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Chicken/ Hearty Dinners

Honey Butter Chicken

August 21, 2021 (Last Updated: October 3, 2023) by Chris Collins

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’!

close up shot of silver spoon digging into pan of honey butter chicken

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).

6 step by step photos showing how to fry honey butter chicken

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).

4 step by step photos showing how to make honey butter sauce

close up shot of silver spoon drizzling honey butter sauce over chicken in pan

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?!

honey butter chicken on bed of mashed potato with green beans on small white plate

How to make Honey Butter Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)

honey butter chicken on bed of mashed potato with green beans on small white plate

Honey Butter Chicken

This honey butter chicken is sweet, sticky, loaded with flavour and SO easy to make!
5 from 21 votes
Print Pin Rate
Servings (click & slide): 4
Course: Dinner / Main Course
Cuisine: Universal
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Calories per serving: 450kcal
Cost per serving: £2.50 / $3

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:

a) Chicken - You can make this with different cuts of chicken. Here's what I recommend:
  • 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.
b) Butter - I like using unsalted butter because you get so much more control over how salty it ends up. If you've only got salted just go easy when you season to taste. Important to measure correctly (i.e not heaping tbsps) otherwise you'll end up with too much butter.
c) Serving - I love serving this with Mustard Mash and Green Beans. Also goes nicely with rice.
d) Calories - per serving with no sides.

Your Private Notes:

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts
Honey Butter Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 450 Calories from Fat 197
% Daily Value*
Fat 21.85g34%
Saturated Fat 9.438g47%
Trans Fat 0.033g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.43g
Monounsaturated Fat 8.338g
Cholesterol 161mg54%
Sodium 791mg33%
Potassium 416mg12%
Carbohydrates 32.23g11%
Fiber 0.5g2%
Sugar 23.82g26%
Protein 31.14g62%
Vitamin A 392IU8%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 27mg3%
Iron 2.11mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.
Tried this recipe?Show me how you got on by tagging @dontgobaconmyheart_ on IG and #dontgobaconmyheart
Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

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!

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Recipe Rating




65 Comments

  • Reply
    Cathy Bush
    November 15, 2023 at 8:17 pm

    5 stars
    Have made this many times. It’s so good and fun to make. Part of the rotation

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      November 18, 2023 at 12:42 pm

      Thanks so much for the review, Cathy! C.

  • Reply
    Fiona Gill
    November 7, 2023 at 6:26 pm

    5 stars
    Just 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

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      November 11, 2023 at 12:20 pm

      So pleased this went down well, Fiona! Thanks so much for the lovely review 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Brenda K
    October 27, 2023 at 3:14 am

    5 stars
    This was so good! Only change I’m going to make next time is use hot honey. My hubs and I loved this.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      October 27, 2023 at 3:53 pm

      Thanks for the review, Brenda! C.

  • Reply
    Lorna
    October 25, 2023 at 12:23 pm

    Hi 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!!!

  • Reply
    Carol Walden
    September 18, 2023 at 8:34 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious, very tasty & easy recipe, loved the crispy crispy chicken & sauce

  • Reply
    Stacie Hall
    September 11, 2023 at 4:41 am

    5 stars
    Our 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.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 11, 2023 at 1:50 pm

      So great to hear, Stacie! Thanks so much for the review! 🙂 C.

    • Reply
      Carol Walden
      September 18, 2023 at 8:44 pm

      Meant to say my son is coeliac so used GF plain flour instead.

  • Reply
    Lori Toombs
    August 7, 2023 at 1:59 am

    Fabulous!! 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!! ♥️♥️

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      August 8, 2023 at 10:21 am

      Thanks so much for the review, Lori! Glad it went down well 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Adria
    June 10, 2023 at 3:01 am

    5 stars
    I’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!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      June 10, 2023 at 11:23 am

      That’s so lovely to hear, Adria! So happy you all love the recipe. Thanks for popping back for a review 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Rinda
    April 27, 2023 at 12:29 am

    5 stars
    “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!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      April 27, 2023 at 2:53 pm

      Ah this is so lovely to read! Thanks so much for the review, Rinda 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Elle
    April 20, 2023 at 12:25 am

    Can I ask why you don’t use skin-on thighs for this recipe?

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      April 21, 2023 at 5:28 pm

      Just 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.

  • Reply
    Hailey
    April 10, 2023 at 8:43 pm

    Hi! Wondering if I’m able to use gluten free flour instead??

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      April 11, 2023 at 10:23 am

      I imagine that’ll work just fine Hailey! C.

  • Reply
    Nancy
    March 20, 2023 at 5:19 pm

    I want to make this but I don’t have any apple cider vinegar can I use regular vinegar?

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 21, 2023 at 10:30 am

      Hi Nancy! A clear vinegar like rice vinegar or white wine vinegar will work just fine. C.

  • Reply
    Rency
    March 12, 2023 at 10:49 am

    5 stars
    This 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.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 12, 2023 at 11:00 am

      Ah 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.

  • Reply
    Sharon Qualls
    March 2, 2023 at 2:49 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious❤ and fairly easy to make. Thank you.im going to make again,and try peanut butter with honey

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 3, 2023 at 9:54 am

      Thanks for the review, Sharon! 🙂

  • Reply
    Nancy B Quinn
    January 27, 2023 at 2:46 am

    5 stars
    This 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!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      January 27, 2023 at 10:41 am

      Such a huge compliment, Nancy! Thank you! C.

  • Reply
    Anne Samuel
    January 23, 2023 at 4:37 pm

    5 stars
    Nothing short of amazing!
    Many thanks,
    Anne

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      January 24, 2023 at 10:45 am

      Thanks Anne! 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Melissa
    December 1, 2022 at 11:43 pm

    5 stars
    I made this tonight and everyone, even the very selective one, loved it! So delicious!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      December 2, 2022 at 11:03 am

      So great to hear, Melissa! Thanks for the review! C.

  • Reply
    Lucia smith
    November 16, 2022 at 2:46 pm

    I 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.

  • Reply
    Alison
    October 24, 2022 at 10:56 pm

    Can I make without the apple cider vinegar? My hubby has ulcers and can’t handle vinegar in sauces.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      October 26, 2022 at 3:24 pm

      Hey 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.

  • Reply
    Kimberly
    September 6, 2022 at 1:29 am

    5 stars
    I made this recipe. The sauce is awesome. Next time I’m going to use boneless chicken thighs.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 6, 2022 at 9:40 am

      Thanks for the review! Definitely give it a go with thighs next time 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Paul K
    August 29, 2022 at 5:46 pm

    5 stars
    Great, quick, easy and very tasty !!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      August 30, 2022 at 12:47 pm

      Thanks, Paul 🙂

  • Reply
    Kiki
    August 14, 2022 at 7:49 pm

    Loved 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.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      August 15, 2022 at 4:48 pm

      Oooo I’ll have to try that myself! 🙂

  • Reply
    Karen
    August 8, 2022 at 7:12 pm

    5 stars
    Delish 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!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      August 9, 2022 at 10:15 am

      Oooo bet this was nice with the hit of chilli! Thanks for the review, Karen 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Christine
    July 30, 2022 at 5:45 pm

    This 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.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 31, 2022 at 5:41 pm

      Glad to hear this went down well on the second go! Hope it goes down well with your sons 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Beth M
    July 26, 2022 at 1:10 am

    5 stars
    This 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.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 26, 2022 at 9:50 pm

      That’s awesome to hear, Beth! Thanks so much for popping back for a review 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Debbie Cooper
    July 25, 2022 at 10:00 pm

    5 stars
    Wonderful 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!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 26, 2022 at 9:49 pm

      So great to hear, Debbie! Thanks so much for the review 🙂

  • Reply
    Elyce Collins
    July 11, 2022 at 2:51 am

    5 stars
    I 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!!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 11, 2022 at 6:19 pm

      That’s awesome to hear, Elyce! Thanks for the review 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Vanessa
    June 13, 2022 at 12:11 pm

    My family doesn’t likes tights can I use breast?

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      June 13, 2022 at 7:17 pm

      Sure! There’s a little note in the recipe card on this 🙂

  • Reply
    Christine
    June 6, 2022 at 10:09 am

    Absolutely delicious

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      June 6, 2022 at 10:59 am

      Thanks, Christine 🙂

  • Reply
    Tracey H
    May 27, 2022 at 10:38 am

    Love it – a must keep

  • Reply
    Deborah A. Smith
    October 19, 2021 at 11:17 pm

    Do 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.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      October 26, 2021 at 5:10 pm

      You 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.

  • Reply
    Katherine Tipler
    October 17, 2021 at 11:20 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely 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.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      October 26, 2021 at 5:06 pm

      So great to hear, Katherine! Thanks so much for popping back for a review. C x

  • Reply
    Renee
    September 3, 2021 at 3:34 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 4, 2021 at 10:48 am

      Thanks Renee 🙂

  • Reply
    ColinPS
    August 28, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    5 stars
    I 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.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 4, 2021 at 10:47 am

      Love it! Thanks for the review 🙂

    5 KNOCKOUT

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    YOU'LL NEVER STOP MAKING!

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