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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Kerry says
Hi Nagi, Yet another delish meal. We loved it!!
There are so many of your recipes that I plan to cook, so far have yet to try one that has not been right up there!! 😋
Just wondering how would the sauce in this recipe go as a stir fry sauce?
Thank you for sharing such amazing recipes.
Nagi says
Hi Kerry, great idea – it would be delicious as a stir fry!
Judy Hall says
I’ve made this 5 or 6 times. Recipe is easy to understand and follow. We usually have fried rice and egg rolls to complete the meal. This has become my go to chicken when having Asian food.
Nagi says
Wahoo!
Céline Caron says
Wow. I made 2 batches and I use orange blossom honey I got while on vacation in Florida. The flavor was over the top. Thanks for makings things so easy all the time. ciao ciao.
Wendy Bigham says
This was so easy to make and delicious! The whole family loved it. I will definitely be making this again soon.
Simone says
Thank you for this awesome recipe! Quick, easy, simple ingrediants we already have on hand, and SO GOOD!!!! We made this sauce again and used it for our stir fry – also amazing.
Nagi says
Oh Perfect!!!!!
Nikki Canavan says
Hi Nagi! I just want to thank you for this awesome recipe! My family just raves about all your recipes that I make …especially this one! NIkki XX
Nagi says
That’s so nice to hear Nikki, thanks so much!
M says
Easy, quick, and delicious!
Nagi says
Yes that’s totally what I’m going for with this recipe, glad you love it!
Sara says
I only have dark soy, is there a substitute for light soy sauce you’d recommend?
Anna says
Nagi…this looks so yummy and I loved it so much. Have you ever used Yemeni Sidr Honey as an ingredient? I am using it for the past 3 months and it is super amazing. I think it will improve the taste of the garlic chicken further.
Nagi says
Hi Anna, I haven’t heard of it but I’d love to try it!
Christine Hunter says
Oh Nagi, This is such a winner! I made this tonight thinking we were going to end up eating late, as I started late. 20 minutes later we were sitting down to the most delicious chicken. Holy Moly….this stuff is great! Even my husband could make this. Easy and fast. It doesn’t get any better. Thanks for this great recipe.
Nagi says
It’s so quick isn’t it Christine?! I’m so happy you loved it ❤️
Cara says
I messed up and made the oil and other ingredients into a sauce and poured it over the chicken as it cooked – still fantastic! I’ll definitely try it again the right way!
Nagi says
I’m so glad it worked for you Cara!
Jordan Prince says
This looks INCREDIBLE. I was wondering how these are leftover?
Nagi says
Hi Jordan, they make great leftovers, I usually just cover and re-heat in the microwave
Sigurdur Armannsson says
I made this receipt tonight. I was terrific. I noticed it yesterday when I was looking for salmon recipes. I think it would work fine with salmon too, But, anyways, this is going to be a regular.
Nagi says
Yes it would be great with Salmon too ☺️
Liberty A Dunn says
Nagi your recipes are absolutely amazing!!! I made this tonight and it was hands down delicious! Restaurant quality yet so simple and easy. The sauce was amazing, and the chicken was succulent and tender! Thanks You Again for a great easy dinner. Hubby thanks you too!!!!
Nagi says
I’m so happy you both loved it Liberty!
Gloria Treadwell says
This is amazing. So very easy and quick to make. Love your recipes
Anne Sedgwick says
I tried the curried rice recipe and it is delicious. Enough left over for another meal and the cooking time was spot on. Thank you
Nagi says
Awesome!
Lesley says
I made the chicken at the top of this page and we loved it here! I will make these again for sure
Nagi says
I’m so glad you loved it Lesley!
Britta says
absolutely delicious! made this tonight for the first time and it was a hit!
Nagi says
I’ so glad you loved it Britta!
Pam says
Made this tonight for the first time. Will definitely make again. Do need to buy the lighter soy sauce as I only had the dark.
Bob says
I’m a single Dad love your site easy to follow recipes kids love garlic honey chicken
Nagi says
That’s great Bob!