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!
This recipe is fantastic! Delicious, simple to make, and uses ingredients. You already have on hand. Pairs beautifully with rice and a green salad. I will definitely make this one again!
Great, easy recipe! Served with a salad and small side of white rice. Simple dinner for my husband and I.
Great recipe! Quick and easy. Hubby gave it a thumbs up too 😄
Excellent recipe great taste and fast to make !
I did not believe I would like this as much as I did! Everyone in the family loved it. That is a huge win. And the recipe is simple and fast. This is definitely making it into dinner rotation. I did modify slightly. I doubled everything except the butter, garlic and honey bc I am not huge on food being too sweet and it worked out beautifully!
So quick and easy… and super yummy!! Great flavors with just enough sweetness. Paired with white rice and broccoli. Will definitely be a new go to!
Super easy go to weeknight dinner recipe! we loved it!
Saved us from a brining dinner, fantastic glaze. Will be making again.
My 9-year-old daughter made sure I rated you five stars! Also my 7-year-old 🙂
Was such a great hit with the family. We finished it that night! Wish we had left overs to enjoy the next day, just means I need to make it again soon!
Quick & easy but absolutely delicious. I used maple syrup this time, will try with honey next time. This recipe has joined my stable ❤️
This is so good! Didnt have apple cider at home so I substituted with red cane vinegar + mirin. This turned out surprisingly good! Chicken breast is juicy too, not dried out.
This one the best chicken breast recipe I have ever had.
I tried this recipe for the first time today and it was excellent. I followed the instructions to the letter as I had never pan fried chicken breasts before. I had 2 chicken breasts that I cut in half and there was enough sauce left to pour over my vegetable side. This will be added into my regular rotation.
This dish disappeared in minutes—that’s just how good it was. Thanks so much for the delicious recipe, Nagi!
So simple and so delicious. This one is a keeper. My son said he could eat this every day!!
Another winner Nagi, thanks so much! The whole family loved it Will make it again for sure.
Not sure what chemistry is at play here but the chicken breast was very tender and the sauce was fantastic. Added bonus: so easy and quick to prepare. Loved it.
Super easy, full of flavor. Paired with rice and broccoli for a quick easy dinner.
Delicious! It was easy and everyone loved it! Thank you!