This honey chicken recipe has tender, pan-fried chicken coated in a sticky honey and soy sauce glaze. Ready in about 30 minutes!
Try my Spicy Ground Chicken Stir Fry next for another easy takeout-style meal at home.
This is a Chinese food inspired "take-out fake-out" type dish. If you like making this type of food at home or you've never tried but love this kinda food, I think you'll enjoy this recipe. The honey chicken sauce is soo good. This recipe is definitely healthier than takeout (and lower calorie too since we're not deep frying or anything).
It's really easy to make as long as you follow the troubleshooting tips I outline below. I don't say that to scare you away, but I know it's easy to gloss over blog posts sometimes, so I'm putting this note in here multiple times. This recipe goes much smoother if you learn from my own mistakes haha.
How to make sticky honey chicken
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and coat them in cornstarch;
- Add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and set it aside;
- Sear the chicken on two sides until crispy and browned, then take it out of the skillet;
- Add the sauce ingredients to the skillet, scrape up any brown bits, and then add the chicken back in;
- Cook until the sauce has thickened and chicken has cooked through.
(Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)
Recipe notes, tips, and troubleshooting:
- This recipe has the best results when the skillet is nice and hot. The chicken will get properly seared and have less of a chance of sticking to the pan.
- If the chicken is sticking to the pan, that is is fine - you just have to give it a little more time to release naturally. No need to force it.
- I find it easiest to turn the chicken quickly using tongs (like these).
- I recommend having the sauce ready to go in a bowl vs. scrambling like I did when I was first testing this recipe and the chicken started burning. 😛
- The searing of the chicken does get a bit splattery - you may want to use a splatter guard like this one from Amazon.
- Want to make this more of a honey garlic chicken recipe? Add more garlic powder or a few fresh cloves of minced garlic into the sauce.
- Want some heat? Add some red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- You can use rice wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
- You can use chicken thighs but may need to cook them a little longer. I'd use six large ones.
What to serve with honey chicken
Rice is my go-to (I made white jasmine rice), and I chopped up some scallions to sprinkle over top.
More chicken recipes you'll enjoy:
- Easy Mongolian Chicken Recipe
- Honey Lemon Chicken
- Pineapple Chicken (Asian Style)
- Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
- Honey Garlic Soy Sauce Chicken
- Honey Ginger Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
Will you give this honey glazed chicken recipe a try?
Questions? Did you make this recipe? Leave me a comment below.
Honey Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts cut into smaller pieces
- 2.5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil + more as needed
Instructions
- Cut your chicken into smaller pieces (bite-size or slightly bigger is fine). Add the chicken to a bowl and sprinkle the cornstarch over it. Toss until coated.
- Add the soy sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, and garlic powder to another bowl.
- Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Let the pan get nice and hot. Cook the chicken until browned on two sides (about 3-5 min/side). I did two batches so as not to over-crowd the pan. You may need to add another tablespoon or so of oil when cooking the second batch. Remove chicken from the pan and set it aside once it's seared. Important note: If the chicken is sticking, wait a little longer and it will release when it's nicely browned. I use tongs to make turning the chicken quick and easy.
- Take the skillet off the heat and pour in the sauce from the bowl. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken back in. Reduce the heat to medium and return the pan to the burner.
- Let it cook for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened up a bit and the chicken is fully cooked through (I spoon some sauce over top). Serve immediately. It's really good over rice!
Notes
- Please read the blog post for more troubleshooting tips!
- This recipe was inspired by my friend Nicky's Honey Garlic Chicken.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
nate says
Yet another amazing recipe from Salt & Lavender
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Thanks so much, Nate!! So glad you enjoyed it and our other recipes 🙂
Cherleen says
This looks amazing ! About how much does the 3 chicken breasts weigh that you use? I’d like to try to this with thighs- I always overcook breasts .
Natasha says
Hi Cherleen! Honestly, I have no idea... but I would say that using 6 thighs should work well. 🙂 Let me know if you try!
Katie says
Wow. I have been on the hunt for an Asian style chicken recipe that’s similar to what I can get as take out. And this is it! I love it so much! I added some red pepper flakes for a kick. Next time I make it, I will double the sauce so I have some more to drizzle over white rice and veggies!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I'm so happy you enjoyed this one, Katie! 🙂
mavee125 says
This honey chicken is absolutely yummy! Glad I got to get all my needed ingredients in Karman Foods. By the way I used a low-sodium soy sauce and loved how light it is. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Natasha says
Fab!! You're very welcome!
Autumn says
Great with carrots and bell pepper added 🙂
Natasha says
Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed it.
Kaitlyn says
A go to in our house! delicious!!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 😀
Lizzie says
Would you recommend using set honey or runny honey? Or does it not matter? Really excited to make this!
Natasha says
I find runny honey to be easier to work with/measure in general, but set honey is fine if that's all you've got. I just sorta jam it into a measuring spoon with my finger haha. I hope you enjoy the recipe, Lizzie! 🙂
Roger says
Loved it ... used fresh garlic and ACV (I'm addicted to that stuff), served it with steamed broccoli over cauliflower rice instead of regular rice
Natasha says
Fabulous!! 🙂
Megan says
This chicken is amazing! I’ve made it more times than I can count. It really is better than take out. I am definitely a beginning cook but your blog and recipes give me confidence to feel like a chef. I love all the attention to detail you give as well as the tips you provide for your recipes. Thank you!
Natasha says
Aww your comment makes me so happy, thank you!! 🙂 It's only 11 am here and you already made my day.
Neysa says
OMG! This chicken is absolutely delicious and easy. Thank you. I also tried the salmon version and it was just as mouth watering.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!!
hai chung says
hi there! your recipes look delicious and relatively simple! would love to try this as a beef dish. do you think this would work and what cut of meat would you recommend?
Natasha says
Hi! I replied to your comment on IG. I think it could work. I'd probably use tenderloin since I'm partial to it. Or a quality sirloin.
Rebecca F. says
Made this recipe last week and it was beyond delicious! We loved it!!
Notes: I used boneless chicken thighs (rather than chicken breasts) and fresh garlic (rather than garlic powder). Also added red pepper flakes for some added heat, and used garlic flavored stir fry oil instead of olive oil. Otherwise, followed the recipe to a T and the end result was fabulous! Will definitely make this recipe again & again.
Natasha says
Awesome!!
Steve S says
I added real garlic instead of powder and powdered ginger. I also used more vinegar than the recipe called for and added Chinese chili garlic paste for a kick. It was great!
Natasha says
Awesome!!
Caroline says
Delicious! I added a sliced jalapeño for some heat, a couple cloves of crushed garlic and a red bell pepper for some veggies. Chicken was juicy and so tasty. Thanks for the recipe!
Natasha says
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it... your additions sound delish!
megan says
Loved it. Next time I will need to double the recipe
Natasha says
Awesome!
Sarah says
Suggestion on chicken broth replacement, want to try this but don’t have this ingredient at the moment :/
Natasha says
Vegetable broth or water + some bouillon. If you just have to use water, you’ll need to salt the recipe pretty well. It’ll be a little less flavorful overall but shouldn’t make a massive difference.
Becky says
Omg! I'm in love! So yummy! Only thing I did different was using flour in place of cornstarch because I didn't have any on hand. It was so easy to make. I will definitely be adding this to my regular dinner lineup.
Natasha says
I'm so happy that it worked out!! 🙂
Karen says
Love your recipes and this is one of our all time favorites! So easy, healthy and delicious. I’d buy a recipe book of yours!
Natasha says
Aww thank you so much!! I'm so happy to hear that. I may come out with a cookbook one day haha.. I appreciate your support! 🙂 XO
Nichole says
I don't print recipes unless they are the BEST, and this is DEFINITELY worth a print LOL I sent it out to several of my friends and told them to make it ASAP and don't change a thing. I added siracha to mine when I served it because who doesn't love siracha. Can't wait to try more recipes!
Natasha says
Aww I'm so glad to hear that, Nichole!! Thanks for sharing the recipes with you friends too! Let me know if you make anything else.
Aly Foster says
Ahhhhhmazing!!
Next time will make a double batch!
I used thighs... I always tend to overcook and dry-out breast meat.
A family favorite!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! Yes, thighs are way more forgiving!
lindsay says
We loved this recipe! Even my 5 year old who is the pickiest eater I've ever crossed paths with liked it! Thank you!!
Natasha says
That's what I like to hear! 😀
Jay says
Could you make an adjustment for us who misread directions easily? Maybe mention the sauce has to go in a separate bowl than the chicken with the cornstarch? I thought it was all in the same bowl when I read it ☹️☹️☹️
Natasha says
Hi Jay! I just updated it to "another" bowl to hopefully make it more clear. Just a quick tip (for anyone, not just you): it's always a good idea to read through the recipe once or twice prior to starting it. I never used to do this myself, but it really helps you picture it in your mind, so fewer mistakes are made.
Marija Nikolic says
Delicious 🙂
Natasha says
Thank you!
Lynda Appel says
My family loved this! So tasty and super quick! Thanks so much!
Natasha says
Great! You're very welcome! 😀
Renee says
Hey, just wondering if you can substitute red wine vinegar in place of the rice vinegar?
Natasha says
Hi! I think you asked me on IG but I will reply anyway so others can see it haha. If you do go this route, I'd use a little less than suggested because it may end up too sour.
Melissa says
I made this last night and it was great! I used rice wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar. I also added some toasted sesame oil. The chicken came out super tender and delicious! I’ll definitely be making this again!
Natasha says
Awesome!! So glad you liked it!!
Dustie says
I love this, but is there any way, you can offer your readers a "saved list" so that we can save our faves into one place for future use?
Natasha says
Hi Dustie!! Thank you! I'll have to look into it... but to be honest, I think it may require an expensive custom site re-design - I am not sure it's just a feature I could add on, but I'll keep it in mind since you never know. You may just have to use a folder in your bookmarks unfortunately.
Stephanie says
Made this last week and the whole family, including 9 and 7 year olds, loved it! I didn't have the apple cider vinegar, but subbed rice wine vinegar as suggested. Quick and flavorful. I served with rice and steamed broccoli. Will definitely make again!
Natasha says
I am so happy it was a hit!! Thanks so much for leaving me a comment, Stephanie! 😀
Heather says
Haven`t tried it yet but will later in week thank you
Natasha says
Enjoy!