Easy Honey Lemon Chicken

Honey and lemon have been besties for a really long time! Long touted for their amazing health benefits, these two pantry staples find their way into so much of my cooking. I’m a huge fan and if you haven’t tried Strawberry Limoncello Lemonade or Lemonade Fruit Salad, I definitely recommend giving them a try.

This Honey Lemon Chicken is a simple and flavorful recipe that my family requests pretty frequently. I’m happy to make it because it’s pretty healthy and I love it! Hope yours will enjoy it, too.

Honey Lemon Chicken

Ingredients: 

Honey Lemon Chicken ingredients

  • 5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Honey Lemon Sauce (recipe below)
  • Optional toppings: toasted sesame seeds, thinly-sliced green onions, extra lemon zest, lemon slices

Honey Lemon Sauce Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons honey (more/less to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Pinch of ground ginger

Directions:

  • Start off by making a quick marinade, simply combine the chicken, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar to a large ziplock bag, and toss until the chicken is evenly coated.  Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
  • When you are ready to cook the chicken, drain and transfer it to a separate plate.  Season the chicken on both sides with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk the honey lemon sauce ingredients together until combined.
  • Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until it is cooked through and no longer pink inside, stirring and turning the chicken occasionally for even cooking.  Transfer the chicken to a separate plate with a slotted spoon.
  • Pour the (whisked) marinade into the empty sauté pan.  Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce reaches a low boil and thickens.   Feel free to also season with extra salt and pepper, or extra honey or lemon.
  • Add the chicken back into the pan and toss until it is evenly coated with the sauce.  Remove from heat and serve the chicken immediately, topped with optional toppings if desired. Serve over rice over quinoa.