This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This easy honey garlic chicken recipe has tender pan fried chicken breasts with a sticky sweet honey garlic glaze. It’s fast and simple to make!

close-up of easy honey garlic chicken in a cast iron skillet

Here’s another quick recipe for your weeknight dinner arsenal! It uses everyday ingredients, and it’s sure to be a hit with picky eaters and when those takeout cravings hit. 

The honey garlic chicken sauce is made with only a handful of ingredients: honey, minced fresh garlic, soy sauce (I used low sodium for this recipe), chicken broth, lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar), and cornstarch. Salty and sweet… yum.

You may also like my Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs.

sliced honey garlic chicken breast on a plate with rice and sauce

How to make honey garlic chicken (summary):

Start by adding the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisking them together. Then, prep the chicken by cutting each chicken breast in half lengthwise (this ensures it cooks quickly and evenly so it stays tender) and sprinkle it with salt & pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a skillet until it’s hot, and then sear the chicken for about 5 minutes/side. Add the sauce to the pan and let it bubble for about 30 seconds (it’ll activate the cornstarch and start to thicken). You then take the pan off the heat (important so the sauce won’t end up burning or reducing too much) and spoon some over top of the chicken. Place the skillet in the oven for 5 minutes, and the chicken will finish cooking through and the sauce will reduce a bit more. (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)

Love sweet sauces? Try my Honey Glazed Salmon.

What kind of chicken to use?

I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. You could use chicken thighs but they make take a little longer especially if you use bone-in skin-on ones (I’d do the initial searing step for a bit longer). 

close-up of honey garlic chicken (in a skillet with a spoonful of sauce)

Recipe notes & tips:

  • This recipe doesn’t make a *ton* of sauce, but the sauce is fairly rich and sweet, so a little does go a long way flavor-wise. If you do want a lot of sauce, I’d recommend doubling all the sauce ingredients.
  • I can’t believe I’m actually adding this as a disclaimer, but yes, this is a sweet sauce (I’m writing this because of past experiences with other honey-based sauces I’ve received comments on). Honey is very sweet. If you’re not someone who likes sweet sauces, then I’d skip this one. Or serve it with a bit of extra lemon juice squeezed over top.
  • I use kitchen tongs to easily flip the chicken, and an instant read thermometer ensures the chicken is cooked perfectly.
  • Any oven-proof skillet will work fine for this recipe. I used one of my trusty Le Creuset skillets for this particular one. I also love my Lodge cast iron (a more affordable option).
  • This recipe is straightforward, but I would closely adhere to the cooking times indicated or you’ll end up with a too thick sauce that’s stuck on the pan (no fun for anyone!). 

What to serve with honey garlic chicken?

Try rice (jasmine is my favorite), but mashed potatoes or even pasta would also work depending on what you’re in the mood for. Or some steamed veggies (try broccoli or green beans).

Other delicious chicken recipes to try:

honey garlic chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet

Questions about this honey garlic chicken breast recipe? Leave me a comment below! And tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations.

close-up of easy honey garlic chicken in a cast iron skillet
4.91 from 11 votes

Honey Garlic Chicken

This honey garlic chicken recipe has tender pan fried chicken breasts with a sticky sweet honey garlic glaze. It's fast and simple to make!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 2 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Chopped scallions to taste (optional but recommended)

Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 400F and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
  • Add the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk them together. Set aside.
  • Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner pieces. Season them with salt & pepper.
  • Add the oil and butter to an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Let the skillet heat up for a few minutes.
  • Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes/side until golden.
  • Give the sauce another quick whisk and then pour it into the skillet in between the chicken pieces. Let it bubble for 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat. Quickly spoon some sauce over the chicken and then place the skillet in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (165F) and the sauce thickens up a little more. Do not cook much longer or the sauce will burn.
  • Serve immediately (I spoon more sauce over top and add the chopped scallions).

Notes

  • Use an instant read thermometer to ensure chicken is never undercooked or overcooked and dry.
  • I recommend an oven-proof skillet for this recipe. You can transfer the chicken to a baking dish for the oven portion of the recipe if you are in a pinch, though.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 611mg, Potassium: 474mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 121IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

Leave a comment

Please leave a recipe rating!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

31 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is delicious! My finicky teen daughter announced “add this to the rotation”, so I would call this a winner! Plus I always have these ingredients on hand. Perfect for a fast and tasty dinner.

  2. Awesome recipe! This honey garlic sauce is absolutely the easiest and best! I browned chicken in skillet (did not cut chicken in half length wise) just leaving breasts whole. After adding sauce and swirling around as you said, spooning some on top of breasts, I baked in oven for 20 minutes. Perfection! Will make this recipe for company…soo delicious! We had with rice and salad.