Preppy Kitchen Recipes Main Dishes Honey Garlic Chicken

Honey Garlic Chicken

By John Kanell Published Jul 10, 2023
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This Honey Garlic Chicken recipe is the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight! You can make this recipe with simple pantry staples and one pan in less than 30 minutes. The sweet and savory sauce is so irresistible.

A bowl of rice with a honey garlic chicken breast on top with sesame seeds and green onions as garnish.

This homemade honey garlic chicken comes together faster than ordering takeaway! You only need a handful of simple ingredients and around 30 minutes to whip up this meal. Your entire family will love the perfectly juicy chicken coated in a sticky sweet, tangy, and savory sauce. This delicious recipe will become your new go-to dinner.

I love serving this chicken over a bed of rice to soak up the delicious sauce, but it goes well with anything from noodles to roasted vegetables to a simple salad. Similar to my moo goo gai pan and chicken fried rice recipe, this delicious dinner cooks up in one pan, so not only do you get tender, flavorful chicken for dinner, but cleaning up is a breeze.

If you want another easy dinner recipe, then try my garlic shrimp, blackened salmon, or chicken curry recipe.

What You Need to Make This Recipe

Ingredients needed to make honey garlic chicken.

Chicken — I’m using chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can also use chicken thighs instead.

Honey — the honey’s sweetness balances out the soy sauce’s saltiness.

Soy sauce — soy sauce adds a savory, salty flavor to the honey garlic sauce and has a delightful umami flavor. You can use low-sodium soy sauce if you’d prefer a less salty sauce.

Rice vinegar — the acidity helps balance out the overall flavor of the dish. Make sure you use unseasoned rice vinegar. You can use apple cider vinegar if you do not have rice vinegar.

Garlic — freshly minced garlic is best!

Flour — when you coat the chicken breasts in the flour before searing, it gives them a golden crust. This crust provides the sauce with something to cling to when serving.

How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken

Set of two photos showing chicken breasts seasoned on a sheet pan and sauce whisked together in a bowl.

1. Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

2. Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and fresh garlic cloves in a small mixing bowl.

Set of two photos showing chicken coated in flour and seared in a skillet.

3. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken in flour.

4. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and place the coated chicken breasts into the skillet. Cook until browned and flip and brown on the other side.

Set of two photos showing sauce poured into the skillet and the chicken turned in the skillet.

5. Pour the sauce into the skillet and shake it to distribute throughout the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the sweet honey sauce.

6. Flip the chicken, coating the pieces in the sauce. Cook for another few minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

A skillet of honey garlic chicken with a cutting board with chopped green onions and a bowl of rice in the background.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

If your chicken breasts were frozen beforehand, make sure you fully thaw them and pat them dry with paper towels to remove any moisture. The flour will stick much better to your chicken breasts.
You can add some heat to this by adding some sriracha or red pepper flakes to the sauce.
Don’t move the chicken around after adding them to the skillet. This will help the chicken cook evenly, and you get a nicer sear.
I recommend using a large skillet to make this chicken recipe so that the chicken breasts aren’t overcrowded and will sear properly instead of steaming.
Make sure that your chicken breasts are the same thickness so that they cook evenly.
If your chicken breasts are large, buy two and cut them in half lengthwise to create thinner cutlets.

A plate of rice with a honey garlic chicken, half sliced, on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

What pan should I use?

You can use anything from stainless steel, cast iron, or non-stick. Just make sure it’s large enough to fit the chicken breasts.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Instead of all-purpose flour, you can use cornstarch or gluten-free flour to coat the chicken breasts to make this honey garlic chicken gluten-free. Also, double-check that your soy sauce is gluten-free or use coconut aminos.

How do I store leftovers?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave until heated through, or add to a skillet and warm over low heat.

Can I freeze leftovers?

Freeze leftover chicken in a freezer-safe airtight container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Thaw the chicken overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

If you’ve tried this Honey Garlic Chicken recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!