This homemade Honey Garlic Chicken is perfect to serve over rice or steamed vegetables. The sweet and savory blend of honey, soy sauce, and garlic makes this 5-ingredient sauce irresistibly delicious on tender morsels of chicken.
Don’t miss the video tutorial below to see how simple it is to whip up this mouthwatering, sticky chicken at home!
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We love simple chicken recipes from General Tso’s Chicken to Lemon Chicken. If you’re looking for easy and flavorful dinner ideas, be sure to add this Honey Garlic Chicken recipe to your Pinterest board. Its perfect blend of flavors makes it a quick, delicious meal everyone will love.
Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
My entire family loved this sweet and sticky Honey Garlic Chicken! It’s so much better than frozen versions from the grocery store because it’s made with real, juicy pieces of chicken breast without being overloaded with heavy breading. The fact that it’s naturally sweetened with honey makes me love it even more! My kids cleaned their plates and even went back for seconds!
This recipe is super easy to make! It comes together in just 20 minutes and is far better (and healthier) than any takeout in town. You have complete control over the ingredients in your meal, and this recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd or to create intentional leftovers for lunch the next day!
Honey Garlic Chicken Video Tutorial
Watch me make this Honey Garlic Chicken. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced cook, this step-by-step video will have you serving up this tender, juicy chicken coated in a sticky honey garlic sauce in no time. You do not want to miss this one!
Is Honey Garlic Chicken Spicy?
When I first made this recipe, I thought I had added too much sriracha (1 Tbsp), but surprisingly once I tossed the sauce with the chicken, I could barely detect the spiciness at all, and neither could my kids (which was a relief because they aren’t fans of spicy foods).
I love that you can easily adjust the heat in this sauce to your liking. If you’re a fan of spice, feel free to add more sriracha or even a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to give the sauce an extra kick!
Ingredients for Honey Garlic Chicken
The key to making great Honey Garlic Chicken is creating the perfect balance of flavors with quality honey and soy sauce. Allowing the sauce to thicken creates a deliciously sticky glaze that clings to the chicken, ensuring every bite is bursting with so much flavor.
- Chicken – boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1″ pieces.
- Soy Sauce – provides a salty contrast to the sweetness of the honey, creating a well-balanced flavor profile. It also helps tenderize the chicken and gives the sauce its dark color. I prefer a low-sodium soy sauce. Feel free to use a gluten-free version to make this recipe GF.
- Honey – adds a natural sweetness that complements the savory soy sauce and garlic. The sticky honey gives this dish its distinctive sticky glaze.
- Corn Starch – Used to thicken the sauce and lightly coat the chicken, creating a nice golden crust. Coating the chicken in starch also helps the sauce stick to the chicken.
- Sriracha Sauce – adds a little spice to the dish. You can add it to taste.
- Garnish – I suggest topping this dish with sesame seeds if you have them. You can also try almond slivers, parsley or cilantro.
Variations
While this recipe is written for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, the delicious Honey Garlic Chicken sauce works wonderfully with a variety of proteins, including:
- Chicken tenders
- Chicken thighs
- Chicken wings
- Stir Fry recipes
- Tofu “steaks” for a vegetarian option
- Shrimp or Fish
Make it spicy – Feel free to add more Sriracha for extra heat, or even a pinch of red pepper flakes for a spicy kick. For a fresh twist, try adding ½ tsp of fresh ginger (minced) along with the garlic.
How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken
I like to start with the sauce so it can simmer and develop it’s sticky sweet flavors while you prep the chicken.
- Prepare the Sauce – In a medium saucepan, combine water, soy sauce, honey, sriracha, and minced garlic. Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Thicken the Sauce – In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water until dissolved. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan and stir until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low.
- Coat the Chicken – Add the chicken pieces into a large zip-top bag and sprinkle the top with cornstarch. Seal the bag and toss the chicken inside until evenly coated with cornstarch.
- Cook the Chicken – Set a large non-stick pan over medium heat and lightly coat the bottom with oil. Add the chicken in a single layer and sauté for a few minutes on each side until cooked through. Avoid crowding the pan and cook in batches or use two skillets to speed up the process.
- Add the Sauce – Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to coat. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, if needed.
- Garnish and Serve – Serve over white rice, if desired, and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
What to Serve With Garlic Honey Chicken
Honey Garlic Chicken pairs beautifully over a variety of sides. Some of our favorites include:
- Rice: Whether you prefer classic White Rice, low-carb cauliflower rice, savory Fried Rice, zesty Cilantro Lime Rice, or hearty brown rice, rice is the perfect base for this dish.
- Vegetables: Try Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Carrots, or Roasted Cauliflower
- Stir-Fried Vegetables: asparagus, green beans, bell peppers, snap peas, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and zucchini.
- Noodles: Egg noodles or ramen noodles
Make-Ahead
- To Refrigerate: Cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze in a freezer storage bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: (from frozen) Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat until heated through.
This Honey Garlic Chicken recipe is a quick and delicious option that will elevate your weeknight dinner with its rich flavors and satisfying texture. Using just a few simple ingredients, you can create a dish that’s ideal for busy evenings or meal prep, making it a family favorite in no time!
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you love this Garlic Honey Chicken recipe, be sure to check out these other easy-to-make chicken dishes that will keep dinner exciting.
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- Baked Chicken Breast
- The Best Chicken Salad
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Chicken Piccata
- Pizza Chicken
- Tuscan Chicken
- Popcorn Chicken
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Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 to 2½ lbs chicken breast, (2 large or 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces)*
- ½ cup corn starch
- 1 cup filtered water
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce, *or gluten-free soy sauce
- ⅓ cup honey, or more to taste
- 1 to 2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce, or added to desired spice level*
- 3 cloves garlic, (1 Tbsp minced)
- 2 Tbsp corn starch
- 2 Tbsp cold water
- Sesame seeds and chives, optional garnish
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, soy sauce, honey, sriracha, and minced garlic. Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- In a small dish, stir together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water until dissolved. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan and stir until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low.
- Add the chicken pieces into a large zip-top bag and sprinkle the top with cornstarch. Seal the bag and toss the chicken inside until evenly coated with cornstarch.
- Set a large non-stick pan over medium heat and lightly coat the bottom with oil. Add the chicken in a single layer and sauté for a few minutes on each side until cooked through. Avoid crowding the pan and cook in batches or use two skillets to speed up the process.
- Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Serve over white rice, if desired, and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I made this this morning and it’s great! I used some frozen pre-cooked popcorn chicken and they worked and saved some time. I baked off the chicken and then stir fried some onion and carrot and then added and thickened the sauce and finally added the chicken to it. I made a presentation plate on a plate I got at a local Asian grocer to dress it up a bit. Thanks for another great one! I will make this sauce again!!! I posted my pic and the link back to this recipe on my FB page!
Made the sauce, cheated and used frozen Just Bare chicken nuggets from Costco to speed things up. On the sauce, it was a bit thick so I plan to halve the cornstarch slurry next time. I used the full 2T sriracha & thought the balance with the sweet was just right. I may add a little chopped fresh ginger next time and definitely stir fried veggies.
I added 2 Tbsp of hot sauce (Not sriracha just what I had in my fridge) and it was delicious and better than takeout! I’m going to add some veggies next time! I love all your recipes and tell everyone about them!!!
Thank you so much. I’m glad you’re loving the recipes.
Tried this recipe and mu husband and I adored it! Gonna be one of our new favorites.
Easy and delicious, just I wish I had sriracha sauce
Wanted to like this but for us it was too bland. Chicken was juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside but the sauce was just not it.
HI Zory, I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t turn out as expected. This normally has a ton of flavor and is quite saucy. Did you make any changes or substitutions in the sauce ingredients? It’s such a short list of ingredients that each one is important to the flavor and outcome.
What could I replace for siracha save that won’t be hot?
Hi Nancy, my kids are not fans of spicy food and didn’t notice it here. You can limit how much you use or omit it. But I do share more under the “Is Honey Garlic Chicken Spicy?” section of the recipe post.
We followed the recipe and everyone liked it. We added some veggies and it was a perfect easy dinner. Will make again.
Very good, family liked it. I reduced the honey to maybe a quarter cup and it was plenty sweet. Only hot sauce I had was Tabasco, so I added a teaspoon. Will add more next time as I didn’t notice the heat. Thanks for a delicious easy to prepare dinner!
You are very welcome! Glad it was enjoyed!
OMG that was so yummy! I wimped out by using only 1 T of Sriracha but that was plenty of heat for me! Thank you!
Hi Natasha,
I made this honey garlic chicken and I doubled the recipe. I had no left overs, my whole family ate every last bit!!!! I love the sweetness of the honey and I got requests to make this another time (very soon) This is one of my many favorite recipes that you do:) You Are The Best!!!
I think Sharky likes green onions!!!!
I can watch your videos all day!!!!
Aww, thank you so much! That’s great to hear.
I made this the other night for supper! It had mixed reviews! Both my kids loved the spiciness of it, however, my husband and I both found the sriracha overpowered the honey! I still liked it; but next time I’ll leave out the sriracha entirely and put more honey in the sauce! Thanks for the recipe Natasha..love them!
You’re welcome, Krystelle! I hope you all love it even more next time!
This was soooo good! I did add a little extra honey. The chicken came out perfect. This recipe is a keeper! We loved it.
Made this the other night everyone really liked it!
Sauce looked like soy sauce not honey color like in your pic
Did you add extra honey
Hi Anita! No, I used the same amounts mentioned in the ingredients list. The viewing screen (computer/phone), the camera, lighting in the room can all makes a difference in the appearance.