Honey Butter Chicken
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Sweet, sticky, and bursting with flavor, this Honey Butter Chicken is an easy weeknight dinner that will be on the table in under 30 minutes!
Why You’ll Love It
This honey butter chicken recipe is a delightful dish that combines the sweetness of honey with the rich flavor of butter. It’s easy to prepare and brings a burst of deliciousness to your plate.
The tender chicken, coated in a luscious honey butter glaze, offers a perfect balance of sweet and savory. The buttery richness complements the natural taste of chicken, while the honey adds a touch of sweetness that’s truly satisfying.
- Deliciously Sweet and Savory: The honey butter glaze creates a perfect balance of flavors.
- Easy to Make: Simple steps for a delightful meal without the hassle.
- Tender and Juicy: Chicken cooked to perfection, in a savory sauce.
- Impressive Taste: Impress your guests with this unique and flavorful dish.
Ingredients you will need
- Chicken Breasts: you can use either chicken breast or boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. I prefer breast meat for this one because it’s a leaner option with a milder flavor that really lets the sauce shine.
- Seasoning: you will need all-purpose flour, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Oil: canola oil (or vegetable oil) and butter are needed to fry the pieces of chicken. Combining the butter and oil gives a higher smoke point than just butter but a richer flavor than just oil.
- Honey Butter Sauce: this delicious sauce is a mixture of butter, honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper are needed to make the sauce.
How to Make Honey Butter Chicken
1. Prepare the chicken: Mix the flour with the seasoning in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken pieces to the flour mixture and coat it well. Shake off the excess flour.
2. Cook the Chicken: Melt the butter in a cast-iron skillet or a heavy-bottomed skillet. Start with medium-high heat to sear the chicken and then reduce to medium heat as needed. Place the coated bite-sized pieces of chicken in the pan, in a single layer.
Fry the chicken for a few minutes on each side. Remove your crispy chicken and place it on a paper towel. Continue with the remaining chicken until all of the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
Make the Sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients in the cast iron skillet. Stir constantly until it reaches a caramel-like thickness. Add the chicken back into the honey butter glaze and cover the chicken completely. Be careful not to burn the honey.
Let the cooked chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute and the flavors to meld.
Transfer the cooked chicken onto a serving platter and serve with ginger rice and sautéed green beans. This chicken is also delicious with a homemade buttermilk biscuit (I love these Air Fryer Biscuits)!
How to store honey butter chicken
You can make this delicious recipe ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Make sure the chicken is stored within two hours of cooking to maintain its freshness.
Allow the honey butter chicken to cool down to room temperature before transferring the chicken to an airtight container and place the container in the refrigerator right away.
Honey butter chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When you’re ready to thaw and reheat the chicken, move it to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight.
How to reheat honey butter chicken
I recommend reheating this honey butter chicken in the oven or on a cast iron skillet with a lid to preserve the texture. In the oven, reheat the honey butter chicken for about 10-15 minutes at 350°F or until it’s warmed through.
When reheating, I recommend drizzling a little bit of extra honey and sliced butter over the chicken to help keep it moist.
What to serve with honey butter chicken
While it’s often served with rice, it can also be served with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Pair it with Harissa Honey Roasted Carrots, Green Beans With Bacon or a fresh and simple Asparagus Salad.
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Honey Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp canola oil, or any light oil
- 1 tbsp green onions, sliced
Honey Butter Sauce
- 5 tbsps butter, room temperature
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Chicken
- Combine the flour, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces to the flour mixture and mix until it is thoroughly coated.
- Melt the butter with the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, then add the chicken, shaking off the excess flour as you go, in a single layer making sure to spread it out evenly. Fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on both sides. Then, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Honey Butter Sauce
- To prepare the honey butter sauce, turn the heat down to low heat, and add the remaining butter to the cast iron skillet. Once melted, add the honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Continue stirring over low heat until the sauce reaches a smooth caramel-like thickness. Add and mix in the chicken until it is completely covered. Once completely covered with the sauce, turn off the heat and let the chicken cool for 5 minutes.
- For serving, transfer the chicken to a platter and serve with white rice and sautéed green beans. Garnish with green onions before serving.
Notes
- The more room you leave in between each piece of chicken in the pan, the crispier it will get!
