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Home » Course » Main Dishes

Main Dishes

Honey Garlic Butter Chicken

Published: July 17, 2022   |   Updated: July 31, 2022   |   8 Comments

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This honey garlic butter chicken recipe takes simple ingredients and turns them into juicy flavorful chicken smothered in addictive buttery sweet and savory sauce. This 15-minute meal is going to be a family favorite and is great for quick weeknight dinners.

Honey garlic butter chicken breasts smothered in sauce and topped with green onions in a stainless steel skillet.

Today we’re making some honey garlic butter chicken, a variation of the popular reader-favorite honey garlic chicken recipe with a few flavor adjustments. The chicken is lightly coated in flour and pan-fried for a thin crispy crust that will soak up all the butter and honey garlic sauce.

It’s smothered in a sweet and savory sauce with lots of garlic and buttery goodness. The best part about this sauce is if you’re not a fan of chicken, you can pair it with other proteins like shrimp, salmon, or tofu. Serve it over some mashed potatoes or rice and with some veggies like green beans, broccoli, zucchini, or asparagus for a complete and tasty dinner.

Ingredients in Honey Garlic Butter Chicken

Ingredients to make honey garlic butter chicken in prep bowls.

HONEY GARLIC BUTTER CHICKEN RECIPE TIPS

Chicken – Be sure to pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness so it cooks evenly. A mounded center usually means the ends will be drier by the time the thicker part finishes cooking. You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin and place the chicken breasts between some plastic wrap, parchment paper, or in a Ziploc bag.

I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the smaller side, about 5-8 oz. each. If you have large chicken breasts, you can cut 2 breasts into half lengthwise to get 4 chicken cutlets. If you’re a fan of chicken thighs, substitute the breasts with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can also cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces to make cooking easier and for more caramelization. More edges equals more surfaces to caramelize.

Four side by side images of preparing and making honey garlic butter chicken.

Two-hand seasoning method – The easiest way to minimize hand washing while seasoning meat is to use the dry hand and wet hand method. Use your dominant hand to sprinkle seasoning onto the meat and use your other hand to pat it in.

Flour – Dusting the chicken in flour gives it a crispy crust. This step is easier to do on a plate to get a thin coating of flour on both sides. You can also use cornstarch to dust the chicken instead of flour.

Seasoning – Really work the salt and pepper into the chicken breasts by massaging them in.

Honey garlic butter chicken on a bed of white rice with green beans.

Butter – I like using Land O Lakes butter. The half sticks are perfect for slicing off into cubes and they come with measurements by the tablespoon or cup written into the packaging, so you can skip measuring spoonfuls of butter.

Honey – Feel free to substitute this with maple syrup or agave.

Soy sauce – Regular soy sauce or low sodium both work. My go-to brand is La Choy.

Honey garlic butter chicken breasts smothered in sauce and topped with green onions in a stainless steel skillet.

Apple cider vinegar – This adds some acidity to balance out the sweetness of honey.

Garlic – Fresh garlic works best for the recipe but you can substitute garlic powder, just mix it in with the sauce.

More sauce – To make the sauce saucier, add about 1/4 cup of chicken broth.

Honey garlic butter chicken on a bed of white rice with green beans.

Serve with – Serve over a bed of white rice or mashed potatoes and with some greens like broccoli, green beans, zucchini, asparagus, or brussels sprouts.

Customize It!

  • Add some heat – Sprinkle a few dashes of red pepper flakes to give the chicken a little bit of heat.
  • Add some zest – Add some lime or lemon juice to brighten up the flavor.

And that’s about it. Enjoy your chicken and let me know how you liked it, what substitutions you made and what you paired it with in the comments below!

More Honey Garlic Recipes

  • Crispy honey garlic chicken stacked on top of a white plate.

    Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken

  • Honey garlic shrimp in a cast iron pan.

    Honey Garlic Shrimp Skillet

  • Two fillets of honey garlic salmon on a white plate.

    Honey Garlic Salmon

  • A top down picture of air fryer honey garlic salmon in a bowl with rice and broccoli.

    Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon

MORE CHICKEN BREAST RECIPES TO TRY

  • Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Breast
  • Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Breast
  • Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken
  • Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
  • Maple Glazed Chicken
  • Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken

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Honey garlic butter chicken breasts smothered in sauce and topped with green onions in a stainless steel skillet.

Honey Garlic Butter Chicken


★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

  • Author: The Cooking Jar
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
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Description

This honey garlic butter chicken recipe uses pantry staples for flavorful chicken smothered in addictive buttery sweet and savory sauce.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5–8 oz. each)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth (optional)
  • Fresh parsley / green onions, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Whisk the honey, soy sauce and apple cider vinegar to make the sauce.
  2. Pound the chicken breasts to 1/2″ thickness using a meat mallet.
  3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour on both sides, shaking off any excess flour.
  4. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and sear the chicken on one side for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.
  5. Flip the chicken and sear on the other side for another 1-2 minutes.
  6. Turn the heat down to medium and melt the other tablespoon of butter. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  7. Pour in the sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens and until the chicken is cooked with an internal temperature of 165ºF.
  8. [Make it saucy] Add chicken broth to the sauce to make it saucier (optional)
  9. Turn the chicken to coat the other side in the sauce before dishing and top with parsley or green onions (optional)
  10. Enjoy!

Notes

  • I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the smaller side (about 5-8 oz. each). If you have large chicken breasts, you can cut 2 breasts in half lengthwise to get 4 chicken cutlets.
  • Make it saucier – Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth to make it saucier.
  • Add some heat – Sprinkle a few dashes of red pepper flakes to give the chicken a little bit of heat.
  • Add some zest – Add some lime or lemon juice to brighten up the flavor.
  • Scroll up to RECIPE TIPS for more useful tips, suggestions and ingredient substitutions.
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below or share a photo of the recipe on Instagram by tagging @cookingjar

posted in: Chicken, Main Dishes, Quick and Easy, Stovetop

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. B says

    January 24, 2023

    My family is very picky, but this went over GREAT! Served with a side of roasted carrots and mashed potatoes its a meal I would make again

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • The Cooking Jar says

      January 25, 2023

      Great sides! I love roasting carrots with butter, honey and thyme – so good. Glad everyone enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply
  2. Mike B says

    January 16, 2023

    Was looking for something quick and easy to make for dinner and seen this recipe. Family loved it and super easy to put together. I put the chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes and a side of green beans.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • The Cooking Jar says

      January 18, 2023

      I’m glad it was a hit in your home! Thanks for sharing what you paired it with, they’re my go-to sides as well.

      Reply
  3. Lori says

    October 17, 2022

    That was delicious. That will be a regular chicken dish in the rotation

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • The Cooking Jar says

      October 23, 2022

      That’s great to hear, Lori! So happy to help you find a new staple.

      Reply
  4. Yanay martin says

    July 30, 2022

    Muy buena receta,fácil,rica y todos la pueden hacen y disfrutar

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • The Cooking Jar says

      July 31, 2022

      Gracias! Thank you 🙂

      Reply

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