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

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

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

Why you’ll love it

The honey garlic sauce is syrupy and glorious in this easy chicken recipe! It’s made with only a handful of ingredients, so it’s one you can make any time. The sweet and savory flavors of soy sauce, garlic, and honey are concentrated into each tasty drop. It’s so good over rice.

This honey garlic chicken is a 30-minute meal that’s sure to hit the spot when those takeout cravings hit. It’s super straightforward to make and a quick chicken breast recipe that picky eaters love. I bet you have all the ingredients in your pantry and fridge ready to go!

What you’ll need

  • Chicken – I use boneless skinless chicken breasts seasoned with salt & pepper
  • Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
  • Scallions – these mild green onions are optional but add a pop of contrast and freshness
  • Soy sauce – use the low sodium variety
  • Honey – it’s the sweet star of the glaze
  • Chicken broth – for more savory depth of flavor
  • Lemon juice – a touch of acidity balances out the sauce
  • Garlic – we’re got plenty for that signature flavor
  • Cornstarch – to thicken it up
ingredients for honey garlic chicken in prep bowls

Pro tip

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!

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

Tools for this recipe

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How to make honey garlic chicken

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

whisking honey garlic sauce in a prep bowl, then pan searing chicken in a skillet

Preheat the oven. In a prep bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside. Cut the chicken to make 4 thinner cutlets, and season with salt & pepper. Heat up the oil and butter in an oven-safe skillet. Cook the chicken until golden.

a skillet with honey garlic chicken before and after cooking in the oven

Give the sauce a quick stir, then pour into the pan between the cutlets. Let it bubble for half a minute, then remove from the heat (important so it doesn’t scorch/cement to the pan). Spoon some sauce over the chicken, then finish cooking in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens. Top with scallions if using.

Substitutions and variations

  • 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.
  • 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.

What to serve with honey garlic chicken

  • I like using a long grain white rice like jasmine.
  • My Garlic Mashed Potatoes, a Baked Potato, or even pasta/noodles would also work depending on what you’re in the mood for.
  • Steamed veggies are another option. Try broccoli/broccolini or green beans on the side. A nice salad pairing would be this Broccoli Ramen Salad.

Storage and leftovers

  • Store for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
  • Reheat slowly over a low heat on the stove in a covered saucepan, or microwave it. Be careful because the sauce will continue to thicken, and reheating it too hot will just lead to a stuck-on mess.
  • If you have to freeze leftovers, keep in mind that there’s a good chance the texture of the sauce will change.
close-up of honey garlic chicken (in a skillet with a spoonful of sauce)

If you made this honey garlic chicken breast recipe, leave me a star rating and comment below! Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your S&L creations.

close-up of easy honey garlic chicken in a cast iron skillet
4.94 from 16 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 large chicken breasts
  • 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-safe 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.

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.

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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!

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39 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is a winner! It was super easy to make, quick and also delicious. My family all enjoyed it, ten year old included. I served it with jasmine rice and broccoli. I’ll be making it again for sure.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.