Make this quick and easy honey garlic chicken recipe using everyday pantry staples. The incredible honey garlic sauce takes less than five minutes to prepare.
We are always looking for more easy chicken dinners to add to our weekly rotation, and this honey garlic chicken absolutely makes the list. The honey garlic sauce is incredibly simple. The chicken turns out perfectly juicy inside and so flavorful on the outside thanks to that sauce.
Cutting the chicken into smaller pieces—just like in our honey teriyaki chicken recipe—keeps the cooking time for this recipe low. Add just a few more minutes to build the sauce right in the pan, and dinner is ready.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: While our photos show boneless, skinless chicken breasts, this easy honey garlic chicken is equally delicious made with chicken thighs.
- Cornstarch: Lightly coating the chicken in cornstarch before pan-frying keeps it incredibly tender and juicy. That coating also helps the sauce cling to the chicken.
- Garlic and Green Onion: You’ll use 4 cloves of garlic, and then for serving, 2 green onions. The onions add color and bring out the garlicky flavor in the sauce.
- Honey: We didn’t want this sauce to be too sweet, but you should still taste the honey. Use a honey you enjoy (some are lighter in flavor, while others are more potent).
- Soy Sauce: Regular soy sauce (the red-capped bottle) is great here. You can use low-sodium (green cap) if you’d like, or try tamari or shoyu.
- Vinegar: Unseasoned rice wine vinegar cuts through the sweetness of our honey. Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar work well as substitutes, though they do change the flavor of our sauce a bit.
- Broth: This is the base of our honey garlic sauce. Use a low-sodium chicken broth, then adjust the seasoning to taste at the end.
- Butter: Right as this sauce finishes up, you will swirl a few tablespoons of butter into it. Since you do this on low heat, the butter stays creamy and makes the sauce glossy and rich. We use the same trick when making scallops and these cilantro lime butter shrimp.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken
- Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, and toss in cornstarch until lightly coated.
- Pan-fry the chicken pieces until light brown on all sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate, then prepare the quick honey garlic chicken sauce right in the same skillet.
- Return the chicken to the pan, toss to coat with the sauce and sliced green onions, and serve.
Our Secrets for Making It Best
Tip 1: Toss the chicken in cornstarch. We use this same trick for the chicken in our broccoli chicken stir fry and when making baked tofu. The cornstarch creates a light coating that traps juiciness inside and helps the sauce stick. It is an easy, quick step that makes the dish feel a bit more special. To forgo the cornstarch, simply cook the chicken seasoned with salt and pepper.
Tip 2: Reduce the heat before making the sauce. Garlic can burn quickly, so lower the heat after removing the chicken from the pan and before adding the garlic. Stir the garlic around the skillet for 30 seconds to toast it slightly before pouring in the remaining sauce ingredients.
Tip 3: Swirl the butter in at the end. The butter in this recipe creates a glossy, rich, and seriously flavorful sauce (similar to the pan sauce in our skillet pork chop recipe). Add the butter over low—or even no—heat, swirling it in slowly. Doing this gently over lower heat keeps the sauce creamy. Once melted into the sauce, return the chicken to the skillet and finish with sliced green onions.
What to Serve with Honey Garlic Chicken
Since this garlic honey chicken is a quicker meal, serve it with something easy like plain rice, cilantro lime rice, or roasted potatoes. For some green, try quick sautéed broccoli, steamed cabbage, or the bok choy shown in our photos. And for some crunch, try this Asian slaw, our napa cabbage salad, or greens with our carrot ginger dressing.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
Easy Honey Garlic Chicken
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PREP
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COOK
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TOTAL
We love this easy honey garlic chicken, with a sauce made mostly from pantry staples. For this simple chicken recipe, you’ll prep three things. First, the chicken, which we cut into small chunks so it cooks quickly in the skillet; the garlic, which you’ll want to mince; and green onions, which you will slice.
4 Servings
You Will Need
1 ½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Cooked rice for serving (optional)
Directions
1Pat the chicken dry and season with the salt and pepper, then add to a bowl with the cornstarch and toss until well coated.
2Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the chicken in one layer and cook, turning often, until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. If the chicken does not fit in one layer, cook in two batches, adding more oil if necessary.
3Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, swirl in the butter, return the chicken to the skillet, add the green onions, and toss to coat.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Slowly reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- Depending on your broth, you may need a little more salt. We stick with low-sodium for this recipe since the soy sauce does add seasoning. Taste the sauce before serving, and adjust as needed.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
¼ of the recipe
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Calories
460
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Total Fat
23.8g
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Saturated Fat
7.9g
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Cholesterol
147mg
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Sodium
554.8mg
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Carbohydrate
21.6g
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Dietary Fiber
0.3g
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Total Sugars
13.8g
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Protein
39.9g
We are Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.More About Us
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