Sticky, golden, and on the table in half an hour. That is what honey garlic chicken looks like in my kitchen, and it has rescued dinner more times than I can count.
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I made it the first time on a random Tuesday when Alex came home from basketball practice starving. I had two chicken breasts, a bottle of honey, and a head of garlic sitting on the counter. Twenty five minutes later he was scraping the pan for extra sauce.
The idea behind this honey garlic chicken is simple. You slice the chicken thin so it cooks fast, dust it with a little flour so the sauce clings, sear it in one skillet, then let everything bubble together until the sauce turns glossy and sticky.
Everything happens in one pan, which matters a lot in my small Manhattan kitchen where the counter space is roughly the size of a cutting board.
If sweet and savory chicken is your thing, you will probably also love my honey garlic butter chicken. Same flavors, softer buttery sauce, and it comes together just as fast on a rushed weeknight.
Why You Will Like This Recipe
- Thirty minutes total. Fifteen to prep, fifteen to cook, and dinner is done.
- One skillet. I sear, make the sauce, and finish the chicken in the same pan. Fewer dishes for Donald to wash.
- Simple ingredients. Honey, garlic, soy sauce, butter, and lemon. Nothing you need a special trip for.
- Sweet with a little heat. The sriracha does not make it spicy, it just keeps the honey from tasting like candy.
- Kids actually eat it. Sarah asks for extra sauce on her rice every single time.
- Cutlets stay tender. Thin slices cook in minutes, so the chicken never dries out on you.
Simple Ingredients For Honey Garlic Chicken
Here is what you need for four servings. I bolded the ones that really carry the flavor.
For the chicken
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb total)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon blackening seasoning (optional)
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Minced fresh parsley for the top (optional)
For the honey garlic sauce
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup honey
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce, reduced sodium
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
A quick note on swaps. Tamari works instead of soy sauce if you need it gluten free. Maple syrup can stand in for honey, though the sauce comes out a little thinner. And if you are out of lemons, a splash of rice vinegar does the same job of cutting the sweetness.
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Honey Garlic Chicken
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Sticky, golden, and on the table in half an hour. Thin chicken cutlets get dusted with flour, seared until golden, then finished in a glossy honey garlic sauce, all in one skillet.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb total)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp blackening seasoning (optional)
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Minced fresh parsley for the top (optional)
For the honey garlic sauce
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup honey
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce, reduced sodium
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp sriracha sauce
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Hold your knife flat against the cutting board and slice each breast sideways, opening it like a book, then cut all the way through. You should end up with four thin pieces.
- Season both sides with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and the blackening seasoning if you are using it.
- Put the flour in a shallow dish. Press each piece into it, flip, press again, then shake off the extra. You want a light dusting, not a thick coat.
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat.
- Cook the chicken 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden, working in batches so you do not crowd the pan. Move it to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Melt the butter, add the garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds while scraping up the browned bits stuck to the bottom.
- Pour in the honey, soy sauce, water, sriracha, and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
- Slide the chicken back into the pan, spoon the sauce over the top, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly.
- Run the skillet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until the top caramelizes. Watch it closely, honey goes from sticky to burnt in about 20 seconds.
- Sprinkle parsley over the top and spoon the extra sauce from the pan over everything.
Notes
Keep the sauce at a lazy bubble. Honey scorches fast and burnt garlic will ruin the whole pan. Use reduced sodium soy sauce and unsalted butter, or it comes out too salty. For a thicker sauce, whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir it in during the last minute of simmering. Tamari works instead of soy sauce for gluten free, and maple syrup can stand in for honey, though the sauce comes out thinner. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge in a covered glass container, or freeze with the sauce for up to 2 months. Reheat in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan Fried
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cutlet with sauce
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 36g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 105mg
How To Make Honey Garlic Chicken Step By Step
Slice The Chicken Thin
Hold your knife flat against the cutting board and slice each breast sideways, opening it like a book, then cut all the way through.
You should end up with four thin pieces. This is the step that keeps the chicken tender, so do not skip it.
Season And Dredge
Season both sides with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and the blackening seasoning if you are using it.
Put the flour in a shallow dish. Press each piece into it, flip, press again, then shake off the extra. You want a light dusting, not a thick coat.
Sear Until Golden
Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium high. I use my cast iron pan for this.
Cook the chicken 2 to 3 minutes per side until it is golden. Move it to a plate and cover it loosely with foil.
Do not crowd the pan. I learned that the hard way when I tried to squeeze all four pieces in at once and ended up steaming them instead of searing them.
Make The Honey Garlic Sauce
Turn the heat down to medium. Melt the butter, add the garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds while scraping up the browned bits stuck to the bottom.
Those browned bits are where all the flavor lives. Then pour in the honey, soy sauce, water, sriracha, and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
Finish It Sticky
Slide the chicken back into the pan and spoon the sauce over the top. Let it simmer 2 to 3 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly.
Then run the skillet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until the top caramelizes. Stay right there and watch it, because honey goes from sticky to burnt in about 20 seconds.
Sprinkle parsley over the top and spoon the extra sauce from the pan over everything.
Storage And Reheating
Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days in a covered glass container. I like glass because the sauce does not stain it.
For longer storage, freeze the chicken with the sauce in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight.
To reheat, use a skillet over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. The microwave works in a pinch, but 45 seconds at a time keeps the chicken from turning rubbery.
Honestly? The sauce tastes even better the next day. The garlic settles in and Donald has been known to eat the leftovers cold, straight from the container, standing at the fridge.
Tips And Variations For Honey Garlic Chicken
Want the sauce thicker? Whisk 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir it in during the last minute of simmering.
Here is what I have found after making this more times than I can count:
- Use chicken thighs instead of breasts if you like darker meat. Add about 4 minutes to the cook time.
- Double the sauce. My kids pour it over rice, so I always make extra.
- Skip the flour for a lighter version. The sauce will be thinner and it will not cling as well, but it still tastes good.
- Add ginger. A teaspoon of fresh grated ginger takes it in a slightly different direction, closer to my homemade teriyaki sauce.
- Watch the salt. Regular soy sauce plus salted butter makes this too salty. Use the reduced sodium kind.
The one mistake I keep seeing is people cranking the heat while the sauce simmers. Honey scorches fast, and burnt garlic will ruin the whole pan. Keep it at a lazy bubble.
Honey Garlic Chicken FAQ
What Is Honey Garlic Chicken Sauce Made Of?
It is butter, fresh minced garlic, honey, soy sauce, a little water, sriracha, and lemon juice. That is it.
The butter and garlic build the base, the honey brings sweetness, the soy sauce adds salt and depth, and the lemon keeps the whole thing from tasting cloying. I have tried it without the lemon and it was noticeably flatter.
How Do You Keep Chicken Breast Cutlets Juicy?
Slice them thin and cook them fast. Thick breasts need longer in the pan, and that extra time is what dries them out.
The light flour coating helps too, since it forms a barrier that holds moisture in. Pull the chicken out when it hits 165F and let the residual heat do the rest while you make the sauce.
Can I Make Honey Garlic Chicken Without Sriracha?
Yes, and Sarah prefers it that way. The sauce still works fine without it.
If you want a little something in its place, try a pinch of red pepper flakes or a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Both add a bit of sharpness that balances the honey without any real heat.
What Can I Serve With Honey Garlic Chicken?
Steamed white rice is what we eat with it most weeks, because the sauce soaks right in. Buttered noodles work too.
For vegetables, my Asian broccoli is the one I make constantly since it uses ingredients already sitting out for the sauce. If we are having a bigger dinner, I add a pan of spicy roasted potatoes and call it a night.
Recipes You May Like
- Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs With A Crispy Glaze if you want the same sweet and savory sauce with darker, richer meat.
- Creamy Mushroom Chicken Skillet for the nights you want something cozy and creamy in one pan.
- Quick Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi when you love garlic but want dinner ready even faster.
Final Thoughts
So here is the short version. Slice the chicken thin, dust it with flour, sear it golden, then let it finish in a honey garlic sauce until sticky.
Thirty minutes, one skillet, and ingredients you already keep around. This honey garlic chicken has earned a permanent spot on our dinner rotation, and I think it will earn one on yours.
Make it this week and tell me how it went in the comments. I read every one.
Save this to your Pinterest dinner board so you have it ready the next time the evening gets away from you.
