Super Yummy Honey Glazed Chicken

This honey glazed chicken is a winner every time I make it. It’s simple to make in a single skillet, and we rarely have leftovers because people keep going back for more.

This recipe uses ingredients I have in my pantry at all times, so I can whip it up quickly without a special shopping trip. And if you don’t have lemon juice, you can make it without.

Serve this over rice or couscous, and pair it with sesame garlic kale for a delicious dinner. This would also pair well with grilled baby bok choy.

What Kind of Chicken Should You Use?

You can make this with both boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, so it’s flexible. I generally prefer thighs simply because they have a little more flavor and are often cheaper around here.

Bone-in chicken doesn’t work for this, as you want little chunks of chicken rather than whole pieces for this type of chicken dish. For the same reason, you want skinless chicken.

Can I Make This Nut-Free?

You absolutely can. There is peanut butter in the recipe as written, which adds a bit of a savory taste to it. It’s just a single tablespoon, and you can easily substitute sunflower seed butter for the same impact.

If it’s just a peanut allergy and you can do cashew nut butter or almond butter, those work well, too. If needed, you can leave it out entirely – I have on accident before – but it is not quite as good.

Is Honey Glazed Chicken Gluten-Free?

Again, as written, this recipe is not gluten-free, but it’s an easy swap to remove the gluten. Simply swap the soy sauce for an equal amount of either tamari or amino acids, and you’re good to go.

That is the only gluten within this dish, and serving it over rice or quinoa with vegetables like the sesame garlic kale or baby bok choy I mentioned at the start of the article or simple lemon roasted broccoli that’s my kids’ favorite side dish I make.

On the plus side, this is naturally dairy-free, so with just a couple simple adjustments, this recipe is free of most of the major allergens out there. If you have a corn allergy, you can use arrowroot powder in place of the cornstarch, as well.

Can I Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?

Yes, you absolutely can. My kids often enjoy leftovers the next day, but you can also make this dish in the early afternoon when you have time (or round one of dinner with part of the family) and then gently reheat it later that evening for the rest of the family.

Since it takes under a half hour to make this recipe from start to finish, it’s an easy weeknight dinner when you have those busy schedules. I’ve been there!

When you want to reheat this, do it gently. I’ll often put the servings into a small saute pan and heat that over medium-low heat for about five minutes, stirring periodically to make sure it heats evenly without burning.

You could even saute the chicken the day before or two days before and make the sauce that day to save on your cook time. I sometimes make a big batch of sauteed chicken to use in other recipes for everything from simple chicken enchiladas where I chop it up further, my Mediterranean chicken with couscous, or another Asian-inspired dish like orange chicken or chicken fried rice – which is another way to also use up leftover rice from another meal.

How to Make Honey Glazed Chicken

Heat a large skillet – I like my enameled cast iron braising pan. Once it’s completely heated, add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken after the oil has had a chance to heat. Saute the chicken on medium-high heat until it has a nice crust on all sides.

And yes, you can do this with frozen chicken. It’s possible that I thawed my chicken just enough to be able to cut it into bite-sized pieces with a very sharp knife, then sauteed it. Just sayin’.

Remove the chicken from the pan, and set it aside for later. Add the minced garlic, and cook until it’s fragrant – about 30 seconds.

Add the soy sauce, honey, peanut butter, and lemon juice into the pan and bring it to a boil. It will look … icky at the start.

Once it’s heated enough for the peanut butter to fully melt, it will look better, I promise.

Keep it at a low boil for seven to ten minutes until it starts to thicken. You want it to reduce by about half or a little more.

Add a little cold water to a bowl, and place the cornstarch in it. Use a fork to stir it until it’s combined.

Add the cornstarch slurry to the glaze, which will help it thicken further. Let this cook for two to three minutes to thicken completely.

I want it to be thick enough that I can scrape the spatula through the glaze and it doesn’t immediately flow back together.

Once the glaze has reached this point, add the chicken to the pan again and stir until the chicken is nicely coated in the glaze.

Serve over brown rice or cous cous (I did one the first night and the other the second), sprinkling the chicken with sesame seeds just before serving.

Bookmark this honey glazed chicken recipe to make again.

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