Easy Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

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 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

1. Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, and toss in cornstarch until lightly coated.
2. Pan-fry the chicken pieces until light brown on all sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate, then prepare the quick honey garlic chicken sauce right in the same skillet.
4. 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.

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