My Honey Lemon Chicken is perfect for weeknights! Chicken breast lightly coated in seasoned flour, pan fried until golden and served with a gorgeous honey lemon sauce. At just 320 calories a serve – with plenty of sauce – and on the table in 15 minutes, this is a fantastic back pocket recipe for busy days!
This rarely happens, and it usually only lasts 24 hours, but I can officially say: I’m cooked out. Between cooking for Easter both in real life and for RecipeTin Eats and client work, the amount of food that has come out of my pokey little kitchen over the past couple of weeks is extraordinary.
My freezer is jam packed, the homeless guy is getting 2 meals almost every day, and every friend I see gets sent home with food.
So today, it’s fitting that I share something super fast to make but, as always (!!), super tasty – this Chicken with Honey Lemon Sauce.
I start off by dusting the chicken with lightly seasoned flour which serves two purposes: 1) so the chicken forms a lovely golden brown crust; and 2) it helps thicken the sauce (via brown bits stuck on the pan mixed into the sauce and popping the chicken back into the sauce at the end).
The key to this recipe is the golden brown bits left in the pan from cooking the chicken. It’s gold and it should never be wasted. Whether you’re cooking fish or protein, swish a little liquid of some sort (broth/stock, wine, lemon juice, even water), bring it to a simmer to loosen the brown bits and use a spatular to scrape it off the bottom of the pan and into the liquid.
It’s free flavour and it’s the key to making this simple Honey Lemon Sauce so tasty even though there are so few ingredients in it.
This Honey Lemon Chicken is actually a really healthy meal too, at just 320 calories per serving. Serve it with a simple side salad and a couple of slices of bread to mop up the sauce, and you’ll have a complete meal for less than 500 calories.
Something to mop up the honey lemon sauce is key! It’s rude to lick the plate (in front of others, home alone is perfectly acceptable). So make sure you have some bread to wipe your plate clean!! – Nagi x
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Honey Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb / 500g chicken breast (2 pieces)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup / 35 g flour (any)
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml chicken broth / stock
- 1/4 cup / 85g honey
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml lemon juice (fresh)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
To serve (optional)
- Lemon slices
- Finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally to form 4 steaks in total. OPTIONAL (for more even cooking): Pound to even thickness about 1cm/ 2/5" thick.
- Sprinkle each side generously with salt and pepper.
- Place flour in shallow dish. Coat the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess.
- Mix 1 tsp of the flour (reserved from step 3) with the water. Set aside.
Cooking
- Place butter and oil in a skillet over medium high heat until butter is melted and hot. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown, then transfer onto a plate to rest.
- Add garlic into the skillet and stir for 20 seconds or until golden. Add chicken broth / stock and bring to simmer. Use a spatula to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan into the liquid.
- Add honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and flour/water mixture (from step 4) into the skillet. Mix and bring to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened into a syrup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, pour Sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley and lemon slices if using. Alternatively, return the chicken to the pan for 30 seconds (to reheat), turning to coat in the sauce.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Honey Lemon Chicken recipe video! Note: The recipe is missing the soy sauce which is in the ingredients, returned to the recipe by popular demand by readers who loved the original recipe!
Epic! Incredible flavour. So easy and looked gorgeous too. Going in my meal rota for sure!
Ps it needs 10 stars lol
You really meant it!!! Re: messages BA HA HA!!! So glad you enjoyed it Rebecca! N xx
I made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! The chicken was a bit overcooked (my fault) but we still devoured the lot! Thank you so much for the inspiration.
So glad you liked it Cathy, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
I just tried this recipe the other day, and it was delicious. Thanks so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Amitha, thanks for letting me know!
Loved it and so did the troops. Thankyou
TOUCHDOWN! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know Andy – N x
Hello Nagi ! Love to read your Honey lemon chicken recipe. Thank you for this . It looks delish. Would love if you could submit your recipes on my blog too . TIA 🙂
So glad you enjoyed this!!
I am trying this recipe tonight. Your recipe for lemon chicken is delicious…I have been sharing it with fellow lemon lovers who I know will love it!
I hope you love it Laurie!!! (Hand held up high – fellow lemon lover here!)
It was delicious as your other lemon chicken recipe….making it again tonight and so is my sister in law. It so so good I had to share it!
Fantastic to hear Laurie! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! N x
Hi Nagi!
Found your blog while searching a simple but tasty honey-lemon-sauce.
Will follow you, sure to find lots of other delicious recipes! Big compliment for your great food pictures.
FEL!X (I have to admit that I’m a plate licker…)
OMG I LOVE your profile photo – ba ha ha!! That could be ME!!!!
Hi Nagi, I really love all your recipes. I just want to ask what would be the best side dish that I can serve with this?
Hi Peachy! I love it with mashed potato, or any other type of mash. 🙂 Though even fresh bread to mop up the sauce is lovely! Then a simple green salad or steamed greens 🙂
NAGI – I prepared this dish for dinner yesterday and OMG! It was beyond delicious!! The best thing I’ve prepared in a long time.
One question though from a not-so experienced cook: How do you keep the minced garlic from getting brown to almost dark during the process of cooking the chicken? Do you add it just shortly before adding the chicken?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Gregor!!! And that’s not a silly question at all 🙂 Couple of things – if your garlic burned, sounds like your skillet got too hot before you added the chicken, was the butter browned? Also, the way I avoid the garlic burning is putting it in the skillet while the butter and oil is cold so it infuses and kind of “melts” into the butter as the butter melts. Then when the chicken is added, it brings the temperature of the skillet down and most of the garlic is under the chicken which stops it from burning. 🙂
Wow! I’m amazed how quickly you manage to respond to every single comment, and still get time to cook and write down the recipes :O
Hmm… that might be it. I did add the garlic, butter and oil all at the same time, but the butter was indeed in the process of browning when I added the chicken. Thanks Nagi 😉 This was definitely not the last time I’ve prepared this, so ample chances to improve 😀
Hi Gregor! I actually really appreciate the question because I do try to make my recipes do-able for everyone and it might be that I am more exact with the heating that is required to avoid burning the garlic. 🙂 So I’m actually going to make this again very soon then I can update the recipe with tips or re-order the steps to make it even easier!
Hi there, i made this chicken and it was really very tasty and new flavour for us, as we used to eat asian pakistani foods. But we enjoyed this chicken and i like your other recipes too. Going to make lemon bars today ?.
Best of luck for your future recipes.
Keep it up.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Abdullah!! Thanks for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know you enjoyed it! N x
This was amazing! My husband is a beekeeper, and I’m always looking for new recipes that use honey. This chicken had such a unique flavor, and my whole family loved it. It is definitely going into the regular rotation.
Ooooh!!!! Lucky you, unlimited supply of honey! I’m jealous!!! 🙂
Made this recipe tonight after I found it on Pinterest. My husband and 6 year old daughter loved it. I didn’t have chicken broth on hand, so I used a dry white wine to deglaze the pan. It was excellent. My husband is a beekeeper, and I’m always looking for new recipes that use honey.
Thanks so much for trying my recipe Jennie, and I’m SO GLAD you and your family enjoyed it!!! Thank you for letting me know! N x
I made this recipe last night and it was wonderful! My husband liked it and said it was a keeper! I added the 1 tsp. of soy sauce, like you suggested. There was no taste of soy but it was really bright and fresh tasting. The only thing that I added to it was a tiny bit of fresh lemon thyme along with the parsley. LOVE! Thank you for a great recipe. Found it on Pinterest by the way.
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed this Shirley! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!! N x
I made your Honey Lemon Chicken tonight and it was sooooooo good. I loved the sauce and the chicken was so delicious. I will definately make again. 5 starts for sure.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Beth, thank you for letting me know! N x
Excellent recipe! Super easy to make yet so tasty!!! I added fresh sage and thyme and VOILA! Thank you for sharing, I usually don’t even take the time to write reviews but this one was worth it. I love cooking and I do everything from scratch but sometimes I just run out of ideas and creativity, glad I found your blog!
That’s so great Valentina, I’m so glad you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! 🙂 N x
Wow! I tried this recipe it’s so good!!! I substituted the honey for melado de cana de açúcar en the lemon for lime because these product are cheaper in Brazil. I’m a student and have to think about the money… very good recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Rick, thank you for letting me know! N x
I just made this and it was very easy and delicious AND I did not have to doctor it up. Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you Vera! I’m so glad you enjoyed this!! N x
Hi Nagi, what a great recipe! I love when I find a new inspiration of flavor to add to my cooking… can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thank you so much Silvia! I hope you do try it! N x 🙂
Hi I have just stumbled across your site and have been reading some of your recipes. Hoping to receive recipes regularly from your site. I’m not sure if there is a site that I sign up to or if I simply tick the box below requesting updates. Is there an App or anything else that I can “bookmark” on my iPhone for easy access. I appreciate and respect your request about being acknowledged for your recipes & photos (copyrite) etc. Great to see you’re living in Australia – gotta support our fellow Aussies especially when they have a cheeky gorgeous dog. I am a Melbournian with a bordercollie dog. I think he is drooling at the thought of smelling future meals that I am hoping to prepare now that I’ve discovers your site ?? Thanks
Anneissa
Hi Anneissa! Is it getting cold down there too?? Summer is definitely over up here in Sydney!! You can sign up to my mail list so you get an email each time I publish new recipes – 3 times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Just here: http://eepurl.com/4kKKD Happy weekend!
Nagi, I made this dish and my family absolutely loved it! So simple, pretty and yummy. I’ve told so many friends about your fabulous website. Thanks for all the great dishes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Maria! Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂 And thank you for telling your friends about RecipeTin Eats, I’m very touched! Happy weekend! N x