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!
Tried this tonight and it was so good – so many lemon chicken recipes overdo it on the garlic, but this had plenty of lemon and honey flavor (two of my favorites). I don’t have a meat tenderizer so I didn’t flatten the chicken – just cooked it a little longer and it was fine, cooked through but still juicy. Thanks!
Fantastic to hear Theresa! So glad you enjoyed it! N xx
It says to cook chicken for 2 min each side or until brown and return for 30 seconds later. Is that enough time for chicken to be completely done? Looks delicious and want to make it tonight. Thanks
Hi Maggie! Because the chicken is quite thin, yes it is long enough 🙂 In fact, it is cooked just enough which means you get maximum juiciness in the chicken! Nothing worse than overcooked dry breast 🙂
Can the sauce re ipetin be doubled
Sure can Paula! N x
I am 79 years old and have been eating Chinese food since the age of 11 and all over the U S A. My late wife and I enjoyed the most; Lemon Chicken. Every time we have had it, the chicken was served on a bed of what appears to be soft lettuce, as though the lettuce had been par-boiled or sauteed. Yet, when I look up Lemon Chicken Recipes, none of them have the bed of heated lettuce. Do you know why restaurants serve it this way but when one is looking for a recipe, all they find is various recipes for Lemon Chicken, but no lettuce? To me, the lettuce bed is just as good in taste as the lemon chicken. In fact they go together. One without the other is not Lemon Chicken, to me that is. Your help would be appreciated, and thank you in advance.
Hi Godfrey, what a lovely message to receive! Yes in China sautĂ©ed lettuce is actually quite common. I don’t think the Western palette has got their heads around cooked lettuce yet! Try making it with my stir fry sauce. I think you’ll like it! https://www.recipetineats.com/real-chinese-purpose-stir-fry-sauce/
Is there a substitute for chicken broth/ stock?? Can I just use water?
Hi Avery! The sauce won’t have as much flavour unfortunately. For this one I really urge you to use broth 🙂
Thank you for this delicious recipe I’ve tried it, I can eat it everyday ????❤
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this Eman! Thanks for letting me know! N xx
Made this last night, so good will make again .To die for Thank you
Thanks for trying my recipe Phyllis, so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Hi! This sounds delicious! I was overlooking the recipe and was wondering about when it says to ‘add remaining ingredients’ which is the honey, lemon, clove, and soy sauce, do I mix those together first? Or do I just add it all separately on top and let it mix itself?
Thanks:)
Hi Brittany! Nope just add them in then mix 🙂
Being Greek, honey and lemon are staples for cooking and this recipe did not disappoint! I served this with some orzo pasta and grilled asparagus and it was a hit. Easy enough for a weeknight too. Great dish! Just found you through Delish. Bookmarking!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Joyce! Thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
Made this the other night and it was to die for!! Sooooo good!! Staple in my home!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Bia! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂 N x
I was looking for a low calorie meal with chicken and this came up and what a delicious meal it was instead of bread I made some mashed potatoes and asparugus and my picky eaters asked when I was going to make it again.. thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Liz! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂 N x
NAGI
Merry Christmas
My family made this for Christmas Eve dinner…..very simple….but elegant….Taste is fantastic…
This is a staple in my family cookbook now…thank you
Reym Family
Hi Steph! I’m so honoured to have made your family Christmas roster!! 🙂 Thank you for trying it and I’m glad you enjoyed it! N xx
I don’t eat dairy or soy. What could I substitute for these two ingredients?
Olive oil for the butter, and either fish sauce or 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce + extra pinch of salt 🙂
Epic! Incredible flavour. So easy and looked gorgeous too. Going in my meal rota for sure!
Ps it needs 10 stars lol
You really meant it!!! Re: messages BA HA HA!!! So glad you enjoyed it Rebecca! N xx
I made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! The chicken was a bit overcooked (my fault) but we still devoured the lot! Thank you so much for the inspiration.
So glad you liked it Cathy, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
I just tried this recipe the other day, and it was delicious. Thanks so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Amitha, thanks for letting me know!
Loved it and so did the troops. Thankyou
TOUCHDOWN! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know Andy – N x
Hello Nagi ! Love to read your Honey lemon chicken recipe. Thank you for this . It looks delish. Would love if you could submit your recipes on my blog too . TIA 🙂
So glad you enjoyed this!!
I am trying this recipe tonight. Your recipe for lemon chicken is delicious…I have been sharing it with fellow lemon lovers who I know will love it!
I hope you love it Laurie!!! (Hand held up high – fellow lemon lover here!)
It was delicious as your other lemon chicken recipe….making it again tonight and so is my sister in law. It so so good I had to share it!
Fantastic to hear Laurie! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! N x
Hi Nagi!
Found your blog while searching a simple but tasty honey-lemon-sauce.
Will follow you, sure to find lots of other delicious recipes! Big compliment for your great food pictures.
FEL!X (I have to admit that I’m a plate licker…)
OMG I LOVE your profile photo – ba ha ha!! That could be ME!!!!