My Honey Lemon Chicken is perfect for weeknights! Chicken breast lightly coated in seasoned flour, pan fried until golden and served with a gorgeous honey lemon sauce. At just 320 calories a serve – with plenty of sauce – and on the table in 15 minutes, this is a fantastic back pocket recipe for busy days!
This rarely happens, and it usually only lasts 24 hours, but I can officially say: I’m cooked out. Between cooking for Easter both in real life and for RecipeTin Eats and client work, the amount of food that has come out of my pokey little kitchen over the past couple of weeks is extraordinary.
My freezer is jam packed, the homeless guy is getting 2 meals almost every day, and every friend I see gets sent home with food.
So today, it’s fitting that I share something super fast to make but, as always (!!), super tasty – this Chicken with Honey Lemon Sauce.
I start off by dusting the chicken with lightly seasoned flour which serves two purposes: 1) so the chicken forms a lovely golden brown crust; and 2) it helps thicken the sauce (via brown bits stuck on the pan mixed into the sauce and popping the chicken back into the sauce at the end).
The key to this recipe is the golden brown bits left in the pan from cooking the chicken. It’s gold and it should never be wasted. Whether you’re cooking fish or protein, swish a little liquid of some sort (broth/stock, wine, lemon juice, even water), bring it to a simmer to loosen the brown bits and use a spatular to scrape it off the bottom of the pan and into the liquid.
It’s free flavour and it’s the key to making this simple Honey Lemon Sauce so tasty even though there are so few ingredients in it.
This Honey Lemon Chicken is actually a really healthy meal too, at just 320 calories per serving. Serve it with a simple side salad and a couple of slices of bread to mop up the sauce, and you’ll have a complete meal for less than 500 calories.
Something to mop up the honey lemon sauce is key! It’s rude to lick the plate (in front of others, home alone is perfectly acceptable). So make sure you have some bread to wipe your plate clean!! – Nagi x
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Honey Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb / 500g chicken breast (2 pieces)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup / 35 g flour (any)
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml chicken broth / stock
- 1/4 cup / 85g honey
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml lemon juice (fresh)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
To serve (optional)
- Lemon slices
- Finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally to form 4 steaks in total. OPTIONAL (for more even cooking): Pound to even thickness about 1cm/ 2/5" thick.
- Sprinkle each side generously with salt and pepper.
- Place flour in shallow dish. Coat the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess.
- Mix 1 tsp of the flour (reserved from step 3) with the water. Set aside.
Cooking
- Place butter and oil in a skillet over medium high heat until butter is melted and hot. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown, then transfer onto a plate to rest.
- Add garlic into the skillet and stir for 20 seconds or until golden. Add chicken broth / stock and bring to simmer. Use a spatula to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan into the liquid.
- Add honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and flour/water mixture (from step 4) into the skillet. Mix and bring to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened into a syrup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, pour Sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley and lemon slices if using. Alternatively, return the chicken to the pan for 30 seconds (to reheat), turning to coat in the sauce.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Honey Lemon Chicken recipe video! Note: The recipe is missing the soy sauce which is in the ingredients, returned to the recipe by popular demand by readers who loved the original recipe!
Hi Nagi! I love the way this looks and I’m trying to make this tonight, excuse my super beginniner question but what type of butter do I use?
Hi Zara, just unsalted butter – N x
Just made this, so yummy
Thank you Nagi for your delicious recipes everything I have tried of yours has been winners.
Wahooo! That’s so great to hear Evelyn – N ❤️
Hey Nagi, wanted to let you know my family loved this recipe. Made it today for dinner and my husband first eyed it suspiciously but wound up clearing his plate very fast. And our 5-year-old informed me it was the best thing she has ever tried.
I really appreciate your blog and your recipes, everything I have tried so far has been simple to make and a family favorite.
Hi Nagi, I can’t believe how easy and unbelievably good this recipe was. OMG it was amazing. It took next to no time and was as good as any restaurant would serve. Delicious no wonder you are my go to for recipes! Love it keep up the fantastic work.
Wahoo! Thanks so much Michelle!
Another fantastic recipe now added to our “favourites list”. Hubby thought it was delicious. Thanks Nagi once again for a great recipe. x
You’re so welcome Sharon!
I made this tonight but had to make a substitution as I discovered my lemons disappeared. It is equally yummy switching limes for lemons, yummy!
My son thinks I should make the revised lime sauce for everything he eats. A real lime lover
Perfect Sheila!!
This was delicious and will definitely become a regular meal in our house. I served it on a bed of mashed potato with some steamed veg.
Sounds perfect Lauren!
How do you do it? So delicious so easy and so quick. Served with broccoli, coles roast veg tray and bread rolls. Mmmmm
Perfect Rachel!
Thank you for this recipe! My whole family really enjoyed it! I added it to my “Definitely Make Again” board!!
Wahoo, great news Kathie!
What do you serve with this dish??
Going to make that, it looks delicious…thank you.
I hope you love it!!
This sounds yummy and I will be trying it very soon. I can’t print from my phone only my computer in my email.
I hope you love it Dottie ❤️
found this on Facebook. I just made this and i mixed up 2 different recipes i was looking at because i used egg and lemon juice to dredge the chicken in before the flour but it was great!! really good flavor and put it over rice and with Broccoli.TRYING to find better things to do with chicken than just stick in a frying pan and cook THANK YOU!!
I’m so glad it worked for you Susan!
Made this tonight and my family loved it!!! Will definitely make it again.
Winner winner chicken dinner!
I made this tonight for dinner. Tasty, Flavorful. Simple. Versatile. I loved it & so did my neighbor kids who I let try it! I got 5 stars!! Haha! Excellent recipe! We will have it again. Thanks!
Great to hear Julie!
Another quick and easy recipe Nagi! I doubled the recipe but for some reason when I doubled the sauce I had trouble getting it to thicken with the flour/water mixture. I just added more flour/water mixture and let it cook a bit longer so it thickened, then I returned the chicken to the pan to reheat it and it was perfect.
Hi Maria, If you doubled the sauce it would take longer to thicken. I’m so glad you enjoyed it anyway!
Another winner! Neither honey nor lemon overpowers the other. What a perfect blend! And the chicken breast cooks so fast and stays so moist. Thanks again.
I’m so glad you love it Tony!
Hi! Working without a stovetop so wondering if anyone has tips for using the oven with this recipe with same 5 star results? (Can’t afford a dinner fail with kitchen under construction;)) TIA!
Hi, give this one a go! https://www.recipetineats.com/oven-baked-chicken-breast/ perfect to be oven baked ☺️
Nagi,Itried Salisbury steak receipt Awesome now a favourite and also slow cooker pork loin roast .Another beautiful dinner with wonderful gravy.Thanks Nagi.I know I have a winner when I see your smiling face.Bye for now Jim
Thanks so much Jim!
Just made this recipe it is absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing Nagi.
I’m so happy you loved it!!