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Honey Lemon Chicken

By:Nagi
249 Comments
Recipe v Video v

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!

Honey Lemon Chicken - Golden brown chicken breast with a gorgeous honey lemon sauce. On the table in 15 minutes! recipetineats.com

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.

The honey lemon sauce is divine!!! This chicken is part of my regular rotation!

Honey Lemon Chicken - Golden brown chicken breast with a gorgeous honey lemon sauce. On the table in 15 minutes! recipetineats.com

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).

Honey Lemon Chicken - Golden brown chicken breast with a gorgeous honey lemon sauce. On the table in 15 minutes! recipetineats.com

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

Honey Lemon Chicken - Golden brown chicken breast with a gorgeous honey lemon sauce. On the table in 15 minutes! recipetineats.com

Honey Lemon Chicken - Golden brown chicken breast with a gorgeous honey lemon sauce. On the table in 15 minutes! recipetineats.com

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Honey Lemon Chicken - Golden brown chicken breast with a gorgeous honey lemon sauce. On the table in 15 minutes!

Honey Lemon Chicken

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 7 mins
Total: 12 mins
Dinner
Western
4.95 from 58 votes
Servings4
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Succulent chicken with a lip smacking honey-lemon sauce. Dinner in a snap - 5 minutes prep, 4 minutes to cook the chicken, 3 minutes for the sauce = 12 minute dinner! Dusting the chicken in flour makes the skin slightly crispy which makes the sauce cling to it. Recipe VIDEO below!

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:

1. Bringing the chicken to room temperature really helps to cook the chicken very fast, keeping it extra juicy.
2. TIP: Sometimes I blanch asparagus or other fairly flat vegetables in the sauce while it is simmering. To do this, just add 1/4 cup of water and cook the veggies in the sauce for a few minutes until crisp-tender, by which time the extra water added should have evaporated, leaving you with just the sauce!
3. This can be made with fish or thin pork steaks too! Use thin schnitzel steaks (ie. not breaded / crumbed) or do it yourself - place a sheet of baking / parchment paper over the pork and bash until thin with a rolling pin or large can.
4. To freeze: Don't put the chicken you want to freeze in with the sauce in the pan (it will go soggy when stored), keep them separate. Freeze sauce separately from the cooked chicken. To reheat, defrost chicken thoroughly and bring to room temperature. Heat a skillet over high heat, add a touch of oil and add the chicken to reheat and freshen up the surface and make it golden again. Pour sauce in to reheat, turn chicken to coat and serve.
5. The reason I use both butter and oil is because the butter is flavour for the sauce and chicken, but if you use only butter, it has a tendency to burn. So I use both butter and oil.
6. Nutrition per serving, assuming all sauce is used.
Honey Lemo Chicken Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 206gCalories: 321kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 18.3g (6%)Protein: 34.7g (69%)Fat: 11.7g (18%)Saturated Fat: 4.4g (28%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 7.3gCholesterol: 99mg (33%)Sodium: 324mg (14%)Sugar: 13.4g (15%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 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!

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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249 Comments

  1. Harriet says

    5 stars
    Oh Nagi! Was time poor tonight, had the ingredients for this meal – and everyone loved it! Thank you ❤️

    Reply

  7. Theresa says

    5 stars
    I have finally found a good lemon chicken recipe. Even my husband (he hates chicken), enjoyed it.

    Reply

  8. Natalie Sharpe says

    5 stars
    Nagi, I would be lost without your AMAZING WEBSITE! You have changed the way I cook! This Honey Lemon Chicken is a regular in our home. Thank you, dear friend 👍❤️

    Reply

  9. rod rushton says

    5 stars
    This turned out even better than the lemon chicken at my local Asian restaurants. I make a fairly good lemon sauce myself but this one is magnificent.

    Reply

  10. jacqui wolfe says

    Came across your site the other day, looking for a chicken recipe… i made this last night ( didnt have any stock or garlic!) and didnt come out quite as pretty but was delish! thank you 🙂

    Reply

  11. Wendy Fowler says

    Hi Nagi. Been following you for a while. Love your recipes. I assume when the recipe says “flour (any)” that includes gluten-free flours as well?

    Give Dozer a pat for me. <3

    P.S. I'm an American who became an Aussie citizen. Although I'm back in the States for now, Oz is an incredible country and I look forward to going back.

    Reply

  12. Trudi Matthews says

    Hallo Nagi,read so many yummy recipes of yours so I’m going to have a “Yummy NAGI WEEK “💖💖💖

    Reply

  15. Marianne says

    5 stars
    Another winner from you! Thanks for always getting it right – love your honesty too. Your videos are easy to follow and the dog, oh the dog, what a gorgeous addition to your website. Keep the recipes coming, this one will be a staple for years to come in our household! Yum!

    Reply

  16. Lisa says

    the honey lemon chicken was scrumptious! Can you suggest how I can make this for a holiday buffet? can any of if be done earlier ? can it be reheated? i will be making 4x the recipe to feed a crowd

    thanks -a big fan in NJ/USA

    Reply
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