This sweet and savory honey garlic chicken with a delicious glaze is a quick and easy family meal that can be ready in under 20 minutes.
With just a few simple ingredients, it’s a tasty way to enjoy crispy chicken that’s finger-licking good.
Why you should make Honey Chicken Breasts!
As a parent of two active children, I value heavenly but quick dinners. On weekends, I can take my time, but with our hectic schedule, I need supper on the table by 5:30 every night of the week.
This honey garlic chicken is one of those main dish menu dishes where I usually have all of the garlicky ingredients on hand, it’s quick to make (as long as the chicken is defrosted!), and the whole family enjoys every bite.
I prefer this dish with skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but everyone’s tastes vary, so you can also make the sauce and duplicate using wings, thighs, or drumsticks. And, because it’s a chicken recipe, honey garlic chicken goes well with just about anything.
The honey marinade glaze has only three ingredients and is just as delicious on wings or chicken thighs. While there is no ginger in the sauce, the honey garlic chicken ingredients do, so you get some of that taste without it being overpowering.
Ingredients
- boneless, skinless chicken breast
- flour
- ginger, paprika, salt, nutmeg, black pepper, and thyme
- egg
- oil for frying
Soy Garlic Chicken Glaze
- honey
- soy sauce
- minced garlic
Pound Chicken for Even Cooking
Before you get started on this honey garlic chicken recipe, make sure your chicken is not too thick. You can use a mallet to pound down your chicken if it’s really thin on one side and really high on the other to ensure even cooking times.
This is a good tip for any chicken recipe, and once you start thinning out chicken breasts, you get used to doing that.
How to make Honey Garlic Chicken
- Add flour and spices to a shallow beat and mix well. Set aside your mixture. Add egg and water in a separate shallow dish and beat well.
- Heat oil in a frying pan.
- Dredge chicken into the egg wash and then flour, coating both sides of your breast. Remember: Be careful not to use flour and then dump it back into a bag. You don’t want raw chicken yuck on the big bag of flour.)
- If you like a thicker crust to make sure the chicken is extra crispy, you can re-dip in the egg and re-coat twice in your flour. Place chicken in the pan to cook.
- Heat chicken on medium heat until brown and cooked through, about five minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. One thing I have learned is if you flip too soon, the chicken will stick to the pan. If the chicken is ready to flip to the other side, it unsticks from your pan!
- Chicken is safe to eat when it has an internal temperature of 165.
How to make Soy Honey Glaze
While the chicken is cooking, add honey, soy sauce, and garlic to a small saucepan and heat sauce ingredients on medium-low, frequently stirring until heated through.
Reduce heat to simmer the honey mixture and keep warm.
Serve delicious sauce over golden brown chicken breasts and enjoy that sweet honey taste!
Change Up Your Honey Garlic Chicken Breast
- Change up the protein. Honey garlic chicken breast is delicious, but it’s not the only protein that can be cooked in this sauce. For a different flavor and texture, try using salmon, shrimp, or tofu.
- Change up the seasonings. The honey garlic sauce is a great base, but you can add your own personal touch by adding different seasonings. Add ginger, soy sauce, or chili pepper flakes for a different flavor profile. And, as always, salt and black pepper really bring a dish to life.
Tips and Variations
- For a more flavorful chicken, marinate the chicken in soy sauce and garlic for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- If you don’t have boneless, skinless chicken breasts, you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs. Just be sure to increase the cooking time by a few minutes and always check to ensure proper cooking.
- Serve with your favorite sides; see our suggestions below!
What side dish recipes go well with Honey Chicken?
Rice: White rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, or even fried rice would all be delicious with honey garlic chicken breasts.
Noodles: Noodles such as spaghetti, fettuccine alfredo, or bucatini would also be a great option.
Vegetables: Ninja foodie, steamed or roasted veggies would be a great way to add some healthy greens to your meal. We love these pressure cooked green beans and bacon.
Salad: A simple salad with avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions would be a refreshing and light side dish to pair with honey garlic chicken breasts.
Chicken Breast Recipes for Every Occasion
Need more chicken recipes to serve up for a delicious weeknight meal? Chicken is one of the few things I can count on my kids to eat and because of that, I host a lot of delicious chicken recipe ideas here on my food blog.
Our favorites are this Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken, Alice Springs Chicken (Copycat Outback), Caprese Stuffed chicken or Chicken and Rice Casserole.
Honey Garlic Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons water
Honey Glaze for Chicken:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Instructions
- Add flour and spices in a shallow beat and mix well. Set aside
- Add egg and water in a separate shallow dish and beat well.
- Heat oil in a frying pan.
- Dredge chicken into egg wash and then flour, coating both sides. Place in pan to cook.
- (Remember: Be careful not to use flour and then dump back into a bag. You don’t want raw chicken yuck on the big bag of flour.)
- Heat on medium heat until brown and cooked through, about five minutes on each side.
- While the chicken is cooking, add honey, soy sauce and garlic to a small sauce pan and heat on medium low, stirring frequently until heated through.
- Reduce heat to simmer to keep warm. Serve over chicken.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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