This honey garlic chicken in extra saucy, loaded with flavor, and comes together in under 15-minutes! It’s an easy dinner recipe when you want something quick and delicious.

There’s nothing I love more than a recipe that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort. So trust me to have a few tricks up my sleeve to make a simple dish taste extraordinary.

What makes this dish a winner

Using chicken broth for added flavor and richness.
Cutting the chicken into bite sized pieces for maximum flavor absorption.
Finishing the dish with a knob of butter to take it to the next level!

top shot of honey garlic chicken served with rice and steamed broccoli in a bowl

So if you’re in the mood for an easy dish that tastes like it’s from a fancy restaurant, give this a go.

Serve it with rice and veggies to soak up all the sauce and turn it into a wholesome meal.

Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

There are some recipes you make once and then there are some that you make over and over. This dish is strictly falls in the second category. It’s quick, deeply flavorful, and made with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Chicken: Boneless, skinless, chicken breast or thighs work well. Cut into bite sized pieces to speed up the cooking process and absorb more flavor.
Sauce: A mix of honey, light soy sauce, chicken stock, rice vinegar, and cornstarch. The easy honey garlic sauce is the star of the show. It is sweet, savory, and perfectly balanced.
Aromatics: Fresh garlic and green onions (or scallions) are essential for takeout style flavor.
Cornstarch: Used to lightly coat the chicken for a crisp exterior and also as a thickener in the sauce.
Red pepper flakes: Optional for a slight kick of heat and smokiness.
Butter: This is my SECRET ingredient! Adding unsalted butter at the end makes the sauce glossy, buttery, and extra delicious.
Dark soy sauce: Optional for a deeper color.
Cooking oil: Any neutral flavored cooking oil works well.
Salt and pepper: Add these to taste.

close up of chicken in honey garlic sauce

How to make Honey Garlic Chicken

You’ll find a video tutorial and step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below. Here is a brief summary with tips.

1. Prep the Chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and transfer it to a bowl. Toss with salt, pepper, and cornstarch until evenly coated. Coat with cooking oil to help everything cling and prevent the chicken from sticking later.

2. Prep the aromatics: Finely chop the white parts of the green onions and thinly slice the green tops. Mince the garlic cloves finely so it blends into the sauce easily.

3. Prep the sauce: Combine honey, light soy sauce, chicken stock, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in a bowl and set it aside for later. You can add more chicken stock if you want even more sauce. It builds the sauce without making it extremely salty.

4. Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until golden and fully cooked through. The cooking time for chicken thighs will be longer than chicken breasts. Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl.

5. Honey garlic sauce: In the same pan, retain about 1 tbsp of oil. Sauté the garlic and green onion whites until fragrant and lightly golden. Sauté red pepper flakes for about 10 seconds. Pour in the sauce mix and stir well. Cook until the sauce thickens to your liking. Optional: Add 1 tsp dark soy sauce for a deeper color.

6. Combine everything: Return the cooked chicken to the pan and toss well. Cook just until the chicken is warmed through.

7. Add butter: Finally add butter and stir until fully melted. This adds so much flavor and makes the sauce extra glossy.

8. Garnish: Add the sliced green onion tops and enjoy!

Tips for the Best Honey Garlic Chicken

For the perfect texture, don’t skip the cornstarch coating. It gives the chicken a light crust that holds onto the sauce.
Taste your sauce before adding the chicken back. If it feels too sweet, add a splash of vinegar or soy sauce.
If using chicken breast, don’t overcook the chicken as it can turn hard and rubbery. Check out my how to sear chicken guide for perfectly cooked chicken every time.

Easy Variations

Other proteins: You can swap the chicken for shrimp, chicken wings, pork, steak bites, or tofu. The sauce works with almost anything.

Vegetables: You can also add broccoli, snap peas, carrots, mushrooms, and bell peppers. It will turn this into a wholesome one-pot meal.

Make it spicy: Add in your favorite chili oil for an extra kick of spice. It pairs really well with honey.

honey garlic chicken served with rice and broccoli with sliced green onions

What to Serve with Honey Garlic Chicken

Steamed rice is a classic choice as it soaks up all the sauce and turns delicious. Jasmine rice has the perfect texture and aroma to make this dish shine.

Fried rice is a bit unconventional but works really well too. This spicy egg fried rice works particularly well as the spice balances the sweetness of the sauce.

Storage and Reheating

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavor deepens overnight and tastes even better the next day. Note: the sauce will thicken up a bit.

When reheating, add some water or stock to loosen the sauce. Heat it in a skillet over low heat until it’s saucy and glossy. Add water as needed.

Honey garlic chicken being cooked in a skillet

More Irresistible Asian Chicken Recipes

Here are a few chicken recipes that will satisfy your takeout cravings.

Please let me know how your honey garlic chicken turns out in the comments! Happy cooking 🙂