Honey Garlic Chicken
The most amazing crisp-tender chicken with a honey garlic sauce that is out of this world. So good, you’ll want to use this sauce on everything!
Surprisingly enough, this is a recipe I bookmarked about 4 years ago. And I finally got around to it this week.
Talk about procrastinating. But this dish here was really worth the 4 year wait.
Aside from the amazingly crisp-tender chicken cutlets, the honey garlic sauce is the true star here.
I even set aside a secret stash to drizzle over some rice. Or maybe I’ll just guzzle it down. No one has to know.
Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise in half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 large eggs, beaten
For the honey garlic sauce
- ½ cup honey, or more, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine honey, garlic and soy sauce. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Stir mixture into the saucepan until thickened, about 1-2 minutes; set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, thyme, oregano, paprika and cayenne pepper.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, dip into eggs, then dredge in flour mixture again, pressing to coat.
- Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet, 2 or 3 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve immediately with honey garlic sauce.
Did you make this recipe?
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I made this tonight. My whole family loved it, even my pickiest child.
This was soooooo yummy. Th best was that it was qwik. I will b making this on a regular basis. As a 73 yo, I always like to find recipes that r easy & tasty.
as a 12 year old my first time making this was an awesome experience.
You’re right about this sauce! KILLER! I doubled the recipe but it was so delicious! Thanks!
Unfortunately not my favorite DD recipe – something was off with the sauce, maybe too much honey although I followed the sauce part of the recipe exactly. I actually liked the chicken by itself more, although I will eat it with the sauce tomorrow for lunch leftovers too. I left out the 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper for the chicken, that was the only substitution I made.
I’ve been looking for a light Honey Garlic Sauce for years… since I lost the recipe from Wok with Yan.
This recipe is delicious. I did remember there was butter in the old recipe, so I gently cooked the garlic in butter, before adding the other ingredients. Perfect!!!
I’m so happy to enjoy this sauce again.
Thank You, Chungah!
I love your website. I love the recipes! I have recommended many of them to family & friends.
Bon Appetite!
My husband just said this was probably the best chicken he has had in his life, and he eats out a lot. I served it with angel hair pasta and zucchini/summer squash/mushroom mix sauteed in olive oil and a tad bit of butter with some melted fresh shaved Parmesan on top. I halved my chicken breasts to make them thinner and did the egg and flour wash once. Yum! Great recipe that is full of flavor.
Another great recipe! Loved honey garlic sauce. We normally don’t like sweet main dish, but this sauce was great combination of honey and soy sauce, and garlic was so flagrant. It sure was damn delicious
I need the honey garlic chicken and wow was it damn Delicious.!! It’s definitely one of my go-to recipes now.
I’m going to try this for my husbands dinner maybe tonight . He will have to reheat at work in the microwave …. thoughts ???
Was amazingly and surprisingly delicious. The glaze on the fried chicken was everything! Great recipe to show your boyfriend that you can actually cook xD. We halved the recipe by 2 and was more than enough!
My family adored this dish! I served it with rice and veggies and everyone felt like we had gone out to eat because it was that GOOD. 😉 They already demanded I save this recipe and make it again. Thanks for the delish recipe!! 🙂
Would love to make this…but where is the recipe??
This is damn delicious! I had thin sliced chicken breast in the fridge and I looked online for a recipe and came across this one. I had all the ingredients on hand which made it super easy to make. From start to finish it was about 45 minutes. The sauce is delicious and my picky husband loved it. I will definitely make this again.
My husband goes crazy for these!! (However, Ive added a tsp of garlic and onion powder to the seasoning. Also, I salt and pepper the tenders directly once removed from the oil With kosher salt and coarse black pepper.) He said they’re some of the best tenders he’s ever had. Thanks for sharing!
Really good chicken dish! I like how crispy the chicken gets & the sauce was good, but a little tangy and kind of sweet. The honey taste in it was strong so If I make this again I’ll probably put less of it. The seasoning in the flour/chicken breading was awesome, but I skipped adding the cayenne pepper. Also the oregano felt kind of misplaced to me in this dish so I’m not sure if I’d keep that in next time, either. Overall this was a nice, easy, make-it-again type dinner!
Love it! Even my picky children ate it!
Serve it over rice for a quick meal.
This was the best chicken that I have ever made, and I’ve made a lot of chicken recipes!
Quick, easy, and delicious! I had everything on hand and it all went so well together! It was a hit! I made it with garlic and herb rice and broccoli on the side, the sauce was so good we drizzled it over eveything! Will definitely be making this again, and next time I won’t forget to take a picture!
I feel like that Frank’s Red Hot granny. “Honey Garlic sauce. I put that on everything!” Chicken was nicely seasoned and tasty. The sauce… Man-o-man, yum! Next time, I will need triple the batch.
I didn’t have cutlets, so I just cut the chicken breast hoizontally and Hulk smashed the bigger pieces with a mallet to even the thickness. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
This came out great! I used chicken legs instead of chicken breast and I ended up oven frying instead, but other than that I used your recipe and it was a big hit with my family for Sunday dinner!
So great to hear! Thank you!
My family of five unanimously loved the chicken but found the sauce much too sweet. The honey is overpowering. Will try a different sauce next time or reduce the honey by at least half, maybe more.
Thanks for sharing your feedback Suzanne! Yes, make it your own if the taste wasn’t too your liking!
The dish was awesome. I poured mine over rice. And added fresh veggies. Love that honey sauce!
That sounds delicious Linda!
Yes! Honey chicken is the best!
Just finished!! Made it with veggies and rice!! That sauce is perfect!!!!!!
Awesome Stephanie, thank you for sharing!
This. Was. Delicious!!! So easy to make and we loved it! Made it with noodles but next time using rice because that sauce is the bomb! Awesome recipe. *****
This was so good!! Even my extremely picky little brother loves it! Will 100% make again!
I’m about to make this tonight for the first time! It seems like a huge hit! I bet it will be amazing.
Not only looks delicious it IS delicious. My Husband said it was indeed ‘Damn Delicious’! And it was easy to make.
Hi this recipe looks amazing, planning to try it tonight however i was just wondering what you would normally pair the chicken with, rice or veg etc?
Rice or vegetables would be great!
I was expecting more Asian seasonings in the flour mix, have you tried it with like ginger, sesame seeds and garlic? Just curious
I actually haven’t but that sounds amazing!
I have made this several times, and I find that the vegetable oil is really bad for splattering. I’ve tried to cook it on med high, and have turned the temp down to low, but the splattering is awful. I used avocado oil once instead of vegetable oil, as I heard that is better for frying at high temps. That worked better, but it still splatters. Am I doing something wrong?
I don’t think you are doing anything wrong per se – a little oil splatter is unfortunately inevitable in the cooking process.
I was so excited to try this recipe but I totally ruined it! The first batch of chicken came out okay, but the second batch burned immediately and there was smoke everywhere. Clearly I am a beginner in the kitchen, please help! 🙂 The chicken we did salvage was delicious, and the few other things I have made from your site have been amazing! Thank you!
Oh my gosh, so good! My 4 year old twins love it (they eat the chicken with BBQ sauce) but me and my wife gobble up the sauce. This is a weekly staple in our house now.
WOWEE this was SOOOOO GOOD. I tripled the recipe because I was making food for 8 and used chicken tenderloins and everyone practically licked their plates clean! This shot to the top of our favorites list and now I’m a subscriber and I’m eager to try your other recipes. Thank you it was absolutely heavenly.
I just made this tonight, and it was delicious. The telltale sign that it is a winner is that my kids will eat it as well. The chicken was juicy, and the outside was crispy. Couldn’t get my honey garlic sauce to thicken up, but I think it might be the type of honey I used….Anyway, absolutely a keeper in my recipe book. Thanks for this!
These are great – love the honey. Really enjoyed this recipe. Thanks
This was, indeed, damn delicious. Served it with rice and fresh green beans (blanched till crip-tender). The beans would go well with a drizzle of sauce, as well.
My husband and I have made this recipe twice now and loved it both times. Since then we have also used the honey garlic sauce in a simple chicken and broccoli stir-fry and it works wonderfully for that too! We like spice a bit too so we added some chili peppers to the sauce when using it in the stir fry. Thanks for a great recipe!
This is very good! I added some orange juice and ginger to the sauce as well it was really yummy!
Very good! My husband said I need to add this one to my recipe book and I intend to. I will definitely be making this again.
This looks good (I haven’t tried it yet) but I didn’t fry it (I’m on a diet) and baked it. The chicken didn’t get very crispy so next time I might fry it. The sauce is very tasty. I served it with rice, steamed cauliflower and baby carrots.
I needed to thank you for this excellent read!! I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it. I have you saved as a favorite to check out new stuff you post
What is the nutritional Value?
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
I just made this for dinner. It was awesome! My whole family loved it! My 5 year old, 2 year old, my husband and myself, we all can’t wait to have it again. Jokingly, I said that I might make it again tomorrow night too… everyone said… ok mom, that sounds good! Hopefully that tells you all how good this is! 🙂 Thank you for a new family dinner classic! 🙂
What would you suggest as a side for this dish?
Rice, brown rice or even quinoa would be a great side dish. You can also check out all of my side dish recipes here.
Can this chicken be baked?
Yes, absolutely.
I just made this for dinner, and it was fantastic! That sauce is the best part, I had no idea it was so easy to make a sauce that tastes like something you’d get in a restaurant.
Thank you, really enjoyed it 🙂
Hi. Will this sauce keep if bottled?
Thanks
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty without having tried this myself. Please use your best judgment.
Made this recipe this evening. Turned out really good. The only variation was instead of dipping the chicken 2x in the flour for the 2nd dip I used panko bread crumbs. My only caution is to watch the temp when frying b/c the panko browns pretty quickly. 🙂
The sauce is really good!!!
What would be a good substitute for Cornstarch?
Also, can i use olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
Cornstarch is a thickening agent. It is best to use this ingredient to obtain the best results possible.
just made this- turned out so delicious. I love that it’s so simple to prepare as well.
and you’re right, the honey garlic sauce is indeed out of this world. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hey… This recipe was really awesome. I’m a complete fresher at cooking and this will be my second time cooking. I was wondering whether I could use with bone chicken to carry out this recipe. I already have some, and so I don’t need to run to the market for buying new ones. Also that whether, I could substitute the Paprika with red chili flakes? Please do let me know soon. It’s my mom’s birthday tomorrow and I’m planning to cook this for her… Thanks one again, for this delicious recipe… 🙂
Yes, that all sounds like great substitutions!
Thanks a lot… I’ll let you know how it turned out to be…. 🙂
This sauce was WAAAAAAYYYY too sweet! Chicken breading had good flavor and added a nice thin crispy texture, but that sauce was just sugar overload!
Beth, thank you for trying my recipe. The honey is the star ingredient here so this dish is a bit on the sweet side. If it is too sweet to taste, you can easily reduce the amount of honey to suit your taste preferences.
Would this work with raw honey as well??
Unfortunately, I do not have much experience using raw honey so I cannot answer this with certainty. Please use your best judgment.
Can I use chicken tenders?
Yes, absolutely!
Honestly, I could just eat your photos! Everything looks so good!
I made your recipe tonight & served with mixed veggie casserole and fresh pineapple. After eating this I think your suggestion of serving it over rice is fantastic & having dipped my pineapple in the sauce, I think I’d add some grilled pineapple, and green onions for a great meal. Thanks.
Tried this recipe last night. First of all, the chicken itself was amazing! I may try this again but instead of flour, I may try Jiffy Pancake mix to give the chicken a sweeter, carmelized flavor. That said… my fiancé and I were not fans of this sauce. The soy sauce seemed to clash with the flavor of the herbs that took it to an almost fishy taste. I think with a little tweaking… this could taste just like Chili’s Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers. Thank you for the recipe!
I made this lastnight…its very good. I’m going to try it on grilled chicken…thank you
Can we use self raising flour in place of all purpose flour??
You can certainly try substituting self-raising flour but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. Using a substitution may also result in a mediocre outcome.
Just made this for dinner – I made two adjustments for my liking: replaced paprika with Nutmeg for the chicken and added 1 tbsp of Brown Sugar to the sauce 😉 It was AWESOME!!!! Thank you for tis recipe!
I just made this recipe and its definitely yummy but I felt like something didn’t belong. I think the Thyme was a little over powering next time I will decrease the amount I use, but that’s just my opinion. Also, my breading fell off my chicken rather fast, any suggestions to keep it on.
Thx Rachael
It is best to make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated throughout the entire flour-egg-flour process.
Oh. My. Lord. Soooo good. My son and husband went nuts! Totally making this again! I served it with your Panda Express copycat chow mein. To die for!!
How many calories does this recipe have?
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can gooogle “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
If I use boneless chicken thighs do you know how the cooking time would be adjusted?
Without further recipe testing, I cannot advise on the appropriate cooking time for this substitution. Please use your best judgment to ensure that the chicken is completely cooked through as it should reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees F.
making this tonight but not sure if the “dried thyme” is dried thyme leaves or ground thyme. Can anyone help?
Lauren, it would be best to use dried thyme leaves for this recipe.
I made this last month and it was honestly one of the best chicken tenders I have ever tried!!!!!! I’m definitely keeping this in my recipe book. It’s so crispy and the spices are perfect!
This chicken was so good that I’m making another batch this week! We ate it with biscuits and decided that it tastes like grown-up chicken nuggets 🙂
Great recipe. Made it for the first time tonight. I added some crushed red pepper to the sauce for a little kick. Definitely will be making again.
Amazing recipe,really delicious thanks for the share 🙂
This looks so good! What kind of a side dish would you serve this with?
We served this with roasted vegetables and loved it!
Does anyone know the nutritional value for this recipe? I can’t wait to try it!
Diana, I try my very best to provide nutritional information for my recipes. However, if they are not available, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can gooogle “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
Love your receipes! Can you use agave for the honey?
You can certainly try substituting agave but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. It is always best to use the ingredients listed in the recipe to obtain the best results possible.
I made this today and it is amazing!
A mix of spicy, sweet and savory, what a winner!
This hone garlic chicken looks amazingly delicious! And your photos are gorgeous!! Pinned! 🙂
I just made this last night, super easy and so good. I have to say I have probably made 20 of your recipes and liked them all. Really enjoy the shrimp, and salmon ones. I also like how alot of the recipes use alot of the same ingredients, honey, garlic, soy sauce, siracha etc. You know how to keep it simple, alot of people get scared away by recipes that have a huge list of ingredients. I like being able to use the same items over, much more cost effective. So happy I stumbled upon your website, I know that my boyfriend is too! Great recipes, and this one was another. Thanks so much!
This sounds delicious!! Have you ever made it using coconut oil? I’m assuming it’s just as delicious, but wanted to double check before I try it. : )
I actually have not tried using coconut oil.
Made this last night and it was a HUGE hit. The kids couldn’t stop eating! Awesome recipe.
Hi, Thank you for this recipe! Just curious, does it have a real garlicy taste? I’d like to try this, but my family aren’t the biggest fan of the garlic taste. Cheesy garlic bread is about as much as they’ll do.
Yes, the garlic taste is a bit strong here, but please feel free to reduce the amount of garlic as needed to suit your family’s preferences.
I made this tonight and it was a hit – my husband and I loved it, especially the sauce. Thank you!
Thanks! Love the roasted veggie idea! This is going on the menu this week!
What do you typically serve with this chicken? Can’t wait to try this so just curious what sides you recommend.
You can serve this alongside rice or even some roasted veggies!
THANK YOU! This was such an easy and delicious meal. The sauce is sooooo good:)
Hi.This recipe sounds delicious but my daughter and I can’t have soy. Any ideas on a good substitute that won’t take away from the honey? I was thinking maybe balsamic…..what do you think? If so, 2 tbsp still? TIA
You can certainly try substituting balsamic vinegar but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. Please use your best judgment on using the appropriate substitutions to fit your dietary restrictions.
LOVED this recipe. Made this and the one pot alfredo and it was simple and delicious and amazing and YUM. Thank you!! You are a new favourite blog!!
Can you eliminate, or at least reduce considerably, the soy sauce? Soy and my stomach do not get along.
Because the soy sauce is such a prominent ingredient in this dish, I do not recommend omitting or reducing. If soy is not something you can stomach, then I don’t think this recipe is for you. Sorry!
I can’t eat soy either. I substituted with coconut aminos and it came out great.
When you say to slice the chicken cross wiise, are you saying top to bottom in half, or slice the breast in half in the middle ? Sorry to sound dumb.lol
Not dumb at all! It’s best described as top to bottom so you end up with thinner slices of chicken breast.
I made this last night. No leftovers. My husband loved it. I am trying your turkey , Quiona meatballs tonight.
I love this recipe. I don’t cook with vegetable oil much. Would other types of oil would you recommend, to make this more of a clean eating recipe? I thought maybe Sesame Oil, but not sure the heating point is high enough.
I do not recommend using sesame oil – it is really best to use vegetable or canola oil.
Coconut oil. I used it, it came out delicious
Can you make the sauce ahead of time or should it be served fresh? Cant wait to make it!
Yes, absolutely! I’ve stored the leftovers in a jar in the fridge for several days.
Wow! This is quite unique, I wonder how honey and garlic will compliment each other. I even searched its health benefits. Here’s what I found: Garlic and honey, a winning natural formula, both extremely important nutritional food sources which blend so well together either eaten alone in their rawest state or as perfect additions for spicing up rather plain and mundane dishes. By eating honey and garlic, we boost our chances of not only living longer, healthier lives but also helping to ensure we don’t become an unfortunate victim of the dreaded Alzheimer’s. This disease causes the brain to lose 90% of its acetylcholine which is a neurotransmitter. It is used by our brain cells to help us remember things. Honey is a great source of acetylcholine and garlic is a great brain stimulant helping it to function as it should and increases our alertness and energy. HOPE I HELPED YOU, EVEN A LITTLE. Thanks!
Made this tonight and it was so delicious! Doubled the sauce and it was perfect! Definitely recommend this!
What are your thoughts on using panko bread crumbs in this tecipe?
I think it’s unnecessary but if you prefer Panko over the flour-mixture, please feel free to substitute.
This chicken was awesome! So glad I came across the recipe. I had almost all the ingredients on hand, and it was crispy and sweet!
Made this tonight! It was Delish, I know because my son liked it!!
This was very good. I added some Cayenne for a bit of zip…YUM. I will add more Soy Sauce next time as it is, as written, a little too sweet. Just to adjust for my palate. Thank You for this recipe!!!
we made these the other night, very tasty. The batter with the spices was great, but the sauce…AMAZING. I agree, drizzle it on anything.
This recipe produces an amazing chicken dinner or lunch! The sauce is super good! We had sauce left over and stored it in the ‘fridge for a couple days. We then baked some chicken thighs in the oven and coated them with the leftover sauce. Wow! The sauce even was better after being in the ‘fridge those couple days. We want to try it on baby back spareribs next so will have to make some more sauce.
Oh, forgot to mention that we added a tsp or so of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce to this sauce (just enough to give it a little zing!).
I made this tonight; it was delicious! I happen to have some orange extract in my cabinet, so I added a few drops – maybe 1/8 t – to the sauce and it was so good! I was wondering, also…have you (or any other readers) ever tried substituting almond meal for the flour in this or another similar, recipe? Thanks for blogging; I really enjoy your recipes!
love your post!! I’m new to cooking, how do I cut a chicken breast crosswise? 🙂
Lisa, there are a lot of step-by-step tutorials online that you can use, or you can use thin-sliced chicken breasts if you prefer.
Lisa, it really doesn’t matter too much how you cut the chicken, but I think the recipe’s timing is based on a thin cutlet. I did not use cutlets but a whole breast, and I just cut it into strips about 1/2″ wide and 3″ long. You will get good at figuring out how long chicken has to cook in its various configurations…good luck!
If you are buying your chicken breasts fresh from the market, you can ask the butcher to cut the breasts for you. They would be happy to do this for you and the service is free. They have the equipment and I’ve always found the cuts to be perfect.
This chicken will definitely be my cheat meal of the week!! Insanely yummy
This sounds so crispy and delicious. The pictures are adorable! The honey dipper especially. I can’t wait to try this one.
Ok, I’ve seen this floating around Pinterest forever too! It always looks SO good, and yours, yup, looks crazy crazy delicious. Glad to hear it was a hit!
I have tried some of your recipes they are all so good thank you for being so kind as to share
has anyone tried this with boneless chicken thighs?
Do you think that would work?
thanks
I’m not sure I can think of anything it wouldn’t work with… Meatballs popped into my head!
I am so happy I found you last month! I have been following you ever since. You have such great recipes – and beautiful pictures to accompany them! I look forward to trying many of them
I have made a lot of your recipes and all of them have been absolutely amazing!!! I found you on pinterest, and I’m definitely going to subscribe:) thanks for your posts! Cant wait to try this one as well!
Def trying this tonight!
I love honey on everything…but it’s especially good as a complement to salty/savory food. I bet it was soooo good here! And I love that big wooden honey dipper! I’ve always wanted one of those 🙂
Oh me too! That’s the first thing I thought when I saw this recipe. Hahaha, I’m glad I’m not the only one! I don’t know why I feel the need to own one…. It just seems so fun and old-worldsy, or something. 😉
I’ve made this recipe with boneless pork chops before and it was amazing- incredibly moist and the sauce has a great flavor. Excited to try it with chicken as well!
This chicken looks great! might try baking them in the oven instead of frying. 🙂
hi,
I have tried another honey garlic chicken recipe from your website ..In that one the chicken was baked..is the sauce same in both .?? please let me know
The sauce is a bit similar but not entirely the same.
P.S. – I’m also ‘sharing’ this ‘baby’ on my Facebook page – it’s too good to miss !
I am so impressed with your website! I came across it last week & began following you immediately. Your photos are amazing – do you do the photography yourself? And, of course, your recipes all look yummy. I have a feeling I’m going to be busy ‘pinning’ all your posts, just like I’m going to be ‘pinning’ this one!
Thank you, Cecile! And yes, all photos are taken by me.
You’re simply amazing !!
THESE PHOTOS! They’re gorgeous and so up close and personal with this chicken – I totally want to bite my screen right now. This chicken looks perfect and DEFINITELY worth the wait! Pinned!
This looks melt-in-the-mouth-tastic 😀 So many amazing flavours in there 😀 I love coated chicken! x
Thank you for the nice recipe.
Looks delicious, crispy and sweet – yum!
Gorgeous photos, love the honey drizzle!