A quick skillet dinner with tender chicken and a sticky honey-garlic sauce. Spoon it over rice so none of that good sauce goes to waste.
Plan for: 25 minutes (approx.). Portions and times are approximate. Use Print inside the recipe card for a copy with the cooking and storage notes.
Honey Garlic Chicken
A quick skillet dinner with tender chicken and a sticky honey-garlic sauce. Spoon it over rice so none of that good sauce goes to waste.
Estimated total: .
Estimated prep: 10 minutes. Estimated cooking: 10–15 minutes.
Ingredients
Chicken and sauce
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3½ tbsp (50 g) unsalted butter, divided, or 2½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Prep the chicken. Slice each breast horizontally into 2 thin cutlets, making 4 total. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly coat in flour and shake off the excess.
- Sear. Heat most of the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, reserving about 1 tsp. Add the cutlets in a single layer. Cook 2–3 minutes on the first side, then turn and cook about 1 minute more.
- Make the sauce. Lower the heat to medium. Add the reserved butter or oil and the garlic; stir about 30 seconds. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, and honey, stirring to combine.
- Finish and serve. Simmer gently, turning the chicken to coat, until the sauce lightly thickens and each cutlet reaches 165°F in its thickest part. Thickness affects timing, so continue cooking as needed. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Cooking tips and leftovers
Sauce tip: Measure the honey, soy sauce, and vinegar before you start cooking. Lower the heat if the sauce bubbles hard or starts sticking; honey can scorch.
Gluten-free option: Use cornstarch for the coating and a soy sauce or tamari labeled gluten-free. Check the other ingredient labels too.
Make ahead and leftovers: Measure the sauce ingredients ahead and refrigerate them separately from raw chicken. Reheat cooked chicken gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
Store safely: Refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F). Keep at 40°F or colder and use within 3–4 days. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F. USDA storage guidance.
Make it a meal
Serve over plain rice with a green salad, or make Instant Pot Risotto for a heartier side. A small batch of four big chocolate chip cookies makes a fun finish.
Another dinner to try
For the good part of the sauce: An OXO garlic press makes quick work of the garlic for this sticky honey-garlic chicken. Have the garlic and sauce ingredients ready before the chicken finishes browning so everything is close at hand when the pan is ready.
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A little help in the kitchen
Tomorrow’s lunch: Slice leftover chicken into a rice bowl with shredded carrots and cucumber. Reheat the chicken and rice with a splash of water, then add the cold vegetables. Keep the sauce with the chicken so it does not dry out.
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