Honey Lemon Chicken

honey lemon chicken breast on small white plate with asparagus and roast potatoes

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Here I'll show you a really simple yet delicious way to dress up the mighty chicken breast!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Western

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Large Shallow Dish (for dredging chicken)
Large Pan & Tongs
Wooden Spoon
Jug (for stock)

Ingredients

Chicken

2x 250g/9oz Chicken Breasts, brought close to room temp
35g / 1/4 cup Plain Flour
1 tsp EACH: Salt, Black Pepper (see notes)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp / 15g Unsalted Butter

Sauce

120ml / 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1 large Lemon
2 1/2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp / 30g Unsalted Butter (keep in the fridge until needed)
1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, to serve

Instructions

Slice two rings in the centre of the lemon, then halve both of them to create 4 half moons (to serve). Use the remaining lemon to squeeze 1 1/2 tbsp of juice.
Horizontally slice the chicken breasts right through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts.
In a large shallow dish, combine flour, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Take one of the chicken breasts and thoroughly coat it in the flour, then give it a shake then place to one side. Repeat with the remaining breasts.
Heat 1 tbsp butter and oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and fry both sides for a few minutes, or until golden on the outside and just about cooked through the centre. Remove from the pan and place to one side. Turn off the heat.
Once the leftover oil stops sizzling, stir in the chicken stock, lemon juice and honey. Turn the heat to medium and bring to a gentle simmer for 1-2 minutes, until you notice it just about starting to thicken. Stir in any resting juices from the chicken then swiftly whisk in the cold butter. Once the sauce turns cloudy/glossy, turn the heat to low and check for seasoning.
Add in the chicken and place a lemon wedge on top of each breast. Baste in the sauce (the excess flour from the chicken will thicken up the sauce a little more) then serve with fresh parsley and a pinch of black pepper.

Video

Notes

a) Chicken - Given the chicken breasts are sliced in half, they won't take long to cook through. Approx 3 mins each side should do the trick, leaving the chicken just about cooked through the centre. They'll continue cooking slightly as they rest and when you add them back to the pan to coat in the sauce.

b) Sauce consistency - It'll be pretty watery at the start, but the butter helps emulsify the sauce and thicken it slightly. As the stock begins to evaporate the honey will also begin re-thickening. From there, the excess flour from the chicken thickens up the sauce a little more. The end result should be a light glossy sauce that clings to the chicken and is no longer watery.

c) Black Pepper - I originally tested this recipe as 'lemon pepper honey chicken' and added pepper into the sauce. I ended up with a preference towards the simplicity of just the honey and lemon. Having said that, black pepper does compliment this dish nicely, hence the 1 tsp in the chicken seasoning and a pinch to serve. The light 'spice' helps balance out the sweetness and acidity of the sauce.

d) Lemon - I find the above quantities to hit the sweet spot, where it's not too overpowering but also creates a lovely sauce. If you want it more lemony I'd squeeze some over at the end so you don't break up the sauce too much. I find 1 large lemon will offer the 4 serving slices and 1 1/2 tbsp juice, but do grab another one for insurance reasons if you can only find really small lemons.

e) Serving - I love fresh parsley for a final pop of colour and flavour. I have also tried chives which works really nicely. I whacked some cubed potatoes in the air fryer and added some asparagus a few minutes before they were done. Check out my Side Dishes for more inspo!

f) Calories - Just the chicken and sauce divided by 4, assuming half the flour/seasoning attaches.

Nutrition