This honey butter chicken is sweet, sticky, loaded with flavour and SO easy to make!
As one of my most loved and most popular recipes, I had to include this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’!
Preparing the Chicken
Honey. Butter. Chicken. Yes, it really is as good as it sounds. Plus it requires minimal ingredients!
What cut of chicken to use?
Today we’re going to be using diced boneless skinless chicken thigh. Reason being you can build up a nice crust on chicken thigh without it drying out. In reality though you can use other cuts of chicken, and I’ve added more on that in the recipe card notes section 🙂
Dredging through flour
You’ll want to coat your chicken in seasoned flour before frying. This not only helps build up a crunchy crust to the chicken, but it also absorbs the sauce to wrap around the chicken. Just make sure you shake it off before frying or it’ll make the sauce go sludgy.
Process shots: add flour to bowl (photo 1), mix in salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder (photo 2), add chicken (photo 3), coat chicken (photo 4), add to oil & butter in pan (photo 5), fry until golden and crunchy (photo 6).
Honey Butter Sauce
Here’s where things get fun 😛 Let’s take a quick look at what you’ll need:
- Honey – Make sure you’re using runny honey so it blends into the sauce easier.
- Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter, just so you’ve got more control over the saltiness of the sauce. Also just make sure you measure the butter correctly or you’ll end up with way too much!
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This cuts through the rich/sweet flavours of the sauce.
- Soy Sauce – Deepens the flavour and adds a savoury tone to the sauce.
Sauce Consistency
It’ll be fairly thin at first, so you’ll need to gently simmer it until it’s got a runny caramel consistency. As you do this the sauce will caramelize and the butter will brown slightly. At first the sauce will taste fairly sharp from the vinegar, but this mellows out as it cooks down, to the point where you don’t even notice it.
When it comes to stirring in the chicken, don’t leave it sat in the sauce for too long or the flour will turn mushy. The flour helps absorb the sauce in the first instance, but if it’s left sitting around the flour will loosen and fall off the chicken.
Process shots: melt butter into pan (photo 1), mix in honey, vinegar, soy sauce and s&p (photo 2), simmer and stir until thickened (photo 3), stir in chicken (photo 4).
Serving Honey Butter Chicken
My favourite way to serve this is with Mustard Mash and Garlic Green Beans. The mustard helps cut through the sweetness, whilst the garlic from the green beans goes beautifully with both the honey and butter. Alternatively for an easy option this does pair well with rice!
For the spicy salmon version of this recipe check out my Cajun Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin and Hot Honey Butter Salmon!
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Easy Chicken Recipes
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this honey butter chicken shall we?!
How to make Honey Butter Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)
Honey Butter Chicken
Equipment:
- Large Pan & Tongs
- Wooden Spoon
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Medium Sized Mixing Bowl
Ingredients (check list):
Chicken
- 1.3lb / 600g boneless skinless Chicken Thigh, diced into large bite sized chunks (see notes)
- 1/3 cup / 50g Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp EACH: Unsalted Butter, Olive Oil
Honey Butter Sauce
- 1/3 cup / 110g Honey
- 5 tbsp / 75g / 2.6oz Unsalted Butter, diced into tbsp chunks (see notes)
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine flour with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp onion powder, garlic powder & black pepper. Add in diced chicken and combine until fully coated.
- Add 1 tbsp butter and olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, stir it to combine with the oil then add in and space out the chicken. Leave to fry until crispy and deep golden on one side, then flip the pieces and cook the other side until crisp/lightly charred, with the centre piping hot. Remove from pan and turn heat down to medium.
- Melt the remaining 5 tbsp butter into the pan then stir in honey, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and a good pinch of salt and pepper (to taste). Keep stirring over a gentle simmer until the sauce thickens to a thin caramel consistency. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- Stir in chicken until it's fully coated then serve up and enjoy!
Quick 1 min demo!
Notes:
- Whole Chicken Breast - Butterfly two large chicken breasts right through to make 4 even sized breasts. Follow recipe as stated, just fry both sides until golden and cooked through the centre then remove.
- Diced Chicken Breast - Follow recipe as stated, they'll just cook quicker than diced thigh.
- Whole Chicken Thigh - You can use boneless/skinless thighs, I recommend just pounding them until even thickness if you can. Follow recipe as stated. Bone in/skin on thighs can be used, just fry them skin side down first to render down the fat, then flip and lower the heat slightly until cooked right through the centre.
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition:
If you loved this Honey Butter Chicken Recipe then be sure to Pin it for later! Already made it or got a question? Give me a shout in the comments and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!
65 Comments
Cathy Bush
November 15, 2023 at 8:17 pmHave made this many times. It’s so good and fun to make. Part of the rotation
Chris Collins
November 18, 2023 at 12:42 pmThanks so much for the review, Cathy! C.
Fiona Gill
November 7, 2023 at 6:26 pmJust finished eating this for dinner and OMG we loved it, the plates are scraped clean I followed everything to a tee including serving with your mustard mash and beans. The mash was a big success too, only thing I did different (but I doubt it made any difference) was I only had 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar so used white wine vinegar for the other spoon. Dinner was a huge success, thanks so much for the recipe
Chris Collins
November 11, 2023 at 12:20 pmSo pleased this went down well, Fiona! Thanks so much for the lovely review 🙂 C.
Brenda K
October 27, 2023 at 3:14 amThis was so good! Only change I’m going to make next time is use hot honey. My hubs and I loved this.
Chris Collins
October 27, 2023 at 3:53 pmThanks for the review, Brenda! C.
Lorna
October 25, 2023 at 12:23 pmHi Chris, Another fab recipe from you..
I haven’t tried it, but did Pin it to my DGBMH collection, even though you said it was in your cookbook.. I can’t wait for it to be delivered.. ONE DAY TO GO!!!! It seems ages since I ordered it…. Good luck with your sales. I’m sure many households will have added “COMFY” to their collection of cookbooks.. What a brilliant title by the way!!!
Carol Walden
September 18, 2023 at 8:34 pmDelicious, very tasty & easy recipe, loved the crispy crispy chicken & sauce
Stacie Hall
September 11, 2023 at 4:41 amOur family loved this recipe! I follow a gluten free diet, so I swapped the flour for corn starch. It was perfect. We served it over rice for a delightful Sunday evening meal.
Chris Collins
September 11, 2023 at 1:50 pmSo great to hear, Stacie! Thanks so much for the review! 🙂 C.
Carol Walden
September 18, 2023 at 8:44 pmMeant to say my son is coeliac so used GF plain flour instead.
Lori Toombs
August 7, 2023 at 1:59 amFabulous!! I tweaked it a bit for us. I added some sliced mushrooms, 1/2 a zucchini quartered and 2 green onions sliced. Added them 9n top of the chicken after the 1st turnover. Served over brown/wild rice combo. Wow!! ♥️♥️
Chris Collins
August 8, 2023 at 10:21 amThanks so much for the review, Lori! Glad it went down well 🙂 C.
Adria
June 10, 2023 at 3:01 amI’ve made this for my husband several times, and we really like. However, I made this for my son when he came over for dinner one night and he lost his mind! He has requested I make it the next time he comes over. Thank you for such an unusual and delicious recipe!
Chris Collins
June 10, 2023 at 11:23 amThat’s so lovely to hear, Adria! So happy you all love the recipe. Thanks for popping back for a review 🙂 C.
Rinda
April 27, 2023 at 12:29 am“This is heaven” is what my 18 year-old son said after taking one bite of this chicken. And it truly is wonderful. I used chicken tenders that I already had and it came out great. My son said, “Mom is there any way you can make this every week, because this is going on the rotation”…lol. And I love that this recipe is so simple as well. I need more recipes like this. Thank you for giving us this winner!
Chris Collins
April 27, 2023 at 2:53 pmAh this is so lovely to read! Thanks so much for the review, Rinda 🙂 C.
Elle
April 20, 2023 at 12:25 amCan I ask why you don’t use skin-on thighs for this recipe?
Chris Collins
April 21, 2023 at 5:28 pmJust personal preference 🙂 There’s more than enough fat in the sauce, so I don’t find the extra fat from the skin is needed. C.
Hailey
April 10, 2023 at 8:43 pmHi! Wondering if I’m able to use gluten free flour instead??
Chris Collins
April 11, 2023 at 10:23 amI imagine that’ll work just fine Hailey! C.
Nancy
March 20, 2023 at 5:19 pmI want to make this but I don’t have any apple cider vinegar can I use regular vinegar?
Chris Collins
March 21, 2023 at 10:30 amHi Nancy! A clear vinegar like rice vinegar or white wine vinegar will work just fine. C.
Rency
March 12, 2023 at 10:49 amThis was a hit with the whole family. So delicious that everyone has requested me to cook it again next week. Thank you for a great recipe.
Chris Collins
March 12, 2023 at 11:00 amAh that’s so awesome to hear! So happy to hear it went down well with the family. Thanks so much for popping back for a review 🙂 C.
Sharon Qualls
March 2, 2023 at 2:49 pmThis was delicious❤ and fairly easy to make. Thank you.im going to make again,and try peanut butter with honey
Chris Collins
March 3, 2023 at 9:54 amThanks for the review, Sharon! 🙂
Nancy B Quinn
January 27, 2023 at 2:46 amThis was FANTASTIC! We ate almost all of it and then fought over the leftovers. I pride myself of being a pretty good cook, and my family is full of appreciative eaters, but this was the best thing I’ve made in a long time! I tend to stick to savory flavors, but the balance of flavors in this was simply spectacular! Thank you!
Chris Collins
January 27, 2023 at 10:41 amSuch a huge compliment, Nancy! Thank you! C.
Anne Samuel
January 23, 2023 at 4:37 pmNothing short of amazing!
Many thanks,
Anne
Chris Collins
January 24, 2023 at 10:45 amThanks Anne! 🙂 C.
Melissa
December 1, 2022 at 11:43 pmI made this tonight and everyone, even the very selective one, loved it! So delicious!
Chris Collins
December 2, 2022 at 11:03 amSo great to hear, Melissa! Thanks for the review! C.
Lucia smith
November 16, 2022 at 2:46 pmI wish to try honey butter chicken with ghee butter instead of regular butter. Ghee offers a better flavor and nutritional support than regular butter, which I like and trust. I prefer using Milkio grass-fed ghee for all culinary purposes.
Alison
October 24, 2022 at 10:56 pmCan I make without the apple cider vinegar? My hubby has ulcers and can’t handle vinegar in sauces.
Chris Collins
October 26, 2022 at 3:24 pmHey Alison! The vinegar is quite key because it cuts through the richness/sweetness of the sauce. You could give it a go without, but the flavours may not be as well balanced. C.
Kimberly
September 6, 2022 at 1:29 amI made this recipe. The sauce is awesome. Next time I’m going to use boneless chicken thighs.
Chris Collins
September 6, 2022 at 9:40 amThanks for the review! Definitely give it a go with thighs next time 🙂 C.
Paul K
August 29, 2022 at 5:46 pmGreat, quick, easy and very tasty !!
Chris Collins
August 30, 2022 at 12:47 pmThanks, Paul 🙂
Kiki
August 14, 2022 at 7:49 pmLoved this! I added 1tsp of chili flakes to the sauce prior to adding the chicken back in. Gave it a great little kick!❤️ Sweet and spicy.
Chris Collins
August 15, 2022 at 4:48 pmOooo I’ll have to try that myself! 🙂
Karen
August 8, 2022 at 7:12 pmDelish and easy to make. I used honey infused with chili (hot honey I purchased at my local grocery store) bc we like the heat Thanks for a great recipe!
Chris Collins
August 9, 2022 at 10:15 amOooo bet this was nice with the hit of chilli! Thanks for the review, Karen 🙂 C.
Christine
July 30, 2022 at 5:45 pmThis recipe was excellent! used boneless, skinless thighs. No changes EXCEPT don’t let the sugary mix lose so much water (the honey) that you walk away, and its boiling point jumps so quickly, IT BURNS!!! >> a black, tarry mess. Had some steamed broccoli on the side.
Should have known. I’m a chemist…and have even made candy, where you watch for those distillation techniques of the temperature jumps. Oh well. 2nd time was the charm. VERY GOOD RECIPE…sent to my sons, who need to cook quick meals at this time.
Chris Collins
July 31, 2022 at 5:41 pmGlad to hear this went down well on the second go! Hope it goes down well with your sons 🙂 C.
Beth M
July 26, 2022 at 1:10 amThis dish was not difficult to make and the family LOVED it! It was so delicious that we will put this recipe on repeat!! We did use chicken thighs and I had to double the recipe due to the amount of thighs we had but it came out perfect.
Chris Collins
July 26, 2022 at 9:50 pmThat’s awesome to hear, Beth! Thanks so much for popping back for a review 🙂 C.
Debbie Cooper
July 25, 2022 at 10:00 pmWonderful dish thanks for sharing!! I’ll be making this dish again for sure!! I served it with white long grain rice and fresh green beans!
Chris Collins
July 26, 2022 at 9:49 pmSo great to hear, Debbie! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
Elyce Collins
July 11, 2022 at 2:51 amI just made this for my lunch. Best lunch I have had in such a long time. So easy to put together. Will definitely be making this one again!!
Chris Collins
July 11, 2022 at 6:19 pmThat’s awesome to hear, Elyce! Thanks for the review 🙂 C.
Vanessa
June 13, 2022 at 12:11 pmMy family doesn’t likes tights can I use breast?
Chris Collins
June 13, 2022 at 7:17 pmSure! There’s a little note in the recipe card on this 🙂
Christine
June 6, 2022 at 10:09 amAbsolutely delicious
Chris Collins
June 6, 2022 at 10:59 amThanks, Christine 🙂
Tracey H
May 27, 2022 at 10:38 amLove it – a must keep
Deborah A. Smith
October 19, 2021 at 11:17 pmDo you have a suggestion for leftovers, if you don’t want chicken pieces to become soggy? I can’t wait to try but will probably babe leftovers.
Chris Collins
October 26, 2021 at 5:10 pmYou can reheat leftovers, the chicken is just less crisp and a little more mushy as the flour soaks up all the sauce as it rests.
Katherine Tipler
October 17, 2021 at 11:20 pmAbsolutely delicious!
Gave this recipe ago despite not being a huge fan of honey. What can I say? This recipe changed my mind.
I served it with sticky rice & a little sprinkling of spring onion & we all demolished it. 100% I will be remaking this dish.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Chris Collins
October 26, 2021 at 5:06 pmSo great to hear, Katherine! Thanks so much for popping back for a review. C x
Renee
September 3, 2021 at 3:34 amAbsolutely delicious!
Chris Collins
September 4, 2021 at 10:48 amThanks Renee 🙂
ColinPS
August 28, 2021 at 4:23 pmI saw this recipe on TikTok and had to give it a try. It’s delicious, and now it’s in rotation at my house. I’ll have to check out your other recipes.
Chris Collins
September 4, 2021 at 10:47 amLove it! Thanks for the review 🙂