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!
i would like to make this in the crockpot. Do I just combine the ingredients (minus the flour) and pour over chicken? All the measurements stay the same right?
Hi Tiffany, the recipe as written won’t work in a cock pot sorry! N x
I made this for dinner tonight along with your fried rice. We all loved them both but particularly my fussiest eater (husband). He much prefers your version of fried rice to my normal version so it looks like my version will be scrapped. The chicken was so easy to make and so tender. The sauce was divine. Thanks Nagi!
Perfect Kate, that’s great to hear! N x
Best meal I’ve ever made 😳. And I’m not the best cook 🤣🤣🤣
The kids loved it too!
I didnt Have flour so I used Panko instead.
And did cauliflower mash.
WOOT! Sounds great Natalie! N x
my experience in the kitchen would be best described as, “level below novice”. i typically attempt one recipe per year, consisting of minimal effort and ingredients, as i find cooking/baking very stressful and overwhelming. this recipe was perfect. i so appreciated the way the directions were clearly outlined, and the added video walkthrough was just what i needed to feel confident throughout the process. best of all? my husband LOVED the dish, and was so impressed by how much flavor it had, and how little time it took to prepare. we both agreed this dish will need added to the dinner rotation, and are excited to try it with other proteins! thanks, nagi!
This is GREAT to hear Katie – thanks so much for letting me know!!
Ugh so good! My stuff never looks as ‘glazed’ as your photographs, but then reducing is pretty hard on my crappy oven. I had it with your sweet potato casserole so I should probably grab some insulin. Thanks Nagi <3
Absolutely delicious 🤤
Wow, just wow, the chicken was just amazing! Served with your quick garlic bread was just divine thank you. Its the baked fish tomorrow, im hooked already, thanks again.
This was so delicious, quick and easy. While it was cooking I made your quick rice in the microwave. Everything was ready is 15 minutes. Thanks Nagi
Made this with mixed chicken and pork. I think I should have reduced the oil after the pork. It’s a bit oily but it’s good. I will definitely try this again. Also I boiled the pork beforehand for a few hours to make it really soft.
So happy with this recipe! Quick, had everything in the pantry, and everyone loved it. Sauce had great depth despite only a few ingredients. Definitely going in our weekly rotation and replacing other chicken recipes. Once again, many thanks!
Perfect Add!!! N x
This was delicious!!! Omg we loved it in our home thank you! Although I used 1 tsp of lemon because I didn’t have vinegar. Just amazing!!!
That’s great to hear Paula!! N x
Oh have to try this, i’d say it would be a lovely coating for chicken wings…
Yes 100%!! N x
My daughter and I just made the Honey Garlic Chicken and it was easy! The flavor was great! I doubled the sauce to drizzle over sauteed veggies. Thank you for posting this recipe.
I took pics too. I couldn’t figure out how to post them on here.
I’m so glad it was a hit Jeanette!! N x
Your food looks amazing!!!
Thanks so Much Diana! N x
Delicious and so easy! Made this for dinner tonight and loved it. Definitely a keeper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Laura, that’s great to hear! N x
This was amazing. My picky 2 and 3 year olds rate every bite! Thank you for this delicious and easy dinner!
That’s great to hear Miccah!! N x
It was so easy and delicious! Can’t wait to make it again.
I’m so glad you loved it Rose. N x
I can’t eat soy – will it drastically change the recipe to leave it out?
You could perhaps try it with coconut aminos-I buy it at Sprouts. We don’t use soy sauce either.
Hi Wendy, yes the soy is the salty component that balances the flavours here, can you have tamari? N x
Does this absolutely need flour? I dont have any 🙁
Nope! Just skip it, even just using the sauce is great! 🙂 N x
Loved it. I’m so glad that I found your site. This was the first recipe I tried and it was delicious and so simple. Will recommend to all my friends.
Thanks so much Fiona! N x