Description

This honey garlic chicken breast recipe features tender, pan-fried chicken coated in a luscious homemade honey garlic sauce. The perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors is achieved with simple ingredients like honey, garlic, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar, making it an easy yet impressive dish for any weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

500g / 1 lb chicken breast, boneless and skinless (2 pieces)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup flour

Sauce and Cooking

3 1/2 tbsp (50g) unsalted butter (or 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white or other clear vinegar)
1 tbsp soy sauce, light or all-purpose
1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup)

Instructions

Prepare the chicken: Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to create 4 thin steaks. Sprinkle both sides of each piece generously with salt and pepper to season.
Coat with flour: Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge each chicken steak in the flour, coating completely, and shake off any excess flour to avoid clumping.
Melt butter and cook chicken: In a large skillet over high heat, melt most of the butter (reserve about 1 teaspoon for later). Place the coated chicken pieces in the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the underside is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for about 1 minute.
Adjust heat and add garlic: Turn the heat down slightly to medium-high. Make some space in the skillet, add the minced garlic, and top it with the reserved dab of butter. Stir the garlic briefly once the butter melts to release the aroma without burning.
Add sauce ingredients: Pour in the apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and honey. Stir or gently shake the pan to combine all ingredients. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook for about 1 minute until it thickens slightly.
Coat chicken in sauce: Turn the chicken pieces in the sauce, making sure they are well coated. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of water and stir to reach your desired consistency.
Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat immediately to prevent overcooking. Plate the chicken steaks and drizzle any remaining sauce from the skillet over the top before serving.

Notes

For a gluten-free option, substitute the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour or cornstarch.
You can use olive oil instead of butter for a lighter, dairy-free version.
Adjust the amount of honey to taste for more or less sweetness.
If the sauce thickens too much, adding a bit of water helps loosen it without diluting the flavor.
Use fresh garlic for the best flavor; garlic powder won’t provide the same aroma.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Frying
Cuisine: American

Keywords: honey garlic chicken, chicken breast recipe, easy chicken dinner, pan-fried chicken, sweet and savory chicken