Baked Honey Garlic Chicken

Name: Baked Honey Garlic Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken breasts (boneless & skinless); 1/3 cup honey (melt on the stove if it is hard); 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar; 3 large garlic cloves; 1 tbsp cold water; 1 tsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp green onion (for garnish); 2 tsp sesame seeds (for garnish)

Mouthwatering Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Breast with a simple sweet and tangy honey garlic sauce. It’s a restaurant quality Asian inspired healthy dinner that will become your new favorite quick and easy chicken recipe!

Our other family favorites are this lemon garlic chicken, air fryer chicken breast and garlic butter chicken breast.

Baked honey garlic chicken breast sliced with green onion and sesame seeds.

This honey garlic chicken breast is oven baked until tender and juicy then smothered in a delicious sweet and sour glaze made from honey, garlic, soy sauce, and lemon juice.

It’s an easy 30 minute dinner that comes in extremely handy when you have no idea what to make for dinner!

This chicken recipe is our go-to on busy weeknights when we’re looking for something quick, healthy, and super easy!

I make some healthy sides while the chicken is baking and bam, an Asian-inspired, healthy baked honey garlic chicken is ready to be served with Asian chopped salad or healthy broccoli salad recipe.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Baked not fried: A flavorful and saucy baked chicken recipe is so much healthier than any fried chicken!
Easy: This quick 10-minute marinade is one of my favorite chicken marinades that sits while the oven preheats!
Impressive: The beautiful sheen on this delicious glaze is pretty enough to serve dinner guests.
Pantry staples: Made with budget friendly ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Especially great when you have stocked up on chicken breast!

Four pieces of chicken in honey garlic sauce with green onion garnish.

Ingredients You Will Need

To make this baked honey garlic chicken, you will need only a few simple ingredients.

Chicken breasts: About 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts. Cut them into thin cutlets lengthwise as I did with this chicken and tomatoes. This way the breasts come out juicy and saucy.
Honey: I try to buy unpasteurized and raw honey for its health benefits. Keep in mind once heated it loses many of its good properties, so for this recipe, it doesn’t matter which kind you choose.
Soy sauce: Regular soy sauce or liquid aminos have the same amount of sodium. I used only 2 tablespoons of aminos.
Acid: You can use freshly squeezed lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar.
Fresh garlic: I used 2 grated garlic cloves to bring out even more flavor in the sauce and 1 minced garlic clove for texture in the final product.
Cornstarch: Or arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce. You can skip it if you don’t have it.
Green onion and sesame seeds (optional): This honey garlic chicken is meant to be Asian-inspired and although not exactly authentic, we can still add some delicious garnishes for zing and crunch!

Chicken breast, honey, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, green onion, sesame seeds, cornstarch.

How to Make Baked Honey Garlic Chicken

Marinate chicken for 10 minutes in a sauce which is a combination of honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, and garlic. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl and let them sit while the oven is preheating to 450 degrees F.
Preheat the oven. Grab a baking sheet and line it with unbleached parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. It makes cleaning up caramelized honey a breeze.
Bake honey garlic chicken for 20 minutes. Arrange chicken in a single layer and bake, turning once.
Chicken is ready when it reaches 165 degrees F internal temperature. 20 minutes should be good. You can even pull it out when the internal temperature is 155 degrees F and allow it to keep cooking with the residual heat.
Combine chicken breasts with sauce: Transfer the marinated honey garlic chicken pieces onto a platter, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds.

Optional Add-In’s and Variations

Ginger: Keep some extra grated ginger aside and add a little more into the sauce.
Different cuts of chicken: This baked honey garlic chicken breast recipe works for baked chicken thighs as well.
Heat: Add some red pepper flakes into the honey garlic marinade for a little spice!
Garlic: Grate all the garlic instead of combining grated and minced, if preferred.
Make this on the grill! Preheat the grill to 450-500 degrees F and rub with an oiled paper towel. Grill chicken for 8-10 minutes, flipping once. Careful not to overcook the chicken! Make a sauce on the stove or over the side burners on the grill. So good!

Tips for Best Results

Chicken has to be fresh or defrosted. Not frozen.
I do not recommend pan frying this chicken as the honey burns quickly. Been there, done that! Try my pan fried chicken breast instead.
If your honey is solid, melt it on a stove in a small pot on low heat.
You can use low-sodium soy sauce as well if you are watching your salt intake. Or, reduce it to just 1 tablespoon.
Cornstarch settles fast, so whisk again before adding to the sauce. It makes for a much smoother finish! Also, cold water is the key to avoiding lumps.
Dinner for two? Feel free to cut this baked honey garlic chicken recipe in half if you’re serving 2 people or less. Otherwise, save your leftovers, they freeze like a charm.
Do not discard marinade! Make healthy honey garlic sauce by bringing the marinade to a boil in a small pot. Whisk cold water with cornstarch, add and cook a few minutes until the sauce has thickened.

FAQs

Can I use chicken thighs with honey garlic sauce?

You can! Chicken thighs are darker, less lean than chicken breast, so they’ve got a bit more fat and flavor. These work just as well and there’s no need to cut them thinner.

Is it safe to reuse marinade from raw chicken?

The only time it is safe to reuse marinade is if you boil it first. It is a must, otherwise, you need to discard any leftover marinade. The reason for this is it has been contaminated with raw chicken and consuming this is dangerous.

Is this similar to Chinese honey chicken?

It is similar in that they both have a sweet element. Other than that, not really! Chinese honey chicken is typically battered and fried with egg and flour (like tempura) and then sweetened with either honey or another type of refined sugar.

This recipe for baked honey garlic chicken is not battered or fried and it has a tangy sour component along with the sweet.

Baked honey garlic chicken breast on a plate with broccoli salad.

What to Serve Baked Honey Garlic Chicken With?

Serve baked honey garlic chicken recipe with:

Grains: Brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat spaghetti.
Veggies: Classic steamed vegetables or air fryer broccoli possibly drizzled with Asian salad dressing completes our Asian-inspired theme.
Low carb: Serve with low carb side like cauliflower fried rice.
Craving comfort food? While the chicken is baking, make healthy mac and cheese or even easier Instant Pot mac and cheese.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Store: Refrigerate honey garlic chicken leftovers in a covered container for up to 5 days. This is great for teriyaki chicken meal prep for the week!

Freeze: It also freezes extremely well for up to 3 months.

Reheat: Place chicken in a skillet or saucepan and reheat on low heat. The sauce will thicken in the fridge, so add a splash of water and watch it come back to life. Easy-peasy!

Make Ahead: Marinate the chicken for up to 3 days ahead of time. Keep it covered and stored in the fridge and use it when you’re ready!

I hope you enjoy this super easy baked honey garlic chicken recipe! Come back and let me know in the comments. I reply to every single one of them.

More Chicken Recipes to Try

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