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
This post has been updated with new photos and a new recipe video.
You might know by now that quick and easy is the name of the game most nights at my house for dinner. It's usually all I can handle!
This honey garlic chicken recipe fits the bill perfectly.
Just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes are all you need to whip up this dinner.
No dredging and mess, no specialty ingredients or sauces, and we're taking the shortcut of cubing the chicken so it's small and cooks up quickly. (That's one of my favorite hacks for creating quick and easy chicken recipes.)
In fact, you probably have all of the ingredients on hand already to make this tonight.
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.
There's also this 15-minute honey garlic pork chops if you're always looking for more pork chop recipes like me.
Or browse all the most popular 15 minute dinner recipes that I go back to again and again.
Back to today's recipe. Let's get cooking.
Recipe Notes:
Be careful not to overcook the chicken. We are cubing the chicken into small pieces 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. I don't ever need this but it's a nice option and better than having to dredge the chicken in flour beforehand.
Also, lots of people double the sauce. It's a good idea if you want to have plenty for your rice and veggies in addition to the chicken.
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!
Finally, let's finish this off so we can eat.
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
I hope you give this a try soon for your new favorite go-to weeknight dinner!
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 or white 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.
- Turn the chicken pieces over to begin cooking on the other side. 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.
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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!
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Here's one of the older photos of this recipe:
rachel @ atheltic avocado says
Only 15 minutes to prepare this delicious dinner!? YES PLEASE! Pinning!
Kathryn says
Thanks so much Rachel! It's a great recipe for a busy day!
Katherine says
Hi can you still make this recipe with normal soy sauce or will it be to salty ? Looks btw 🙂
Katherine says
Lovely btw .
liera says
what if theres no honey? what will i use?
Lauren says
I just used some brown sugar my husband was so impressed!
Kathryn says
Yay, so glad you loved it! And thanks for sharing that substitution!
Lindsey says
Hi! Can I make This without the soy sauce ?
Kathryn Doherty says
Hi Lindsey, I wouldn't recommend it. The soy sauce is a key part of the recipe, both for the sauce and the flavor. However, you can sub tamari if you'd like. Hope that helps!
Jasmine W says
You can use regular soy sauce just don't add as much salt while cooking! Great question
Sasse says
I did, I doubled the recipe so.... I put four tablespoons of regular soy sauce and two tablespoons of water to replace the lite soy sauce. It turned out excellent.
But if you don't like salty I would do three tablespoons of regular and three tablespoons of water if you need to add a little bit of regular soy sauce so be it, to taste.
You can also do that or not add any salt at all. Good Luck 😋
Kathryn Doherty says
Thanks for sharing! 😊
Icarus says
Could I use Thai Fish Sauce instead of soy sauce, by chance?
Kathryn Doherty says
Hi, I haven't tested this recipe that way, so I'm not sure how it might work or other changes that might be needed. I imagine it would make a significant difference in the flavor of the dish.
Rosalie Deville says
Hello I was wondering if you can marinated the honey garlic chicken before cooking
Kathryn says
Sure, you could marinate the chicken in advance if you want. That will of course add to the recipe time, but if you've got the time, go for it!
Jill Meyers says
So after the chicken has been marinated, (and for how long?) Is it safe to cook the marinade sauce with the chicken, or should I discard the marinade and make fresh sauce?
Kathryn says
Hi Jill - I don't marinate the chicken when I make this recipe. If you do, I would suggest discarding the marinade before you cook it. Hope that helps!
Tee says
Loved it..!! Way easier, and faster then the Crock-Pot.
I used tenderloins (for ease) and Sweet soy sauce instead which gave it that little extra that the kiddies loved..
Kathryn Doherty says
Yay, I'm so happy to hear you loved it! Thanks so much for sharing and commenting! 😊
sarah says
Can you please share your crock-pot times? sarah.hash.1991@gmail.com
Kathryn Doherty says
Hi Sarah, you can find the crock pot version of this recipe here: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/slow-cooker-honey-garlic-chicken/
Robert Owens says
Can I use the honey from the Chinese restaurants they use for the honey chicken?
Kathryn says
Hi Robert, if it's just regular honey, that would be fine. If it's flavored or has other ingredients added into it, that might change the flavor a bit.
Tabitha Johnson says
Kathryn thank you so much for this recipe! My picky 15 yr old eater gave me a high 5 and said this needs to be a weekly meal for him😁 I added a few ingredients like cayenne because we love spicy here. Oh and I used riced cauliflower and broccoli so this meal really rocked. ❤❤❤
Kathryn says
Oh I'm SO happy to hear you all loved it so much Tabitha! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊 (And love the way you served it - yum!!)
Jaydeep says
Thanks for the recipe..! It's super fast and very delicious !
Kathryn Doherty says
Yay, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it! 😊
Dawn Kenyon says
Hi there
Can this be put together with raw chicken and baked in the oven?
Kathryn Doherty says
Hi Dawn, the recipe does call for raw chicken. I have not tried baking it though.
Angelica says
It was really easy to make and so fast on a busy day!!!
Thanks
Kathryn Doherty says
Gotta love a quick and easy dinner! So happy to hear you enjoyed it Angelica! 😊
Jessica says
One of our favs
Kathryn Doherty says
Yay! Love to hear that! 😊
Melissa says
I’m making it tonight. It’s delicious:)
Kathryn Doherty says
I'm so happy to hear you love it Melissa! Thanks for sharing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Chicken recipes like this just leave me with a smile 😉 So good and so simple...perfect for whipping up in my apartment 😉
Kathryn says
Me too Rebecca 😉 Hope you give it a try!
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
15 minutes? Woo hoo! That's some recipe magic right there! Love it! Meals like this are perfect for busy weeknights....just what hubby and I look for 🙂 Love meals like this that are so tasty that you just can't resist eating straight from the pan....you know it's good when you do that, right? Pinned, of course!
Have a wonderful week! xo
Kathryn says
So true - it's keeper if you burn your mouth on food straight from the pan because you just can't wait! Have a wonderful week Dawn! XO
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I love any kind of dinner that involves honey and garlic! I can just imagine how good this sauce tastes, Kathryn, and I KNOW I will be drizzling this ALL over the plate! Love that this chicken only takes 15 minutes too! Quick, but delicious week night dinner winning!! Cheers, friend!
Kathryn says
Drizzle, drizzle, drizzle away! 😉 Have a great week Cheyanne!
Farrah says
Ahh! Honey garlic chicken is the best! <3 This looks amazing! Love that it's so simple + quick to make too!
Kathryn says
Completely agree - I'm addicted!
London-Matt says
Just made this tonight and it’s delicious. Added some red onion and peppers to the mix and it went down a treat! Thanks for the recipe!
Kathryn says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Love the sound of the onion and peppers added in - yum!
Amani rashid says
when did you add the onion and peppers?
CakePants says
This is JUST the kind of recipe I've been looking for to add to my regular rotation! We eat a lot of chicken but have fallen into a bit of a rut - this looks like what we need to help break us out of it. And it only takes 15 minutes?! I am sold.
Kathryn says
I hear ya - we eat a ton of chicken and I'm always looking to mix it up. This is a great easy go-to for busy weeknights!
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious says
I absolutely love quick and easy dinners like this. and so much flavor too!
Kathryn says
Yes! So helpful for getting weeknight dinners on the table!
Sandra Medeiros says
I added broccoli to the dish I cooked it and strained it first. It was delicious everyone loved it and the broccoli really was good.
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you loved it Sandra - thanks so much for letting me know! Great idea, too, on adding the broccoli!
Shell says
Just made this for dinner and my picky eaters loved it!!! It has become a new week night dinner for us.
Kathryn says
Oh I'm so happy to hear that!! Thanks for sharing 😊
Lizbeth says
Fast, simple and quick! New family favorite!! I added broccoli just because we love broccoli.
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear that Lizbeth! Broccoli is one of my favorites and a perfect addition to this - gonna do that myself next time!
Jade says
I mixed a drizzle of honey at the end & squeezed lime over the top ! Sooo good my fiancé & daughter licked their plates clean lol
Kathryn says
That makes me so happy to hear Jade! Glad it was a hit and thanks so much for sharing!
Tori says
This was so simple to make and fast!! My very picky family loved it so much! Made a double serving of the sauce and added some rice water to drizzle over the rice. My kids were disappointed when we ran out! New family favorite! Thank you!
Kathryn says
Hi Tori! I'm so happy to hear you all loved it - thank you so much for sharing! It's definitely one of our easy go-to dinners 😊
Baker by Nature says
This sounds so flavorful!
Janis Beck says
I've made this three times now. I'm obsessed.love this recipe.
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you love it Janis! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!
Charolette Marquart says
Hi Kathryn,
I stumbled on this recipe today by sheer coincidence while looking for a chicken dish today and needless to say my hubby and son went absolutely nuts over it!! Thank you so much for a simple and delicious idea for dinner!!
Kathryn says
Oh I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Robyn says
I love how you include nutrition facts!! Not only does this food look amazing but its already got calories listed so less time adding them up!! Thank you!!
Kathryn says
Hi Robyn! I'm so glad that's helpful for you! I just started paying for a nutrition info service a couple of months ago and I'm so happy to hear it's useful for you! Have a great rest of the week!
Debbie says
Dinner was Woohoo good. Thank you for this easy yet delish dinner.
Kathryn says
Oh I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Beth Reynolds says
Such a quick and scrummy dinner. I am making again tonight. I just wanted to ask, do you think you could do this with salmon/other fish and would I just cook the fish in the pan like the chicken, although I would want it to burn, or cook in the oven first and add at the end?
Kathryn says
Hi Beth, I'm so happy to hear you love this chicken! Yes, you could substitute shrimp or fish for the chicken here. You could cook fish filets or cube them up (like I did with the chicken). Cook the fish on one side, then flip it over and add the glaze and let the fish finish cooking to your desired doneness as the glaze reduces down for a few minutes. Hope that helps!
Mary Cottingham says
Wow, that was delicious! I served it over arborio rice, to which I added peas, shredded carrot and red onion. Topped it with toasted sesame seeds, fresh lime, and sweet chile sauce. Loved it!
Kathryn says
Hi Mary! I'm so happy to hear you loved it - thanks so much for taking the time to comment! And I love all of your add-ins and toppings - YUM! 😊
LG says
Delicious! I made this for dinner tonight and my husband and two boys loved it. My boys can be picky eaters, but this recipe is a keeper!. I love that it is quick & easy. I served to with rice...
Thank you 🙂
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you all enjoyed it - thanks so much for sharing! Such a huge win when you find a recipe the whole family loves! 😊
Samantha says
Is there anything I can substitute the garlic with?
Kathryn Doherty says
I don't think so. There's no good substitute for garlic and it's one of the key flavors in this recipe.
Kathryn Lawrence says
Thank you for the suggestion. The flavors are nice together , but the sauce is scarce and the chicken barely retains the flavor of the sauce- maybe since it's added so late. Perhaps I'd try the "sauce" as a marinade first, then make a similar sauce that would be a little thicker and more of it. I used 3 chicken breasts cut up and used more than one recipe of your sauce, probably 1.3x but it didn't add much "sauce" for flavor in those few minutes of cooking. I used wonderful, fresh ingredients and organic chicken. Children enjoyed it well enough, but adults were left a bit lacking flavor.
Kathryn says
Hi Kathryn! (We spell our names the same way!) You could definitely marinate the chicken first and/or double up on the sauce if you want extra. I sometimes make more if I want to drizzle extra on my rice and any side veggies. 😊
Sue S. says
This was really quick, really easy, and very tasty! Great for a quick and healthy weeknight meal. Thank you!
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it Sue! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Danielle says
Very good flavor, but not enough sauce. The chicken soaked it all up right away (I had my burner completely off at the time I poured the sauce in). It would be nice to have some to drizzle on the rice. From the sounds of the recipe, it wasn’t supposed to work out that. It’s a simple recipe, so I have no clue where I went wrong.
Kathryn Doherty says
I'm so surprised to hear that Danielle, particularly if your burner wasn't on and blazing. I haven't had reports of that happening to anyone else - and haven't experienced it myself - and not sure why it would since there's a full 1/3 cup of liquid in the recipe. And yes, there's usually plenty to have to serve with rice - and usually with whatever veggie I am serving. I'd say maybe try it again? Or you could double the sauce? Hope that helps!
Katherine says
This recipe was awesome! I threw in some uncooked frozen broccoli with the chicken and then covered the skillet after putting the glaze in. It turned out perfect!
Kathryn says
I'm SO happy to hear you loved it Katherine! Love the broccoli addition, too! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Jessica A says
This was so so yummy. My mom and I cooked it and everyone loved it. Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
Kathryn says
Oh I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it Jessica! Thanks for sharing! 😊
Katherine says
Left my message in the wrong post ! Can you use normal soy sauce or will it make it too salty . Looks delish 🙂
Kathryn says
Hi Katherine! I only use low-sodium soy sauce so that's what I'm used to. If you generally use the regular kind, I'm sure that would be fine here! Hope you give it a try and enjoy it! 😊
Katherine says
Thanks am trying it tonight and really looking forward to it .The soy sauce is gluten free so maybe has slight less salt in it . 🙂 thanks for your reply !