Honey butter garlic chicken is easy and loaded with tender bites of chicken in a delicious sauce! Using simple pantry staples it can be on the table in less than 30 minutes.
We may earn a small commission for purchases made through links in this post. Read our disclosure policy here.
A family favorite loved time and time again. Perfectly balanced with flavors that the whole family will love.
The chicken pieces are smothered in a sticky, sweet, and savory sauce that is absolutely delicious! If you love shrimp and looking for another simple recipe check out my Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp another quick dinner idea for the entire family.
Why this recipe works
Honey and garlic are two easy ingredients that blend beautifully together, the sweetness of the honey and the powerful flavor of the garlic. Honey garlic chicken is cooked in a skillet and uses just a few simple ingredients. Juicy, tender chicken bites in a quick sauce that's packed full of flavor.
Ingredients for this recipe
Ingredients Notes
- Chicken- you can use boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken tenders in the recipe. But hands down the thighs are my favorite. Dark meat is always juicy and never dried out.
- Garlic- Use fresh garlic for the best flavor. Garlic powder doesn't have the same affect here.
- Apple cider vinegar- adds the perfect amount of acidity.
- Parsley leaves or green onions- both will work to add a bit of freshness and color to the dish.
How to make this recipe
Step 1- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces
Step 2- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet, add the chicken season with salt and black pepper, cook until golden brown.
Step 3- Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the chicken is coated.
Step 4- Simmer the honey garlic sauce and chicken to caramelize.
Tips for making honey garlic chicken
This dish comes together fast so you need to have everything chopped, measured and ready to go.
Do not overcook the chicken.
Cut the chicken pieces into the same size so they cook evenly.
A cast-iron skillet works great for this. It gets super hot and adds the best caramelization and color to the chicken.
Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little kick.
Recipe FAQ's
Absolutely! This is definitely a tasty sauce and very easy to double.
These chicken bites can be served over white rice or mashed potatoes, the honey butter sauce is fantastic over both. My oven-roasted asparagus or roasted broccoli florets are a delicious side dish that would work great.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More easy chicken recipes
MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST FOR ALL MY LATEST RECIPES.
Honey Butter Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3-4 tablespoons Honey
- 1- 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Fresh chopped parsley or green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Cut chicken thighs into small bite sized pieces.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet (cast iron works best) on high heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let cook until it starts to change from pink to white and get some golden edges about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the remaining butter, garlic, vinegar and honey. Stir until chicken is coated.
- Simmer sauce and chicken to caramelize the outside about another 2-3 minutes.
- Top with fresh chopped parsley or green onions. Serve chicken over rice or mashed potatoes.
Can I use garlic powder instead of cloves?
Yeah it will work, but you may want to double the sauce.
I'm going to make this tonight would bootie pasta work rather than rice.
You would have to remove the meat from the bone. Then you can always save the bone to simmer and make chicken stock to freeze.
I only have bone-in chicken at the moment. How can I still make this??
Lemon juice is usually a good substitute for vinegar.
Can I substitute the vinegar for something?
I used chicken breast and followed from there. It was super, super runny. I wound up adding more honey, vinegar, a dask of soy sauce, and corn starch in hopes of thickening it up. Worked perfectly! And my picky eater said "on a scale Of 1 to 10 yumminess, this is a billion!" Added it to my list!
This is an amazing recipe!!! I love that I don't have to use any sugar or soy sauce (but get all the yumminess). Thanks for a great recipe. I will be making this frequently for sure 🙂
I remember, once I cooked sweet and sour chicken wings using gadgets mentioned in this blog, and my family liked that dish a lot. In the coming weekend, I have planned a small dinner for my friends and right now confirming the menu. I liked the recipe and have added it, too, to my main meal course option, along with the one I had tried recently. Thanks, dear. Wish me good luck and all the praises. Lol!