Honey garlic chicken delivers juicy, tender chicken in a simple, flavor-packed lemon honey garlic sauce that’s out of this world. You’ll love this scrumptiously easy dinner!
This recipe has long been overdue. Finally, after racking my brain about how to give you guys the best chicken recipes, I realized I hadn’t posted my family’s favorite quick meal. Golden brown, juicy, tender, and bursting with vibrant Asian-inspired flavors—what more could we ask for?
And boy, I was thrilled with how all the pictures turned out just as I wanted them to. Picture perfect and drool-worthy. Just so you know, nibbling it down to the bone isn’t a crime. You’ll love the lemony tang perfectly balanced with sweet honey and garlicky flavor coating the protein. Geez!
Why Honey Garlic Sauce Works for Chicken
The list of reasons honey garlic chicken will become your new favorite is long. But we’ll settle with three big reasons to add this to your weekly rotation.
- First, chicken is an economical (relatively speaking) protein source, which is the main reason I have so many chicken recipes.
- Second, it only takes 30 minutes (yep, yep) to throw this dish together from start to finish. Quick and easy meals have been my BFF lately. You can have this on the table faster than takeout or delivery. You’d never imagine that this mighty fine dish is so quick and easy.
- Third, this recipe is convenient. No need to scour your grocery store for unfamiliar ingredients because it uses pantry staple ingredients. Plus, with only eight ingredients, it creates an out-of-this-world, finger-licking-good sauce.
How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken
- Sauce – Combine the honey, soy sauce, and lemon juice (½ tablespoon of rice vinegar makes a good substitute if you don’t have lemon juice) in a small bowl. Set aside. (Photo 1)
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and Creole seasoning, then set them aside. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Brown the chicken on both sides until golden and cooked through (5-7 minutes per side), turning frequently if needed for even cooking. Juices run clear, and the internal temperature will reach 165℉ (75℃). Set chicken aside. (Photos 2-3)
- Sauté the garlic and ginger in the same pan for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Burnt garlic is bitter. (Photo 4)
- Assemble – Return chicken to the pan, and quickly pour in the honey mixture. Continue cooking the chicken for about a minute while the sauce reduces to a thicker consistency. (Photos 5-6)
- Serve – Toss the chicken to coat it with the sauce, then turn off the heat and garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately with rice and vegetables.
Tips and Tricks
- Double the sauce ingredients to serve extra over rice.
- Don’t stop stirring once you add the honey because the sauce cooks fast.
- Make it gluten-free with tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Feel free to replace the boneless thighs with boneless chicken breasts, but be sure to reduce the cooking time accordingly.
- You can use bone-in chicken, but it takes longer to cook.
- To make it even healthier, serve it over brown rice and garnish it with sliced green onions.
- For a slow cooker, remove the skin (soggy chicken skin isn’t appetizing). Sear the chicken, then add it and the remaining ingredients (except the parsley) to the slow cooker. Cook them for 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Makeovers
Double or triple the recipe so you can freeze part of it in meal-size portions for an even faster weeknight meal. It should last for 3-4 months, and reheating it in the microwave or oven is easy.
Chop the leftover chicken and add it to fried rice along with the sauce. It also goes great in soups, on top of salads, and in sandwiches.
What Chicken Loves to Pair With
We love topping it with steamed broccoli or cucumber salad for a healthier meal. But don’t waste that sauce because that is the star of the show. You’ll want it to smother almost anything. I finished an entire bowl of rice just for the sauce alone; ssshhhh.
More Frugal Chicken Recipes to Enjoy
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”ASEOKO59″ upload-date=”2019-08-03T15:13:03.000Z” name=”Honey Garlic Chicken” description=”Honey Garlic Chicken – juicy and tender chicken soaked in a simple and flavorful lemon honey garlic syrupy sauce that’s going to take you out of this world. You’ll going to love this easy and scrumptious dinner!”]
This blog post was originally published in April 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
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