This honey-glazed chicken is a winner every time I make it. You just brown bite-sized pieces of chicken, make a sticky honey-soy glaze in the same pan, and toss it all together. We rarely have leftovers anytime I make this.
It uses ingredients I always have on hand, so I can make it on a busy weeknight without a special trip to the store. From start to finish, dinner is on the table in about 30 minutes.
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Chicken Breasts or Thighs
I make this with boneless, skinless chicken breasts because that’s what my family likes. Boneless, skinless thighs work just as well, and I’ve made it that way plenty of times. Thighs have a little more flavor and are often cheaper, so use whichever you have.
Skip bone-in or skin-on chicken for this one. You want small pieces that brown on every side and pick up as much glaze as possible, and removing the skin and deboning chicken for this type of recipe is a pain.
Cut the chicken into one-inch cubes. My favorite trick is to cut it while it’s partially frozen. It’s less slippery, so cutting is faster and the pieces come out more even, which means they cook at the same rate.
What’s in the Honey Glaze
The glaze is honey, soy sauce, fresh garlic, a little lemon juice, and a bit of peanut butter. Always use fresh garlic here. Jarred garlic has been sitting for who knows how long and always tastes rancid to me.
The peanut butter doesn’t make the chicken taste like peanuts, but it adds a savory depth that makes the glaze taste finished. I use regular creamy peanut butter, and natural peanut butter works fine, too.
If you need it nut-free, use the same amount of sunflower seed butter. I’ve left the peanut butter out entirely by accident before, and while it still works, it isn’t quite as good.
I use bottled lemon juice, and you can skip it if you don’t have any. Low-sodium soy sauce is a smart swap if you watch your salt, since the glaze cooks down and concentrates, but I have the standard version on hand and use that.
What to Serve With Honey-Glazed Chicken
We serve this over rice most nights. I make mine in a fuzzy logic rice cooker, and I start cooking it before I even cut the chicken. It takes longer to make rice than it does to do the rest of this meal.
A fuzzy logic rice cooker adjusts its own temperature and timing as it cooks, so white rice, brown rice, and other grains come out right every time. It keeps rice warm until you’re ready to eat, which frees up a burner and your attention.
Brown rice or couscous work great, too. For a vegetable, I like Garlic Sesame Kale or Grilled Baby Bok Choy, and my kids’ favorite side is Lemon-Roasted Broccoli.
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top just before serving. Some of my readers suggested adding sliced green onions, and they’re delicious, too.
How to Make Honey-Glazed Chicken
Brown the Chicken
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. I use my enameled cast iron braiser because it holds the heat and browns evenly. Once the pan is hot, add just enough oil to coat the bottom.
An enameled cast iron braiser heats evenly and holds that heat, so it browns meat beautifully and simmers sauces without scorching. The wide, shallow shape makes stirring easy, and you can take it from the stovetop to the oven to the table.
Add the chicken and let it sit for a minute or two before you stir so it builds a crust. Keep stirring every so often until it’s browned on all sides and cooked through. The chicken won’t cook further once you add it to the glaze, so make sure it reaches 165 degrees.
Move the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
Make the Honey Glaze
Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic. Cook it for about 30 seconds, just until it’s fragrant.
Add the soy sauce, honey, peanut butter, and lemon juice, and bring it to a boil. It looks a little icky at first, but it smooths out once the peanut butter melts, I promise.
Keep it at a low boil for seven to ten minutes, until it reduces by about half.
Whisk the cornstarch into one tablespoon of cold water, then stir it into the glaze. Cook this mixture for two to three more minutes.
Stir it periodically. If you drag your spatula through the glaze and it flows right back together, give it another minute. You want to be able to pull the spatula through and have the sauce be thick enough to stay to the sides for a second or two before moving together again.
Add the chicken back to the pan and stir until the glaze coats every piece. Serve it right away.
Can You Make Honey-Glazed Chicken Gluten-Free?
You can, and it’s an easy swap. Soy sauce is the only gluten in this recipe, so use the same amount of gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos instead. Coconut aminos is a little sweeter and less salty, so taste the glaze before adding the chicken and adjust as needed.
Tamari is a soy sauce brewed without wheat, so it’s the easiest gluten-free swap in any recipe that calls for soy sauce. This one has less sodium than regular soy sauce, and you use it in the same amount.
It’s naturally dairy-free, too, so with the nut-free and gluten-free swaps, it works for most major allergens.
Can You Make Honey-Glazed Chicken Without Cornstarch?
If you have a corn allergy, use the same amount of arrowroot powder and mix it with cold water the same way. Arrowroot breaks down if it cooks too long, so stir it in at the very end and remove it from the heat as soon as the glaze thickens.
Can You Make Honey-Glazed Chicken in a Slow Cooker?
You can, but it won’t give you the same thick, sticky glaze. Most slow cookers don’t get hot enough to thicken a cornstarch slurry.
If you want to use one, cook it in the slow cooker, then transfer everything to a pan on the stove and bring it to a boil so the slurry can thicken the glaze before serving. This turns it into more of a make-ahead dish, except for that last step, so it’s great for busy weeknights.
Can You Make Honey-Glazed Chicken Ahead of Time?
You can. Sometimes I make it in the early afternoon when I have time, then gently reheat it for dinner. You can also brown the chicken a day or two ahead, refrigerate it, and make the glaze right before dinner.
When I’m already browning chicken, I often cook extra to use later in Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas or Homemade Chicken Fried Rice, which is also a great way to use up leftover rice.
How Do You Store Leftover Honey-Glazed Chicken?
Let it come to room temperature, then put it in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. It keeps for three days, and my kids happily eat the leftovers the next day.
I don’t freeze this one. Frozen cooked chicken never turns out right for me.
To reheat it, put it in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat for about five minutes. Stir it now and then so it heats evenly without burning.
Honey-Glazed Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- sesame seeds for garnish
- green onions for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Add the chicken and let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes, then stir periodically until browned on all sides and cooked through to 165 degrees, about 8 to 10 minutes. Move the chicken to a plate.1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.2 cloves garlic
- Add the soy sauce, honey, peanut butter, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring until the peanut butter melts.1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup honey, 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Keep at a low boil for 7 to 10 minutes, until the glaze reduces by about half.
- Stir the cornstarch into the cold water, then stir the slurry into the glaze. Cook 2 to 3 more minutes, until a spatula drawn through the glaze leaves a path.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon cold water
- Return chicken to the pan and stir to coat.
- Serve immediately over rice, topped with sesame seeds and green onions.sesame seeds, green onions
Notes
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work as a substitute for the breasts.
- Cut the chicken while it’s partially frozen for easier, more even cubes.
- For nut-free, use sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter. Natural peanut butter works, too.
- For gluten-free, swap tamari or coconut aminos one-for-one for the soy sauce.
- Let leftovers come to room temperature, then store them in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to three days.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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YUMMMM! I needed a dinner idea for tonight. I'm going to try this! Thanks Michelle!
I'm gonna make this tomorrow night.
This looks DELISH. And I just found SF honey (weird, I know) at the store so I can't wait to try this and see if it's the same, or different because of the sugar free difference! I was JUST looking for a “sesame” chicken type recipe too! 🙂
Tami – I hope it turned out well for you. I'd love to know your thoughts.
Pat – Ditto to you. Definitely let me know what you thought of it.
Heather – It was so good. Even my mom commented on how much she liked it when she was over on Tuesday, which is not like her. I have no idea if the sugar free honey will work because isn't the point of honey that it IS sugar? How do they do something like this?
I made this last night and Jerry loved it, even though I forgot to sprinkle sesame seeds (which I had just bought that day) on it. I did sprinkle chopped green onions on it, though.
So bummed that I have to pass up all these great recipes that have peanut butter. Is there even anything to substitute for that? Another friend posted a super yummy looking dessert but had all kinds of nuts in it. =( I can “read” recipes. This one “tastes” delicious!
Pat – So glad that Jerry liked it. And I hope you did, too! Those sesame seeds are super easy to forget, aren't they? Ironically, my mom asked me to come over tonight and make this for her, so I had this for dinner tonight… again!
Sandra – No no no! You don't have to pass on these recipes! You can get sun nut butter, which is made from sunflower seeds and tastes very similar. You can also use tahini paste in a pinch. Or – especially in this recipe – leave it out, and it'll be just fine. This is definitely one you can make.
Step 5 says “Make cornstarch slurry”. Usually slurry is made with liquid, water; where’s the liquid here?
You are right that this is not clear in the recipe’s instructions. It is made with cold water. For 1 tablespoon cornstarch, I use about 2 teaspoons water. I updated the instructions to make that more clear – thank you for alerting me!
Great weeknight recipe! The whole family loved it. I served it over brown rice and added some chopped green onion on top. Delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It’s one of my favorite recipes to make for my family.
This recipe sounds and looks amazing. Was wondering if you could make it it a slow cooker while still getting the consistency of in a frying pan
It is delicious, but a slow cooker won’t give you the same consistency in the end because you can’t as easily thicken the sauce with cornstarch unless you have a slow cooker that will rapidly increase the heat. You could – alternatively – make it in the slow cooker and then put it in a pan over your stove to get the heat you need to thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry. I hope that helps!