This easy Honey Butter Chicken is your new recipe for a delicious, easy weeknight dinner! Tender chicken bites pan-fried to golden perfection and then coated in a luscious honey butter glaze that's incredibly addictive.
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The combination of honey and butter is a winner - they just bring out the best in each other! The sauce in this Honey Butter Chicken recipe is very simple, but the flavors are anything but. It's sweet, sticky, and buttery with a touch of tang from the rice vinegar.
This crispy honey butter chicken is a fantastic upgrade to plain old chicken tenders, especially on busy nights! It will surely become a family favorite in an instant.
If you love this savory chicken recipe, then you need to check out these easy chicken recipes: Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl, Soy Garlic Chicken Thighs, and Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers.
Why you will love Honey Butter Chicken!
- Easy to make. No fancy ingredients, you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry.
- Quick. This recipe only takes 30 minutes.
- Kid-approved and husband approved. This is so good your whole family will love it.
Jump to:
- Why you will love Honey Butter Chicken!
- Here's what you need to make
- How to make Honey Butter Chicken recipe
- Substitutions
- Equipment
- 9 Kitchen Essentials
- How to store and reheat
- Top tips for success
- Honey Butter Chicken recipe - FAQs
- Related
- How to serve Honey Butter Chicken
- Don't miss out!
- Honey Butter Chicken Recipe
- Food safety
Here's what you need to make
- Chicken thighs
- Cornstarch
- Flour
- Salt and black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Avocado oil
- Garnish: parsley
Honey Butter Sauce:
- Honey
- Unsalted butter
- Soy sauce (or tamari)
- Rice vinegar
- Garlic
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Honey Butter Chicken recipe
Honey Butter Chicken is easy to make, here are my step-by-step instructions.
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
- Step 5
- Step 6
- Prep the Chicken: Cut the chicken thighs into 2-inch bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss the chicken pieces in the mixture until they are lightly coated.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Cook for 8 minutes per side until the chicken is golden brown and crispy. Ensure each piece is well-seared for that perfect crunch. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Add the Garlic: After the chicken is crispy, add the sliced garlic to the pan. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Make the Honey Butter Sauce: Lower the heat and add the cold butter to the pan. Stir in the water, honey, soy sauce (or tamari), and rice vinegar. Toss the chicken in the sauce until it's fully coated and the honey butter sauce thickens slightly.
- Serve: Garnish with finely chopped parsley and serve hot.
Substitutions
- Chicken thighs: If you prefer a leaner option, skinless chicken breasts work well too.
- Cornstarch: Try tapioca or potato starch to achieve that crispy fried chicken every time.
- Flour: Any kind of plain flour will work such as all purpose flour and rice flour. Or any gluten-free flour of your choice.
- Garlic powder: If you're okay with a bit more salt, garlic salt can be used in place of garlic powder. Or just reduce the salt you'll add.
- Garlic cloves: Garlic paste is a good substitute, but nothing beats fresh garlic.
- Avocado oil: Use any neutral cooking oil available to you such as vegetable oil or coconut oil.
- Garnish: Aside from parsley, you can top the chicken with sesame seeds and some lemon juice.
Honey Butter Sauce:
- Honey: If you don't have honey, maple syrup works well as a substitute.
- Unsalted butter: Use good quality butter for the best flavor. No substitute for this one.
- Soy sauce (or tamari): Coconut aminos is a gluten-free and soy-free alternative to soy sauce with a similar flavor profile but way less salty.
- Rice vinegar: A milder option is white wine vinegar. You can even squeeze fresh lemon juice at the end for some brightness. Apple cider vinegar also works, but it has a more pronounced tanginess.
Equipment
This Honey Butter Chicken is easy to make, here are a few things that will make it easier for you.
- Wok
- Large Skillet
- Knife
- Cutting board
check out my list...
9 Kitchen Essentials
life-changing tools that will make your time easier in the kitchen!
How to store and reheat
Storing:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating:
To reheat, warm it in a covered skillet over low heat until heated through, or microwave for 1-2 minutes in short intervals. Add a bit of sauce it seems dry.
Top tips for success
- Get Crispy Chicken: For that golden, crispy coating, make sure the chicken pieces are evenly coated in the flour-cornstarch mixture and cook them in a single layer without crowding the pan. Overcrowding traps steam and prevents crispiness!
- Use Cold Butter for the Sauce: Adding cold butter to the pan creates a silky, glossy sauce that clings perfectly to the chicken.
- It's all about the sauce: Taste the honey butter sauce before tossing it with the chicken. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, add a touch more honey. For extra tang, a splash more rice vinegar works wonders.
Honey Butter Chicken recipe - FAQs
Honey butter sauce for chicken is made of simple ingredients like honey, butter, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. The soy sauce adds a lot of savory umami flavor while the rice vinegar balances out the sweetness of the honey with its tanginess. And the butter is what brings it all together, giving the sauce a rich and creamy texture.
Honey butter sauce is naturally thick and sticky thanks to the honey. However, if you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add a cornstarch slurry (a mixture of cornstarch and water) after the chicken is cooked. Let it simmer for a minute or two until it thickens.
Coat chicken in seasoned flour, pan-fry until crispy, then toss with a luscious honey butter sauce made with garlic, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Garnish and serve!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
How to serve Honey Butter Chicken
As a busy mom, I tend to keep things simple for dinner and stick to a protein, side, salad, or roasted vegetables. Here are some ideas for Honey Butter Chicken:
- Serve with rice and a side of Garlic Braised Kale.
- Pair with Garlic Fried Rice.
- Also, serve this with Asian Coleslaw as a refreshing side salad.
Don't miss out!
Honey Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep the Chicken: Cut the chicken thighs into 2-inch bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss the chicken pieces in the mixture until they are lightly coated.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Cook for 8 minutes per side until the chicken is golden brown and crispy. Ensure each piece is well-seared for that perfect crunch. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Add the Garlic: After the chicken is crispy, add the sliced garlic to the pan. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Make the Honey Butter Sauce: Lower the heat and add the cold butter to the pan. Stir in the water, honey, soy sauce (or tamari), and rice vinegar. Toss the chicken in the sauce until it's fully coated and the honey butter sauce thickens slightly.
- Serve: Garnish with finely chopped parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- Get Crispy Chicken: For that golden, crispy coating, make sure the chicken pieces are evenly coated in the flour-cornstarch mixture and cook them in a single layer without crowding the pan. Overcrowding traps steam and prevents crispiness!
- Use Cold Butter for the Sauce: Adding cold butter to the pan creates a silky, glossy sauce that clings perfectly to the chicken.
- Balance the Sauce to Taste: Taste the honey butter sauce before tossing it with the chicken. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, add a touch more honey. For extra tang, a splash more rice vinegar works wonders.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
F Brown says
11/10. Can't believe how easy and delicious this is, my new go too!!!
Mike Lowe says
I used hot honey for mine and regular honey for my kids and we all loved this. UNBELIEVABLE 😍
Alka B says
Wow, the best honey butter chicken I've ever had!!! Crazy easy and fast to make, so good.