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!
Oh my goodness, it was all I could do not to lick my plate. So so yummy 😊
This recipe is absolutely amazing, and a total game-changer. I cook a lot, but have never successfully cooked truly delicious chicken breasts with a sauce in a pan (I usually grill them). Thank you!
Loved this!
First time user of this recipe /author..
It was so tasty, I’m so glad I tripled the contents. I used boneless/skinless thighs because I had them…wonderful flavor .. Everyone who is reading this make this recipe! It’s a keeper!
Super quick and easy! I had everything in my pantry. Really tasty. I added a half teaspoon of sesame oil. My wife adored it! This is going into the rotation! Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Nagi I love this dish one of my favorites. Had a question yours in the video looks way more brown than mine turn out. Mine a little pale. Any recommendations??
So quick and delicious. It did not disappoint, and rave reviews from entire family. Chicken done while rice was cooking. Thanks Nagi!
Looks fabulous for a meal to bring to sick family members. I have a cardamom infused honey I was thinking of using. Thoughts?
Outstanding! Easy peasy.
OMG, this is my new favorite, had it w/steam broccoli & sautéed brussels sprouts on the side.
Even my “picky” husband loved it too….
I will be making this again!!!
Greetings Nagi,
Just want to say “thank you” and let you know how much your recipes have helped me make meals for my 90 year old special folks who have dietary issues.
My research for delicious meals that they can eat leads me back to you so often!!!!
How can I say how much it means to have your help to celebrate and look after them at this stage in their life!!!! Thank you … Helen
serving this chicken with ceaser salad is amazing. The combo together is incredible.
You are just a doll, so cute and your sweet doggie is too! I am an amazing 75 year old good cook and you are one of my favorite food miracle workers! This recipe just put my hubby on cloud 9! The sauce is perfect and the chicken is so tender. I made it with your perfect jasmine rice and can’t wait to have tomorrow’s repeat performance. Thank you for helping me show my love by giving wonderful recipes. Food is our beautiful language of love,
A quick and easy recipe! 8 yo and picky 80+yo both loved it. Thanks so much
This has become part of our midweek goto recipees. Cooked it plenty of times now, served up with cauliflower mash and something green, so good!!!
This is a simple n delicious meal. Fast n easy…my whole family loves it as is no changes
This recipe is very good and quick.
Made it tonight and it was delicious!! Entire family loved it. I have a scrapbook of all of our favorite recipes to pass down to my kids and my youngest teen said this one goes in the book.
Amazing!!! My 1yo & husband even loved and my husband is soooo picky!! Will definitely make this again!!
This is delicious. Doubled the sauce part for same amount of chicken in the recipe and used boneless thighs. Worried breasts would come out tough. Everyone gobbled it up. And so easy. Definitely a keeper.
I like boneless thighs better, too. Thanks for the suggestion!
This was so delicious! My husband wanted me to cook it again 2 days later. It settle with his stomach and he has Multiple Sclerosis and GERD.
This was absolutely perfect. THANK YOU
Could I use red wine vinegar here?