the sauce – N x
Motun says
Thank you !!!!
Gerald says
This was fantastic,great reviews from family.Thank you.
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Gerald!
Holly says
OMG so yummmmm. Had with cauliflower rice, will definitely be making again.
Nagi says
Wahoo!! Perfect Holly!
Vanessa says
I used normal soy sauce to make this (it was all I had), and it turned out so so good. I ate it alongside some fingerling potatoes (boiled then cut them up and got them crispy in a pan with some olive oil) and pan roasted carrots. Next time might add just a touch less of honey. Super easy and delicious, 10/10 would recommend.
Sasha says
Hi Nagi. Could one replace the soy sauce with tamari sauce?
Nagi says
Yes definitely Sasha, enjoy!