Honey Butter Chicken Recipe
This Honey Butter Chicken Recipe comes together in one skillet in just 15 minutes. Bite-sized chicken thighs are coated in a buttery honey garlic sauce with a splash of apple cider vinegar for the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’m not always in the mood to cook. As much as I love being in the kitchen, some nights I’d rather curl up with a good book or relax on the couch.
That’s exactly why this honey butter chicken is one of my favorite weeknight dinners. It’s quick, easy, and made with a handful of simple ingredients, but it tastes like something you’d order from your favorite takeout spot.
Nothing feels better than getting dinner on the table fast and having everyone ask for seconds. This recipe has saved us from ordering takeout more times than I can count, and it’s always a hit with the whole family.
Table of contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe keeps things simple with a handful of pantry staples that come together to make an irresistibly sweet-and-savory sauce.
- Chicken thighs: About 4 to 6 boneless, skinless thighs. I prefer thighs because they stay juicy and caramelize beautifully, but chicken breasts work too.
- Butter: Creates the rich base for the sauce.
- Honey: Adds sweetness and helps create that sticky glaze.
- Garlic: Gives the sauce a bold, savory flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: Balances the sweetness and adds a little tang. White vinegar can be used in a pinch.
- Olive oil: Helps the chicken brown quickly without burning the butter.
- Fresh parsley: Optional, but adds a pop of color and freshness before serving.
How to Make Honey Butter Chicken
This easy skillet dinner comes together in just a few simple steps. For exact measurements and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Cook the chicken. Brown the bite-sized chicken pieces in a hot skillet until cooked through.
- Add the sauce ingredients. Stir in the butter, honey, garlic, and apple cider vinegar.
- Glaze the chicken. Simmer and toss until the sauce thickens and coats every piece.
- Serve. Garnish with parsley and enjoy over mashed potatoes, rice, or your favorite side dish.
How to Make Honey Butter Glaze for Chicken
If there’s one thing I love about this recipe, it’s the sauce. With just butter, honey, garlic, and apple cider vinegar, it creates a glossy glaze that’s sweet, savory, and completely irresistible.
The vinegar is the secret ingredient here. It balances the honey’s sweetness and keeps the sauce from feeling too rich, giving every bite the perfect sweet-and-tangy flavor.
This recipe is designed to lightly coat the chicken rather than create a lot of extra sauce. The glaze thickens as it cooks, helping it cling to every piece of chicken for maximum flavor.
Want extra sauce for drizzling over mashed potatoes or rice? Double the sauce ingredients, then remove the chicken and let the sauce simmer for a minute or two until slightly thickened before serving.
Recipe Tips
This recipe is wonderfully simple, but a few quick tips will help you get the best flavor and texture.
- Use chicken thighs for the juiciest results and the best flavor.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces so more of the surface can caramelize in the sauce.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Once it’s browned and coated in the glaze, remove it from the heat to keep it tender.
- If you’d like extra sauce for rice or mashed potatoes, double the sauce ingredients and simmer until slightly thickened.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why isn’t my sauce thickening?
If the sauce still seems thin after a few minutes, remove the chicken from the skillet and let the sauce simmer uncovered until it becomes glossy and slightly thickened. Then return the chicken to the pan and toss to coat.
Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs?
Yes! Chicken breasts work well in this recipe when cut into bite-sized pieces. Just be careful not to overcook them, since they can dry out faster than thighs.
Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely. Use a very large skillet, or cook the chicken in batches so it browns rather than steams. Once all of the chicken is cooked, toss everything together with the sauce.
Can I cook the chicken in the oven or air fryer?
Yes. Bake the chicken at 425°F or air-fry it at 400°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Toss the cooked chicken with the honey butter sauce before serving.
How many chicken thighs are in 1 pound?
One pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs usually contains 4 to 6 thighs, depending on thigh size.
Tools You’ll Need
Large Non-Stick Skillet: A large non-stick skillet is the best choice for this recipe because it gives the chicken plenty of room to brown and caramelize rather than steam. The non-stick surface also helps the honey butter glaze coat the chicken without sticking to the pan.
Wooden Spoon: A sturdy wooden spoon makes it easy to stir the chicken and gently toss it in the sauce as it thickens. It’s also great for scraping up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the skillet without damaging the pan.
*This post originally posted on 11/11/2017.
Honey Butter Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces
- salt and pepper
- 2 ½ tablespoons honey
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- fresh parsley finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 tablespoons butter in a large non-stick skillet over high heat.
- When the butter is melted, add 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cook until it changes from pink to white and starts to brown.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 2 1/2 tablespoons honey, 1 large clove garlic, and 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Bring to a simmer. Turn the chicken to coat in the sauce until it is golden and caramelized.
- Once the chicken is browned all over, remove it from the heat. Pile chicken onto mashed potatoes, and drizzle with the sauce in the pan. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Video
Notes
- Extra Sauce: Double the sauce ingredients if you’d like extra for drizzling over mashed potatoes or rice. Remove the chicken and simmer the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken before serving.
- Scaling: Double the recipe using a very large skillet, or cook the chicken in batches so it browns rather than steams.
- Oven Method: Bake the chicken at 425°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, then toss it with the honey butter sauce before serving.
Nutrition
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing
If you have leftovers, let the chicken cool completely before storing it in an airtight container.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover honey butter chicken in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Skillet Reheating: Warm the chicken in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
- Microwave Reheating: Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until heated through.
The sauce may thicken as it sits, but it loosens back up nicely once reheated.
What to Serve with Honey Butter Chicken
This sweet and savory chicken pairs well with simple sides that can soak up every bit of the honey butter glaze.
- Mashed Potatoes: My favorite way to serve this chicken. The creamy potatoes are perfect for catching the extra sauce.
- Steamed rice: A simple side that lets the flavors of the chicken shine.
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli: The crispy edges and savory flavor pair perfectly with the sweet glaze.
If I’m making broccoli, I pop it in the oven first and then cook the chicken while it roasts, so everything is ready at the same time.
Want more chicken recipes?
If easy chicken dinners are always on your weekly menu, here are a few more family favorites to try next!
Yummy! Great easy recipe. Being Italian I couldn’t. just use one clove of garlic and I only had peanut oil which added an Asian flair! I also had some special dark honey that totally went well with the apple cider vinegar. The mashed potatoes were a great call and soaked up that delicious sauce. I only had chicken breasts which were a little dry and can’t wait to try it again with dark meat as you recommended. Thank you for helping our family avoid another night of boring grilled chicken and my wife thanks you for exciting me enough to pull it all together by myself!
So awesome!! I’m so glad you all like it and it pulled together so nicely for you.
Loved it!
Anyone know appx calories per serving (without mashed potatoes)?
Thank you! The recipe has been update to reflect the nutritional facts.
This was so easy and really good! I added some red pepper flakes bc I like a hint of heat. This will be my new go to easy dinner meal. we have 2 adults and 4 kids so I tripled everything. Wish I knew about this recipe sooner! Do you have more quick and easy ones?!
So glad everyone liked it!! I love the addition of red pepper flakes. Absolutely check out some of our roundups here: https://realhousemoms.com/category/roundup/
I made this and I didn’t have some ingredients but still turned out so freaking good
Awesome!!
Pardon my language but this simple recipe was f’ing delicious. Will make it twice a month for the rest of my life. Thank you for this blessing!
So glad it was such a hit!! The comment had to be censored a bit but I love the enthusiasm!
I made this yesterday and loved it! It was a bit watery so I simmered and simmered it down to a nice glaze, so good… can’t wait to make it again – thanks!
Thanks so much!
Love this recipe! Gave it to my brother and to my daughter-in-law. I served it on medium noodles with soy sauce and teriyaki sauce available for my sons. It was so good! I am making it again tonight and I got some Bangkok Peanut Sauce to pour over mine. Can’t wait!
A major staple meal in our household!! Thank you so much and I’m glad to hear everyone enjoyed.
Love this recipe still! Making it right now! Perfection!
So happy to hear. Thank you, Dorothy!
Tried this with some rice. Absolutely delish and not too complicated for busy folks like me.
It’s one of my absolute favs because of that!! So glad you enjoyed it, thank you so much.
This was so good and so EASY!!!! I was out of apple cider and used champagne Vinegar instead and it was still fabulous! Thanks for the wonderful idea! Will definitely put this in as a regular meal in our house.
So glad it worked out nicely for you! Thank you.
Not sure what I did wrong but mine never carmelized and was watery?
Sounds like you may not have let it simmer for long enough.
Nevermind- made a second batch and carmelized sauce took exactly as long as the author said it would! You need the skillet to be medium-high heat. Its so good, exactly as written. Next time I’ll add some stir-fry veggies!
You used chicken breast, youre supposed to use chicken leg/thigh meat
I love eating this honey butter chicken dish but with pickles. It tastes so good.
That’s an interesting combination!! I’ll have to try it 🙂
Could you use rice vinegar or red wine vinegar or just white vinegar instead? Just don’t have apple cider vinegar at the moment
Yes, those 2 options just offer a bit of a different “vinegar” flavor but it should still work out just fine.
This was super good, but I like a little spice so next time I make it I may add some red chili flakes to it to give it a lil kick.
Sounds great, I think that would make a perfect addition!
I loved this! Added about 1 tsp of cayenne and a couple of tablespoons is real bacon bits. It was so good!
Sounds good!! Thanks for sharing the additions.
Made it for dinner last night, served on mashed broccoli and potatoes. My son does not take veggie however he loves this dish and rated it as 7. Thank you for sharing this wonderful Honey Butter Chicken recipe. ??
Check one or the win column!! Thank you for sharing, hope you find tons more recipes here that work out that way.
Ok this was a very simple and easy recipe. It tasted fab… I also would recommend the bed of rice for a lighter meal and a side of brussel sprouts paired well with the meal.
We love brussel sprouts!!! They are never a bad idea. You could also try this over zoodles, that’s an even lighter choice and the sauce really does something to the zoodles!. Thank you Johnny.
Wow! Great chicken!
Thank you! So glad you liked it.
I made this just now and it was really good!! Would also be good to add some soy sauce and serve over rice. It would probably be really delicious to add some spices, like five spice or something else. Will be making again, very simple and can easily make it your own
Great to hear!
This chicken sounds delish. I have a question though? Could you use lemon juice instead of the Vinegar to cut through the sweetness? Do you thonk this combo would work? My boyfriend isnt crazy about vinegar.
Hi Pauline! Lemon juice is a very different flavor profile from cider vinegar. You could do a test run with the sauce and see if you like it, but I really recommend making the recipe as written. It doesn’t taste vinegar-y. It acts as more of a layer of flavor in the sauce. Hope this helps!
Thank you for the clarification, I’m going to try it and let you know how we like it!!!
Yes it’s amazing very good tasty,
I will definitely make this recipe again. Fast, easy, simple. Next time I will try to have boneless chicken on hand, even though it worked great with chicken breast. The cooked, glazed chicken was spooned over a bed of Jasmine rice, and grilled asparagus rounded out the plate. Trying to save some for lunch tomorrow . . . I only prepared 1/2 of the recipe . . . but it’s so delicious!
Pauline, your boyfriend shouldn’t be bothered by the apple cider vinegar. As another commenter stated, it just adds a subtle layer of flavor. PS Never tattle on yourself when you boldly use ingredients some people don’t “like”.
Sharon,
Hahaha thanks, turns out it was a huge success, I loved it, he loved it and we shall never fear Apple Cider Vinegar again!
I’m so excited trying to make this but, mine won’t caramelize either??
My first guess would be an overcrowded skillet. But I am no expert chef for sure😬
I made this for dinner. It was AWESOME! Served it over mashed potatoes! So yummy! My husband loved it!
YAY! Glad you liked it.
Yes it’s amazing
Bragg’s apple cider vinegar is ok??
Hey Britni! Apple Cider vinegar is perfect!
How would I be able to make more of the sauce? I made it for dinner and it was awesome! The whole family loved it, 2 kids and my hubby and myself.
Yes it’s amazing
Mine didn’t come out carmelized like yours, but more dry. Why is that?
I’m so excited trying to make this but, mine won’t caramelize either??
You cooked it too low and too long
Good favor, but I eventually had to add flour to make the sauce thicken, by then the chicken was dried out and rubbery.
I’m making it and it’s not carmelizing 😩🤷♀️
Mine didn’t either. Super gross mess and nothing for dinner.
To caramelize you Must keep skillet on HIGH