This honey garlic chicken is so flavorful! The chicken can be grilled or air-fried for perfectly juicy chicken and a super easy meal.

You won’t believe how delicious this smoky, savory chicken is! We are eating it on repeat (and hoarding the leftovers for easy lunches). It’s so good!

Wood tray with sliced pieces of grilled chicken.

Why You’re Going to Love This Easy Chicken

Aside from the fact that we literally cannot stop making this chicken and my kids fight over the last of it, here are several other reasons you’ll want to add it to your meal plan ASAP:

  • This recipe is quick and easy to put together. The marinade adds tons of flavor without a lot of prep time. You can marinate the chicken for two hours or up to 12 hours (and psssst: no one will fire you if you cook it right away).
  • The chicken gets a double boost of flavor from the marinade and also the sticky, irresistible honey garlic sauce. Oh gosh, my. mouth is watering just thinking about it.
  • It is a versatile recipe! Use chicken thighs or chicken breasts and cook them on the grill or in the air fryer.
  • The tasty, familiar flavors make this a slam dunk dinner everyone will enjoy.
White tray with five or six pieces of grilled honey garlic chicken.White tray with five or six pieces of grilled honey garlic chicken.

Notes About Ingredients

  • Olive oil: This is a key ingredient in the marinade for flavor and also to help the chicken not stick while cooking.
  • Soy sauce: This versatile ingredient brings a lot of flavor with just a small amount. I always use low-sodium soy sauce, but full-sodium soy sauce can also be used. It is used in both the marinade and the sauce.
  • Vinegar: This is also used in both the marinade and the sauce and the acidity helps balance the sweet, smoky flavors. I recommend using apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.
  • Garlic: In the recipe below, there are amounts given for fresh garlic and for garlic powder. I recommend using fresh garlic in the honey-garlic sauce, if possible.
  • Smoked paprika: This spice adds amazing flavor. You can use sweet paprika in a pinch, but I highly recommend smoked paprika if you have it.
  • Chicken: This recipe works great with boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts. If using thicker chicken breasts, I think it helps to pound them to an even thickness or cut them in half lengthwise for thinner cutlets.
  • Honey: This is a key ingredient for the sauce that is brushed on the chicken while cooking. If the honey is too thick to combine well with the other ingredients, lightly warm it for 5 to 10 seconds in the microwave and then whisk again.

Pro Tip: Trim the chicken thighs of excess fat before using.

Glass bowl with smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.Glass bowl with smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
White pan with raw chicken thighs in smoky honey marinade.White pan with raw chicken thighs in smoky honey marinade.
Brushing honey garlic sauce on grilled chicken.Brushing honey garlic sauce on grilled chicken.
White pan with five or six pieces of grilled honey garlic chicken.White pan with five or six pieces of grilled honey garlic chicken.

How to Serve This Honey Garlic Chicken

Assuming you have more control than I do and don’t just snag pieces of chicken straight off of the cutting board, there are a million ways to serve this chicken:

  • Bowl-Style Meal: Serve the chicken as a bowl-style meal with garlic butter rice, rice pilaf, coconut rice or quinoa. Add grilled veggies or fresh vegetables, pineapple, pickled onions, avocados, and whatever other add-ins you like.
  • Dinner Salad: Slice the chicken and serve atop greens for a delicious dinner salad. Add fresh veggies, avocados, cherry tomatoes, shaved Parmesan, sliced almonds or other nuts, and a light balsamic drizzle.
  • Main Spread: Pair the grilled or air-fried chicken with toppings of choice, like smashed potatoes, drop biscuits, veggies and ranch, skillet green beans, fruit salad, pasta salad, etc.
  • Wrapped Up: Use freshly cooked chicken or leftover chicken for these wraps or these wraps or any other type of wrap or burrito that calls for cooked chicken.

This chicken has become a huge family favorite for us. So much so, that some of us are consistently hiding and hoarding the leftovers (even after making a double batch!).

It might be one of the best chicken recipes on my entire site. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Wood tray with sliced pieces of grilled chicken.Wood tray with sliced pieces of grilled chicken.
Wood tray with sliced pieces of grilled chicken.Wood tray with sliced pieces of grilled chicken.

Honey Garlic Chicken

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Marinating Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Chicken:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (use half for table salt)
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (trimmed) or chicken breasts

Sauce:

  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

Prevent your screen from going dark

  • For the chicken, in a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic or garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, onion powder, and pepper.

  • Place the chicken in a shallow dish or ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, scraping out every last bit, and toss the chicken until evenly coated. It’s not a large amount of marinade, but it should easily coat the chicken in a thin layer.

  • Cover the dish/seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.

  • Preheat a grill or air fryer to medium heat (about 375 degrees F).

  • For the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until smooth. If the honey is too thick, lightly warm in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds and then whisk to combine. Measure out about 3 tablespoons of the sauce and set aside for later to serve with the cooked chicken.

  • Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side for chicken thighs and 3 to 4 minutes per side for chicken breasts (exact time will depend on thickness of the chicken).

  • During the last minute of cooking, brush the sauce liberally on both sides of the chicken.

  • Let the chicken rest for 4 to 5 minutes before slicing or serving. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved sauce. Serve warm.

Chicken: If using chicken breasts, I recommend pounding to an even thickness or cutting thick chicken breasts in half lengthwise to form two thinner cutlets. 
 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Method: Air Fryer, Grilled

Serving: 1 serving (about 4 ounces chicken), Calories: 203kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 856mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 12g

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe