This 5-ingredient, 15-minute honey garlic chicken with an addictively delicious sauce is a perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe! It uses on hand ingredients, is simple to make and tastes fantastic. Serve with rice and a vegetable for a complete meal.
"My husband and my son love this recipe and ask me to make it almost every week since I discovered it a few months ago. It’s so easy and so good." - Hannah
You might know by now that quick and easy is the name of the game most nights at my house.
This honey garlic chicken recipe fits the bill.
Just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes are all you need to whip up this dinner.
You probably have most of the ingredients on hand already. (It's also the answer to what to do with those chicken breasts in the refrigerator that you need to use!)
And just wait until you taste the sauce. Oh that sauce!
It’s got sticky sweet honey, the salty rich soy sauce, a kick of garlic and a hint of spice from the red pepper flakes.
It gets glazed on to the chicken and simmered down and concentrated slightly so it’s ready to drip and drizzle all over your plate. Please, put it ALL over your plate!
I also use this sauce in my slow cooker honey garlic chicken recipe, if you want to check that one out for a hands-off dinner you can start earlier in the day.
And sometimes I take this dinner a step further and make honey garlic chicken stir fry. It's loaded with veggies and ready in about 25 minutes.
There's also this 15-minute honey garlic pork chops if you're always looking for more pork chop recipes like me.
Back to today's recipe. I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make honey garlic chicken.
You can jump down to the recipe or scroll through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Recipe Notes:
Be careful not to overcook the chicken. The pieces are small so they cook fast, which is kinda the point with this dinner. But you don't want them to go too far and be overdone.
On the other hand, that sauce is seriously so good, it’ll disguise your chicken if it gets a little overdone. It's a forgiving dish!
You could substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts if you prefer, but the cooking time might be a little longer.
I use and recommend low-sodium soy sauce so you can control the amount of sodium in this recipe. You could also substitute a gluten-free tamari if you need this recipe to be gluten-free.
Thickening: If your sauce doesn't seem thick enough, try adding a quick cornstarch slurry in the last 1-2 minutes. Mix 1-3 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and add it to the pan to help thicken the sauce.
To make a complete meal for dinner, just add some steamed rice and a veggie.
I use brown rice, which takes a little longer, so I get that started first then I prep my chicken and get it cooking. While the chicken is going, I get a veggie ready to steam. For us it's usually broccoli, green beans or snow peas. You could also use a steam-in-the-bag veggie.
And voila, dinner is ready and on the table in no time!
You could also keep it low-carb and serve this chicken with easy cauliflower rice. Or serve it over quinoa or some rice noodles or a long, thin noodle like angel hair. Anything to sop up more of that sauce!
Want some topping ideas to take this recipe over the top? You know I’m all about it.
Topping Ideas:
- Sliced green onions
- Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
- Chopped peanuts
- Lime wedges to squeeze over the chicken
- An extra sprinkle of red pepper flakes
- Drizzle of sriracha for a spicy kick
Last thing: what to do with any leftovers.
Leftover honey garlic chicken, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Make sure to store it with the sauce cause it'll keep the chicken from drying out when reheating. (I usually reheat individual portions in the microwave.)
I hope you give this a try soon!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
15-Minute Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (or canola oil)
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes (about ½ inch)
- Salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, adjust for heat)
For serving (optional):
- Brown rice, sliced green onions, sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, lime wedges to squeeze over chicken
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Lightly season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper. (Go easy because the soy sauce has plenty of sodium.)
- Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, in a small bowl until well combined.
- Add the sauce to the pan and toss to coat the chicken pieces. Cook until chicken is cooked through, 4-5 more minutes. (The small pieces cook quickly, which is the point, so be careful not to overcook them.)
- Serve with steamed rice and top with green onions, sesame seeds and a squeeze of lime juice, if desired.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
You can also check out my easy chicken recipes for more dinner time inspiration, like this easy cream cheese chicken or quick chicken curry. Dinner doesn't have to be hard!
And if you love easy, delicious and healthy recipes like I do, sign up for my free e-newsletter to get more meal-time inspiration sent straight to your inbox.
Colleen
Hey I wanna make this tonight, but no soy sauce in the house. Has anyone made this without the soy sauce? Does this alter the outcome dramatically? Thanks in advance!
Kathryn Doherty
Hi there! Soy sauce is the main component of the sauce, so I don't recommend skipping it. You could substitute tamari if you prefer though.
Mad Earl
This got the seal of approval from the wife and all 5 of my children. That's a huge compliment! It's nearly impossible to please all of them with one meal. Served with rice, broccoli, a little extra garlic and added corn starch to thicken the sauce.
Absolutely delicious, thank you!
Kathryn Doherty
Oh wow, that really is a huge compliment! And I know it's so great to have something everyone will eat. Thank you so much for sharing!
Someone
My picky son and I loved this recipe! Sadly my significant other did not. He seems to not like anything I make and it makes me feel so defeated. He usually never lets me take control in the kitchen and when he does let me he doesn’t like anything I make and refuses to eat it. Usually never even tries what I make. I was able to try one bite of this and he didn’t touch it again. I know I’m a good cook. I can follow a recipe as well. I’ve never had anyone not like my food continuously. It just makes me feel so defeated. I fear I may never be able to please him. Thank you for reading my little rant as I have no one to talk to about my feelings.
Theresa S Hicks
He seems like a real ass. Sorry he makes you feel like that. I wouldn't ever offer him any of your cooking again. When he sees how everyone else is loving it then maybe he will ask for some...... otherwise don't offer.
Kristine
He sounds like a control freak. Be careful with that one hun, don't set yourself up for disappointment with him. You keep doing you and trying your best, as long as you kids eat, thats all that really matters.
Robyn Reichert
Amen to that!
Pinky
His so-called pickiness has nothing to do with you. Cook whatever you want, and let you and your child enjoy the time that meals like this bring. As for the man-child? Feed him a big glass of get the hell out my house.
Someone
What a dick, im sure your cooking is good. Dont let the negativity get to you.
leah
queen you should leave him, he sounds like a dead weight piece of shit and i think you can do better. eat what you want and let him go hungry if he's gonna be that much of a dipshit
Bobbi
I am extremely sorry to hear how ungrateful your significant other is behaving. No one deserves to be treated like this for any reason ever. Make sure you are loving yourself and expecting the same from others no matter their position in your life. You obviously, have good taste to have chosen a delicious dish to prepare for your family. Please share with your person how they are making you feel that is important. Keep making your delicious food and you and your son enjoy.
Rachel
I’m very sorry you are in this situation, you don’t deserve it. His behavior is textbook emotional abuse and is targeted to wound you. Please listen carefully, you cannot please him because he is incapable of looking outside himself. Stop cooking for him, if he asks where his food is, tell him he isn’t worth your effort and time. More importantly, start making an escape plan. His behavior is not acceptable, can and will escalate, and if you need to vent to the internet, you likely don’t have close friends to speak with. You and your child deserve better, be safe, and do what you must to protect yourselves.
Donna Siemianowski
My heart breaks for you. Tune out the negativity and I also agree with start making an escape plan. You seem like a very caring person, don't let any one break you
Nura Q Legree
I would cook for myself and my kid or kids. Problem solved 🤷🏻♀️
Arlene
This is not your fault. It sounds like hubby is just childish and wants all the accolades himself. Please don't let it defeat you. I was once in the same spot. Never again.
Christa
I am the worst cook, mostly because side I hate cooking lol my husband always eats and tells me how delicious everything was. This is NOT a YOU problem. This is an ASSHOLE problem. Your husband sounds like a real
Peach. 🙄 Time to find someone that will appreciate you and ALL of your efforts.
Enuffis Enuff
Is there anyway you could slip a daily dose of laxative into his coffee?
Jill
Adding broccoli sounds good! If I wanted to do that when would I add it in? I mean how did you cook it to incorporate it to this dish?
Abby
I added broccoli when I added the soy honey glaze to cook together for the last 5 min. However, if you like your broccoli softer, you can steam it separately and mix it in after the chicken is completely cooked. Just don't overcook that broccoli.
Kathryn Doherty
This is exactly what I was gonna say! (I tend to steam ours separately because my kids don't like it all mixed together, they want theirs served side by side. Otherwise, I would toss it in with the sauce.) Thanks Abby! Hope that helps Jill!
Jill
How should I incorpage broccoli into this meal if I wanted to do so?
Carol
Delicious! And so easy! This one’s a keeper!
Kathryn Doherty
Yay, that's so great to hear! : )
Naomi
I make it with worchestershire sauce since I’m allergic to soy!
It’s great !
Jacquelyn
I was wondering! Thanks!
Jean
Loved this recipe. The sauce seemed too thin so I thickened it with the 1 Tbsp cornstarch and water slurry but felt it thickened up too much and there wasn’t much sauce left. Next time I’ll try a lesser amount of cornstarch. But this was an excellent recipe. We will definitely have it again.
Daisy
I did the same thing by adding the cornstarch and getting it to thick. First time making this, so no big regrets. Great flavor and I will make again. Waiting on verdict from family, but pretty sure it will be a win!
Chelsey Keene
How much did you use?!
Sherry Hamilton
My sauce thickened up just right and the recipe is so hood. So quick and easy to fix. I did add some broccoli to it and served.over brown rice. My husband and I enjoyed it and he is not crazy about rice but the sauce made that better for him. Such a go to quick in a pinch recipe that is so good!
Kathryn Doherty
That's fantastic to hear! I'm so glad you all love it. Thank you for sharing!
Alicia
The sauce (using the amounts given) was barely enough to coat the chicken, forget about having sauce to drizzle over the rice. The next time I make it, I think I'm gonna do 6-9 tbsp of the honey and 6-9 tbsp of the soy sauce, but last night was my first time attempting it, and I ended up adding a few tbsp of Worcestershire sauce and a little water to it and it was still really good!
Your mom
As per usual, had to scour the article for the recipe
Brenda
I’m allergic to soy too! I’ve been using coconut aminos as a substitute and it is so good.
Sharon
Me too. My nutritionist suggested this substitute and I really like it.
Brooke
I made this tonight and it turned out great. And it was super easy! Thank you:)
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved it Brooke! Thanks for sharing!
Cathy Breedlove
Just made this and it was fabulous! Only thing different was to thicken sauce with cornstarch, YUM!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved it Cathy! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jennifer
Use the "jump to recipe" button.
Your Dad
There’s literally a “jump to recipe” button on every recipe on the internet. Look for that instead.
Mags
I've made this twice now and both times the sauce is super runny; it ruins the dish. How should I thicken it up without ruining the flavor?
Kathryn Doherty
My sauce always thickens up to a good consistency, but you can add a cornstarch slurry if needed to thicken it. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and stir with a spoon until mixed. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce in the pan and stir well to mix it in. Continue to stir and cook until it’s incorporated and the sauce is thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
Taylor Jordan
Girl this way too long just get to the recipe and ingredients and move on dang .
Janelle
Daughter is in kindergarten and mom just had need surgery,Am going to try this tonight ! Wish me luck!
Kathryn Doherty
I hope you enjoy it! And that mom has a speedy recovery!
Crawdad
I agree! And also .... get your chicken almost done remove! Cook the sauce separate! Cook it down for about 5 min and add a little flour! It thickens it up and gets it nice and sticky just like it should be. Add so.e extra honey too! Turns out amazing! A nice sticky sweet glaze
Jodi
I thickened mine up with a sprinkle of cornstarch right before taking off the stove.
Bethany
The thing that will really up your game is to coat the chicken with some cornstarch before frying. It protects the moisture in the chicken , adds some crisp, and will also help thicken the sauce. When mixing your sauce slurry, you can always add in a tablespoon on cornstarch so you won't have to make a slurry later.
Ariel
Is it possible to also dredge the chicken in some flour before cooking to help thicken everything?
Kathryn Doherty
I haven't made it that way but you could certainly give it a go! Just be sure it doesn't thicken too much, you want lots of sauce for serving!
Leighbelle
There is a “jump to recipe” at top of all recipes.
jme
Just a tip and FYI; there’s an option at the top of all articles like these to skip to the recipe. Just press that and be on your way.
Kayla vs Karen
Why? As soon as you open the page she has a tab for "Jump to Recipe" for just that reason, on all of her recipe pages. Do you always make things more difficult for yourself and then blame it on others just to complain? I guess it would be obvious with the child-like whiney moniker of a name like "Your Mom" 🙄 augh, good day.
Kmurph
It has a ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top…
Dee
Click on the "Jump to Recipe" button next time, takes you right to it 🙂
Deb McFarland
I know...it's just so darn hard to click that button that says "Jump to Recipe".
Maria L
It's usually at the end and most recipes have a JUMP to Recipe button at the top
Your dad
Oh you poor thing
Maria L
It's usually at the end and most recipes have a JUMP to Recipe button at the top
Corie B
We always substitute coconut amigos for soy sauce in all our recipes. Similar taste without as much sodium, and soy free. 🙂
Corie B
Correction...coconut aminos, not amigos. Haha
Justina
I recommend coconut aminos. I couldnt use soy sauce when I was breastfeeding and coconut aminos was the recommended sub.
Jeanne L Glynn
Colleen next time you have Chinese food take home soy packets. Just a thought. No soy use Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar even coconut.. love these easy recipes!
Maggie
Has anyone made recipe this with ground beef?!
Angie L Much
Delicious! I added a dash of sesame oil, orange peppers, sugar snap peas and topped with almonds pieces
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved it! And YUM on those additions! Thanks for sharing!
Hannah
My husband and my son love this recipe and ask me to make it almost every week since I discovered it a few months ago. It’s so easy and so good. Thank you for sharing it!
Kathryn Doherty
Oh I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for sharing it with me, it means a lot! 🙂
Jocelyn
Could I use vegetable oil instead?
Kathryn Doherty
Oh sure, that should be just fine!
Shelby North
My husband and I love this. It has become a weekly dinner for us and it’s SOO easy. We’ve been trying to find another sauce to make that’s easy but different flavor. Got any?
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you love this - thank you so much for sharing! 🙂 As for other easy sauces and quick chicken dinners in a skillet, there's this chicken curry: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/quick-chicken-curry/ and teriyaki chicken: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/quick-easy-teriyaki-chicken/
For some different flavors, there's honey mustard chicken: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/honey-mustard-chicken/ and lemon chicken: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/15-minute-skillet-lemon-chicken/
Hope that helps!!
Keny
Easy & delicious 🤤 will definitely make again ! Thanks for the recipe
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved it! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Jennie K Abrill
I made this and it came out delicious. I had to make it in three smaller batches because I more or less doubled the amount of chicken so I had to do the same for the rest of the ingredients. Everythingwas sautéed in my wok. As I stir fried the chicken, I added a sprinkle of ginger powder and some chopped green onions, covered it for maybe a minute, & then added julienned celery and peppers to the mix. At the very end I dropped in maybe just under a quarter cup of unsalted peanuts and stir fried it all a little more. Finally, I drizzled in a little bit of sesame seed oil, gave it a last toss & poured each batch into the main serving bowl. I topped off each batch with a little but of toasted sesame seeds. It was an hit for my family. Thank you!
✨Alicia✨
I found and made this last night.. and came to the same conclusion! Keeping the heat that high after adding the sauce made it almost like a caramelized sauce-coating instead.. nothing left to spoon over. I found that if u maybe double or triple the sauce amounts and reduce the heat to low before adding (making sure that ur chicken is completely cooked beforehand) it gives much more sauce to drizzle on top!
Ali Mc
Thank you so much for this recipe! My husband was blown away by it. Me too!
I didn't have any pepper flakes so I replaced them with chilli flakes and some fresh sautéd peppers. Yum! Also, I had some cooked chicken so adjusted the cooking times a little. I used some 2-minute rice so the whole recipe was super quick to make.
Fab recipe and lovely to read your bio, too. 😊
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved it! And those additions sound delicious - thanks for sharing! 🙂
Aleta
As a last minute go to on the Internet this was a thumbs up with the family!
Kathryn Doherty
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Paula
I don’t have honey in the house because we don’t care for it but could I use maple syrup instead with the soy sauce?
Kathryn Doherty
That could work. I use honey and maple syrup interchangeably in certain baking recipes and while I haven't tried that substitution in this chicken recipe, I think you could. It may alter the flavor a little but shouldn't make a huge difference. Would love to hear if you try it! 🙂
Roxanna B.
I made this recipe yesterday with all ingredients, per written instructions. My opinion is that having the heat at medium-high when the sauce is added is a mistake. The heat so quickly cooked and evaporated the liquid that the vaunted sauce reduced too fast. It coated the chicken pieces - once. There was no pool to spoon more from.
The recipe is written from the sauce's point of view, but the method works against the finished product.
Kathryn Doherty
I've not had that problem with this recipe and the amount of sauce here, but of course that can vary by kitchen and heating elements and even pans. If needed, you can absolutely turn down the heat before you add the sauce. You'll just need enough heat to finish cooking the chicken and warm the sauce through. Hope that helps!
Katie
Made this tonight for dinner and served it with white rice and sesame seeds. So delicious. I didn't have minced or bulb garlic (horror!) so I used garlic powder and it actually worked really well. Thank you so much, my whole family is stuffed!
Kathryn Doherty
Oh I'm so happy to hear you all loved it! Thank you for sharing - and thanks for sharing that substitution - so helpful!
Lee
We tried this tonight and it was a big hit! I included about a quarter of a cup of very thinly sliced red onion after the chicken had partially cooked (before adding the sauce). The sauce was very soupy, so I stirred in about 1/4 tsp arrowroot powder and it thickened perfectly. We enjoyed the extra kick from the red pepper flakes. I had a package of some ramen type noodles and used those as our base instead of rice. I think next time we will include some thin slices of bell pepper along with the onion, for a little extra texture and color.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad you liked it! Also, YUM! I love that you served it over ramen! And I'm always up for adding onion - and veggies - to a dish. Thanks so much for sharing!
Megan
Made this last night and it was quick, easy and delicious! Will be keeping this in the monthly rotation for sure!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy you loved it! Thank you for sharing! : )
Tyler
Since the recipe calls for 1 pound of boneless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch cube sized how much would I need to prepare for 11 people am I doubling this receipt even the sauce as well or just the chicken?
Kathryn Doherty
This recipe serves 4, so I would triple the recipe if you are serving 11 people. Triple the chicken and the sauce - all of it. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy it!
Tammy
I agree with the others that your SO sounds controlling and maybe you should think about options for your life without them. As for the recipe, thank you for your review. I think I'm going to give it a try based on you and your son's enjoyment of it. Keep cooking and if SOy don't like it, they can go to McDonalds!
Jess
I just made this for dinner tonight. Delicious!
Kathryn Doherty
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing! : )
Miranda
My family and I love this recipe!! It’s been a favorite for a couple years now, we make it at least twice a month! Kids are picky, but this is something we all enjoy.
Kathryn Doherty
Oh that's so fantastic to hear! I love when something is a hit with the whole family. Thank you for sharing!!
Annie
I have made this twice now and I'll make again. I'd like to say I'd "add it to my rotation" like others, but I'm too disorganized to have a rotation. I just make what I make when I make it. Anyway, this is really good and super super easy.
I only make two small changes. I use thin sliced boneless breasts, not cut up, because we end up eating too much when its cut up in recipes. Easier to portion with the larger pieces. The only other thing I did was add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the glaze to thicken it up. It was a little too runny for my taste without it. So Yummy! Thank you!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy you loved it Annie! And love you for saying you just wing it! I'm an over-planner but have so many friends and family who definitely just cook whatever they feel like that night. (And this is a great go-to recipe since it's easy to have these ingredients on hand and ready to use.) Love those substitutions you made as well - so happy you made it work for you! Thanks so much for sharing!
Brittany
Made this tonight. I could already tell the amount of sauce in the recipe wasn’t going to be enough to drizzle the chicken. I mixed the ingredients til my ancestors told me to stop, probably tripling the sauce recipe, while it was still a little shy, it was balanced. I did add green onion to the sauce mix, as I was already using it for a topping. Excellent base recipe!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad you liked this Brittany! And heck yeah, go for ALL the sauce! : )
Kelly
One of our regular go-to dinners! It's always a hit!
Kathryn Doherty
Excellent, I'm so happy to hear it's a dinner win in your house! Thanks for sharing Kelly!