What’s a meal that’s delicious, easy to make, only takes twenty minutes to cook, and only needs a few ingredients? This awesome honey lemon garlic chicken recipe!

The sweetness of honey neatly complements the tart, sharper flavor of garlic, so this really is a match made in Heaven.

You can make this dish quickly and easily and you probably already have the ingredients in your pantry. You also don’t have to use chicken, strictly speaking. This awesome sauce will work with any protein you like, including beef, prawns, or even tofu.

Honey Garlic Chicken

This is one of the easiest sauces to make, and as a result I make it all the time. Because it requires so few ingredients, it’s quick to make, and everyone loves it, it’s a great option for those feeding families or large groups of people on short notice.

Typically, many recipes involving chicken and a sauce will request that you use chicken thighs. Our recipe is not an exception. This is because of their higher fat content and softer flesh, with a stronger chicken flavor. However, just because chicken breast can dry out does not mean you can not use it! You can make awesome, juicy chicken breasts at home if you know how. The trick is not to cook the breast for too long, make sure to let it stand after cooking, and use a high-moisture cooking method.

What You'll Need

Garlic
Honey
Lemon juice
Soy Sauce
Oil
Chicken Thighs or Breast
Ground black pepper
Parsley

How To Make Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken

Season chicken thighs with ground black pepper, salt and garlic powder all over.
Sear the chicken, using a hot pan. Don’t put the chicken in as the pan is warming up as this will simply warm up the inside of the chicken at the same pace as the outside, which is the opposite of searing.
Drain most of the oil from the pan, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons for flavor.
Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; add the water, lemon juice, honey and soy sauce. Increase the heat to medium high and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Simmer the mixture until your sauce thickens. You want it to be a little runnier than runny honey but not so thin that it doesn’t stick to the chicken. Turn your chicken as it is simmering to make sure it is thoroughly coated in your delicious honey garlic sauce.

What To Serve With Honey Garlic Chicken Breast

This recipe produces quite a bit of sauce. You can drizzle the sauce over vegetables, potatoes, rice, or save it in the fridge for another meal. It really is so versatile!

This sauce has such a strong flavor, be sure not to over-sauce anything you put your sauce on.

Because of the rich, sweet and salty flavors of this sauce and the chicken, you’ll want to serve it with either fresh or neutrally flavored sides. Serving your chicken on a bed of jasmine rice would be perfect! You can also use mashed potato or cauliflower.

If you want a hit of vegetables, roast veggies like Roasted Brussels Sprouts is one great option, as you can coat these in the sauce, too. A fresh salad with cucumber is another great choice. Any salad you choose should be one that will cleanse your palate between mouthfuls of delicious chicken rather than introduce any strong new flavors to the mix.

A quick tip for sides: despite the inclusion of soy sauce in this recipe, it does not have a particularly “Asian” flavor profile. You can, of course, serve it Asian-style, with steamed, fried, or fragrant rice. However, a macaroni salad or even mac and cheese might benefit from the inclusion of your honey garlic chicken.

More Delicious Chicken Thigh Recipes

Chicken Thighs with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! I will be happy to hear from you!

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