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.
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 needed, no specialty ingredients or sauces and we're taking the shortcut of cubing the chicken so it's small and cooks up quickly.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Here's one of the older photos of this recipe:
Liliana Smith says
Hi, this recipe sounds delish but i dont bave soy at the moment. Anything to substitute it with? Thanks
Kathryn says
Hi Liliana! The only substitute I know for soy sauce is Bragg's Amino, which is a pretty speciality product. Otherwise, there's not much that works well in its place. I hope you try this recipe once you're able to pick some up!
isra says
Thank you for your wonderful tips Kathryn.It will definitely useful for me and my family.
Kathryn says
I hope you enjoy it! 😊
Christina says
This was super easy and absolutely delicious! It will be a repeat in my house for sure. The only change I made was using roasted garlic. So so tasty. Thanks!
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you loved it Christina! Thanks so much for sharing! And that roasted garlic substitution sounds delicious! 😊
Trevus says
Made this last night. Super simple and fast. Finished in lest than 30 minutes.
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this Trevus! 😊
Paul says
would sautéed onions and mushrooms hurt the recipe honey, I just feel it would enhance it dramatically thank you
Kathryn says
Absolutely not! This is meant to be a super simple base recipe, but you can definitely add onions, mushrooms, broccoli works great too. Depending on how much you add, you may want to make a little extra sauce (it's SO good and you want enough to cover everything!)
Rachel says
Is it ok to use chicken thighs instead of breast?
Kathryn says
Hi Rachel! Yes, you can substitute chicken thighs here. Just keep in mind that they take longer to cook so you'll want to keep an eye on them and perhaps use a meat thermometer to make sure they get cooked through. Hope you enjoy!
Bailey says
Perfect for a college student on a budget! Thank you!
Kathryn says
You are so welcome Bailey! I'm all about simple and affordable recipes!
Elizabeth Snider says
Dido
Carlo says
I was scrolling through trying to find a recipe that was quick, simple and delicious. You nailed it, Kathryn. After reading the reviews and substitutions. This is going to be a no brainer for me. I’m excited to try this recipe tonight. Looks like this will be on a weekly menu for a single gentleman like me. Budget friendly and perfect combination of ingredients .
Kathryn says
It's definitely a great go-to - I hope you enjoy it Carlo!
Angela says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe. I don't often leave comments on blogs, but this was GREAT!
When I came across this recipe this morning I almost didn't try it because all my chicken is frozen, and I didn't have any pepper flakes, but then I thought I have a pork loin just waiting for inspiration to turn it into something great. Am I ever glad I tried this.
So I used pork for the meat, and instead of pepper flakes I used a teaspoon of sambal oelek. I served it with broccoli and brown rice.
The sauce is amazing. I'm definitely going to put this recipe in the regular rotation. Going to have to plan ahead and have thawed chicken next time! 🙂
I was really surprised how fast the whole meal cooked. Everyone always says "it's on the table in minutes" but his really was just 20 min. Next week I'm going to have a prep day and have all the sauce ingredients measured out in a half pint jar, a big batch of rice done and the meat (thawed!) and cut up so it will take even less time to cook the day of.
Thanks again,
Angela
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you loved this Angela! Thanks so much for sharing! And I love the idea of your substitutions - I'll have to try it that way next time 😊
Angel says
Made this for dinner tonight and my family of 5 gave it a big thumbs up! Since I have 3 growing teens I doubled the recipe. I also made extra sauce and put just a dash of cornstarch to thicken. Definitely going in my regular rotation.
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you all enjoyed it Angel! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Amon Woodley says
Can you use garlic salt instead??
Kathryn says
Hi Amon, I wouldn't recommend garlic salt. That would add a lot more sodium and make the dish too salty.
Vanessa81 says
I really want to try this recipe right now for supper, I don't have any money though, is there anything that I could use for a substitute?
Vanessa81 says
Haha...I meant honey!
Kathryn says
Haha 😊 I think the best substitute here would be agave syrup, but I haven't tried it and I'm not sure it would be the same. I use maple syrup and honey interchangeably a lot in baking, but I just don't think that would work well for this dish. Would love to hear if you try it!
Chantel Kamlan says
Thank you, thank you Kathryn!!! This was ready in a jiffy, all 5 of my kids loved it (11, 8, 5, 3, and 16 months!). PLUS, it's gluten free for my husband!! New favorite at our house!
Kathryn says
I'm so, so happy to hear you all loved it Chantel! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Keith Jobson says
Cooked this tonight. The wife licked her plate.
Kathryn says
Haha, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it Keith! 😊
LaQuitta Cole says
I just made this and can I say it is amazing!! Quick, delish and definitely in our rotation from now on! Thank you!
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! 😊
Randy Lee Chipman says
I used this recipe but added a twist and used a little bit of red wine vinegar and it tastes amazing
Randy Lee Chipman says
Oh and everyone loves this recipe
Randy Lee Chipman says
Oh and everyone in my house loves this recipe
Kathryn says
I'm so glad it was a hit Randy! Thanks so much for sharing 😊
Betty says
So I tried the sauce as a marinade and I also didn’t have the peppers. However, I put in everything else and it retained the flavor greatly. Great recipe. Thumbs up
Kathryn says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it Betty! Good idea to use it as a marinade too!
Laura says
Oh my goodness!! THANK YOU for this recipe! It is so quick and simple. I have fussy eaters that don't like garlic so replaced it with ginger. It has gone down a treat. New favourite for us!
Kathryn says
Oh yay, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it Laura! Thanks so much for reporting back 😊
Katie says
I made this chicken today for lunch served over rice. It was amazing! It was so simple and delicious. I can't wait to make this again. Thank you.
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you loved it Katie! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Andia says
Thank you for a great recipe. I tried this last night. My older son, who usually doesn't eat anything with a saucy appearance, ate it and liked it. My husband, who eats anything I make, but usually doesn't comment much about it because he eats for nutrition not taste, told me to make 10 lbs. of this next time. That means that he noticed the taste, and really liked it.
Kathryn says
Oh I'm so happy to hear that Andia - thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Leah says
I am admittedly the worst cook ever. I tried this recipe tonight. It was so easy to make, even I couldn't mess it up. It tasted great and everyone enjoyed it! I will definitely make extra sauce the next time though. Thank you for this great recipe!!!!!
Kathryn says
Haha, I'm sure you are not Leah! But I'm so happy you tried this recipe and loved it!! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Fontai says
Omg it came out amazing!! Thank you so much I already can’t wait to make it again.
Kathryn says
Oh I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Ashley says
In a pinch I googled recipes for 15 minutes. Found this one and had all the ingredients at my house.
It was delicious. Definitely keeping the recipe for the future when I need an easy day! Thank you!
Kathryn says
Oh I love when you find a recipe and already have everything on hand! So happy to hear you enjoyed this! 😊
Ashley says
This recipe was great, I can eat this everyday! Thank you for sharing!
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it Ashley! 🙂
Jen says
We eat so much chicken in my household that I am constantly on the lookout for new recipes to make. I am so glad I found this one, it was quite delicious. I actually substituted Teriyaki as we had run out of Soy. It probably wasn't the exact same taste, but delicious nonetheless!
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you loved it Jen! And that's great to know about the teriyaki substitution!