Sweet and sticky, savory and garlicky, honey garlic chicken is always the answer when I don’t know what to make for dinner.

It’s the quickest dish to whip up and aside from the chicken, is a straight up pantry recipe. A side of greens and some fluffy rice and you’re set!

This is the best 5 ingredient back pocket recipe. Honey garlic is my jam: I can eat it on literally everything, including toast. It’s one of the easiest most flavorful sauces you can make at home and is a definite crowd pleaser.

How to make honey garlic chicken

1. Cook the chicken. Lightly pat your chicken dry, season it on all sides with salt and pepper then cook it in a pan with a bit of oil. When it’s cooked through, it’s time to add the garlic.
2. Cook the garlic. Add the garlic to the pan (add a bit of oil if the pan is dry) and cook until it’s soft but not brown and smells amazingly garlicky.
3. Add the sauce. Stir in honey, soy sauce, and vinegar and let it bubble away and thicken, coating all the nooks and crannies of the chicken.
4. Enjoy! Remove the chicken from the pan along with all the sauce and enjoy!

Honey garlic chicken ingredients

• chicken – I used bone in skin on thighs because I love how much flavor you get from bone in chicken and I love chicken skin! You can use literally any part of the chicken that is your favorite. I’ve included a handy cooking time chart just below.
• garlic – this is a garlicky honey garlic with 6 fresh cloves. You can add more or have less based on your garlic preferences. For me, the more garlic the better. Oh, and save yourself some time and get a garlic press, it’s a prep game changer!
• honey – mild, pure, 100% clover honey is what I reach for when cooking so the flavors don’t overwhelm the dish. Because we’re cooking the honey you don’t need raw honey, save that for your tea, toast, or oatmeal.
• vinegar – vinegar adds a bit of acid and tang to this sauce and balances it out so it’s not just all sweet. I like to use rice vinegar but you can sub white vinegar or white wine vinegar too.
• soy sauce – just a touch of soy sauce for umami and flavor. As always, use a soy sauce you love the flavor of and go for a naturally brewed soy sauce.

Pan-fried chicken cooking time chart

• boneless breast: 10-15 minutes, flipping as needed
• boneless thighs: 6-10 minutes, flipping as needed
• bone-in thighs: 20-25 minutes, flipping as needed
• drumsticks: 20-25 minutes, flipping as needed
• wings: 10-15 minutes, flipping as needed

Air fryer honey garlic chicken

Mix together the garlic, honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce, and coat the chicken evenly. Add the chicken, skin side down, along with the sauce, to a heat safe container that fits inside the air fryer. Cook for 15-20 minutes at 350°F, flipping halfway, or until the internal temp reaches 165°F. Remove, stir up the sauce and spoon it over the tops and enjoy.

Baked honey garlic chicken

Mix together the garlic, honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce, and coat the chicken evenly. Add the chicken, along with the sauce, to an oven safe casserole dish. Bake the thighs at 425°F for 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temp reaches 165°F. Remove, stir up the sauce and spoon it over the tops and enjoy.

Instant Pot honey garlic chicken

Mix together the garlic, honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce, and coat the chicken evenly. Add the chicken skin side up, along with the sauce, to the insert of the instant pot. Cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes and then do quick release. Carefully open the Instant Pot. If desired, reduce the sauce down a bit. Remove the thighs, and turn the pot up to sauté high and reduce the sauce, stirring, until desired thickness. Enjoy!

Side dishes

• fluffy white rice
• gai lan
• spicy wontons

Why you should make homemade honey garlic chicken

• super easy, barely an inconvenience
• making it at home means your chicken can be extra saucy
• you can customize it to your own taste with extra garlic or not too much garlic
• it’s faster than delivery
• the pure satisfaction of a home cooked meal