Honey Lemon Chicken

This quick and easy honey lemon chicken recipe can be prepared in under 20 minutes but is packed with flavor, which makes it great for a busy weeknight.

There are many people out there that find chicken boring to make/eat, but I am not one of them. To me chicken is so versatile. From chicken paprikash to chicken tikka masala to salt and pepper chicken.

It's all about the additional ingredients in determining the flavor of the dish. And this specific chicken recipe is no different. It is actually quite simple to make, but the star of course is the honey lemon sauce that gives the chicken a nice sweet/sour taste.

One thing to note - I always try to get real quality honey as it not only tastes better but has better health benefits for you. If you can get something local even better, but here are quite a few options you can find online.

So if you are short on time or feeling just a little bit lazy, this chicken with a honey lemon sauce is the perfect option.

Jump to:

• Ingredient Notes
• Ingredient Swaps
• Step-by-Step Photos
• FAQs
• Side Dish Options
• Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
• Other Chicken Recipes
• Honey Lemon Chicken

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken - I like to use tenderloins as it cooks quickly and comes in smaller portion sizes.
• Butter and olive oil - the combination of butter and olive oil allows you to get the flavor of the butter but not burn by adding the oil.
• Honey - adds sweetness which complements the acidity of the lemons.
• Lemons - when using lemon juice, you want fresh lemon juice as it adds the necessary acidity and just tastes better.
• Soy sauce - gives some needed saltiness to the sauce.

Ingredient Swaps

Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:

• While I like chicken tenderloins because they cook quickly, you can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs as well.
• I like to use flour to panfry the chicken but cornstarch is a good substitute and is gluten-free as well.
• It is called honey lemon chicken for a reason, but maple syrup can be used in replace of honey.
• If gluten-free is important to you, tamari sauce can be substituted for soy sauce.

Step-by-Step Photos

Toss the chicken in a bowl with flour, salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat with oil.

Cook the chicken 3 minutes per side before removing from heat. Now mix the sauce ingredients with 1 tablespoon leftover flour and 2 tablespoon water in a measuring cup.

Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 minutes before deglazing with stock, scraping up the brown bits. Simmer and reduce by half before adding the honey/lemon mixture. Add the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

FAQs

Side Dish Options

You can never go wrong rice, pasta or brown butter mashed potatoes and a side of roasted vegetables. I almost always have roasted broccoli but Parmesan roasted Brussels sprouts or asparagus work great as well.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Use chicken tenderloins so the chicken is thin enough to cook quickly.
• Use quality local honey as it is healthier for you and tastes better.
• Mix the honey, lemon juice and soy sauce with 1 tablespoon flour so it will help thicken the sauce as it cooks.
• If you really like lemon, add zest from half a lemon to the sauce.

Other Chicken Recipes

If you’ve tried this honey lemon chicken recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.