This honey butter chicken is golden, sticky, and melts in your mouth, and it’s ready in just 20 minutes in the air fryer or oven. My version skips the breading and deep frying so you get golden, sticky chicken with less calories.
If you’d rather go totally hands off, my slow cooker honey butter chicken does all the work while you’re out. And if sticky glazed thighs are your thing, my honey garlic chicken thighs recipe belong in your rotation too.
Quick Summary: Honey Butter Chicken
- ⭐️ What It Is: Honey butter chicken is juicy chicken thighs tossed in a sticky, garlicky honey soy glaze.
- 👍 Why Make This Recipe: Takeout flavor using pantry staples, with over 100 five star reviews.
- ⏰ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🧂 Key Ingredients: Chicken thighs, honey, soy sauce, butter, and garlic.
- 🚫 Skip This: No breading or deep frying, since the air fryer gives you golden edges.
- 🫢 The Secret: Simmer the sauce just 1-2 minutes so it stays glossy.
- ❓ Can You Make Honey Butter Chicken Without an Air Fryer? Yes, pan fry 4-6 minutes per side or bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes.
- 🍽️ Best For: Weeknight dinners, rice bowls, and meal prep.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: Minimal prep and quick cook time make this an easy weeknight dinner for the family.
- Sweet and savory: The honey butter sauce is perfectly balanced and addictive. If you like a little heat with your honey, try my spicy harissa honey chicken next.
- Crispy edges, juicy center: Air frying or oven baking gives the chicken that irresistible texture and golden brown color, just like the other air fryer recipes I make on repeat.
Very easy recipe that packs a ton of flavor! This will be in my regular rotation!
- Renee
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs: Juicy, flavorful, and ideal for soaking up marinades and sauces. Use boneless and skinless thighs for this recipe.
- Honey: Brings natural sweetness and that glossy finish.
- Soy Sauce: Adds saltiness and depth to both the marinade and sauce.
- Unsalted Butter: The key to a rich, velvety, and flavorful honey butter sauce.
Customizations and Substitutions
- Use chicken breasts or chicken wings: Swap in boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken wings if that’s what you have on hand, just adjust the cooking time. Chicken tenders work great in my honey butter chicken tenders and wings are next level with these sticky honey chili oil chicken wings.
- Sauce for fried chicken: You can also make this sauce for fried chicken! My crispy honey butter fried chicken is proof this glaze was made for a crunchy coating.
- Add spice: Toss in a pinch of red pepper flakes or a drizzle of my homemade lemongrass chili oil to give the honey butter sauce a spicy kick.
How to Make Honey Butter Chicken
Marinate the chicken
Combine chicken thighs with soy sauce, honey, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
Mix until everything is evenly coated and marinate for at least 10 minutes up to overnight.
Cook in the air fryer or oven
Air fry at 425°F for 11–14 minutes, flipping halfway, until browned and fully cooked (internal temp should be 165°F).
For the oven, bake at 400°F for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and golden.
Make the honey butter sauce
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Pour in the sauce mixture, stir, and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.
Toss and serve
Once the chicken is ready, pour the honey butter sauce over and toss to coat evenly. Save a little extra sauce for dipping.
Serve with rice and veggies.
Herman's Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the marinade: Even 10 minutes makes a difference in how flavorful your honey butter chicken turns out. Overnight is even better, and it’s the same rule I swear by for my air fryer miso chicken thighs.
- Watch the sauce: Simmer just until it thickens slightly, about 1-2 minutes. The soy sauce gets saltier the longer it reduces, and the sauce keeps thickening as it cools.
- Use a meat thermometer: Aim for 165F inside for juicy, perfectly cooked chicken. Thighs are forgiving, but a thermometer takes out the guesswork, especially if you swap in breasts.
Storage
This is best fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating in a large skillet or in the microwave.
Honey Butter Chicken FAQs
Yes! Cut them horizontally so they are thinner pieces and cook as usual but start checking a few minutes early, since breasts dry out faster than thighs.
Marinate the chicken in the fridge overnight, then cook it the next day. The sauce only takes 2 minutes, so I’d make it fresh right before tossing.
You can freeze the cooked chicken with the sauce for up to 2 months.
What to Serve with Honey Butter Chicken
If you loved this Honey Butter Chicken recipe or any other recipes on my site, please leave a ⭐️ rating and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Honey Butter Chicken
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1.5 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Honey Butter Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add chicken thighs, soy sauce, honey, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Marinate for 10 mins up to overnight.1.5 pounds chicken thighs, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, Freshly cracked black pepper
- Preheat air fryer to 425F for a few mins. Add chicken thighs (don’t overcrowd and cook in batches as needed) and air fry for 11-14 mins until browned and cooked through (internal temperature should be 165F or more). If you don't have an air fryer, see alternative cooking methods in the notes below.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine soy sauce, honey, garlic, water, and cornstarch in a cup or bowl and set aside. In a medium shallow pan on medium heat, add butter and let it melt down then add the sauce and cook down for 1-2 mins until thickened. Remove and set aside.¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup honey, 4 garlic cloves minced, ¼ cup water, 1 tsp cornstarch, 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- Once chicken is done, pour the sauce over the chicken and coat evenly (save a little sauce for dipping later). Serve chicken with fluffy white rice, veggies, and other sides you desire.
Notes
- Pan-fry the chicken on each side for 4-6 mins
- Bake them in the oven at 400F for 25-30 mins. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Marinate the chicken overnight if you can, since the soy sauce and honey have more time to season the meat all the way through.
- Pull the sauce off the heat as soon as it coats the back of a spoon, because it keeps thickening as it cools down.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket or the chicken won't get those golden crispy edges.
Anne says
Making this now. Smells great - chicken looks lovely. However it’s taking waaaay longer than 2-3 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce. More like 20 minutes. Did I do something wrong?
Herman says
Thank you so much! If you find it taking longer than usual, you can add a cornstarch slurry (1 tsp + 1 Tbsp of water mix together) to the sauce to thicken it up quicker. I used a large shallow pan which helped reduce it in a few mins.
Christy says
Really good. Will make again. But the chicken needed a bit more time in the air fryer and I would add a little cornstarch slurry to the sauce to make it thicker. But it was really good and easy to make
Herman says
Thanks so much! I think some air fryers cook slightly different and baskets could also be different sizes so glad you adjusted the cooking time accordingly! Also, yes a cornstarch slurry helps to thicken faster if you find it taking longer than usual. I used a large shallow pan so it only took me a few mins.
Becky Rousseau says
Very easy and delicious quick meal thank you
Herman says
I am so glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Tuan says
Very good thanks
Herman says
Thank you for the positive review and feedback!
Karen says
Absolutely a fave! This will be on repeat especially when your normally quiet son sends you a text and says it was great! I grilled my thighs and added 1 T corn starch slurry. Delish!
Herman says
Thank you so much for the positive review! I am so happy to hear that your son (and family) loved this recipe!
Dorene says
Made this tonight as I had chicken out to cook and it didn’t disappoint! Absolutely delicious and simple to make . This will be on my make over and over again list! Thank you!
Herman says
Thank you so much for the kind review and I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Andrea says
Incredible!!! I can’t believe how easy this was and how amazing it tastes. I had no idea what to make for dinner after baseball practice so I just searched easy fast chicken thighs on TikTok and you popped up so I followed over to here and😱this is now forever in our dinner rotation. My son said he wants this for his birthday meal.
Home run. Thanks
Herman says
Wow, thank you so much for such a positive review! I am so happy to hear this is a easy and delicious that you want to eat over and over. Thank you again!
Vicki Lester-Smith says
Wow! Did not disapoint. I RARELY cook and it was really easy and SO flavorful.
Herman says
I am so happy to hear you loved it, thanks for the review!
Maria says
Family really loves it and asked me to make it again.
Herman says
So glad to hear your family loves it - Thank you for the review!
Leslie Woods says
I’m going to try this recipe keto by subbing out honey for sugar free honey. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Herman says
Great idea and should taste almost the same!
Marnie says
Fantastic! Tastes just like chicken I used to get at the mall. (Sarku) absolutely delicious!!
Herman says
Thank you so much and glad you liked this recipe. I appreciate the rating and nice comment!
Liz says
Loved it but my but my butter sauce was a little watered.
Herman says
Make sure to reduce the sauce in a small saucepan until it becomes thickened so it isn't watery. This helps bring out the flavor and ensure the sauce is sticky and sweet
Diana Braud says
You had me sold at honey butter!
Herman says
it's too good 🙂
Miguel Loves Rice says
Found this through insta and it did not disappoint. This is one of the best chicken and rice dishes I have ever made. I pan fried the chicken and it worked perfectly. Thank you so much!!
Herman says
so happy to hear this! thank you so much for the support
Ashley says
My family loved this, every single person! Paired it with coconut rice and it was so delicious! Thank you so much, as my hubby says, "add it to the rotation!"
Herman says
haha so glad you all liked this one! say hi to your hubby for me 🙂
Taryn says
Wow!! What a beautiful, easy and very tasty recipe! Thank you so much I found you on Insta and you send me your link! Thanks so much really appreciate you! Don’t stop creating! 🥰
Herman says
This comment made my day! Thank you and I will keep making easy and delicious recipes for everyone 🙂
Suneet says
So glad I chose to make this recipe. Found him on instagram and wow my whole family loved it and toddler approved. Served with broccoli on side with some of the sauce on top.
Herman says
Happy to hear you loved it! I will keep sharing more of these easy tasty meals 🙂
Darren Fitzgerald says
OMG, my wife and I now have a favorite meal. Easy to make and so good.
Herman says
so happy to hear this and glad you and your wife enjoyed this!
Eng says
My sauce was thin but delicious but I want to thicken it up next time I make it.
Herman says
You can add 1 tsp of cornstarch to the sauce before you cook it down in the saucepan, that helps to thicken faster.
Michelle K says
So good. Hubby and I devoured this dish. Also doubled the sauce.
Herman says
Thank you for the positive review and so glad you and your hubby loved this dish!
Jenny Martin says
Making this for the 3rd time! New family favorite ❤️
Herman says
3 times already! Thanks so much and glad you like my recipe
Rhonda Becker says
What is the serving size? I would love to try this.
Herman says
This makes about 2-3 servings.
Dot says
So delicious thank you for sharing this with me!
Herman says
No problem and thanks for the positive review!
Candy says
I would like to try g it with the boc choy. How do you make it. Thank you.
Herman says
You can just blanch it for 1-2 mins in boiling hot water!
Scott Barris says
Made this tonight. It achieved “plate-licking” status! Air fried chicken, honey butter sauce and rice combination are now on my “comfort-food rotation”. Thank you for this great recipe.
Herman says
This makes me so happy - glad you enjoyed it!
Angie says
OMG!!!!! This dish is soooo good and easy to cook. Thank you 😊
Herman says
so glad you enjoyed it Angie! thanks for the positive review 🙂
Sierra says
This recipe is SO good! Easy to follow and extremely delicious.
We didn't have chicken thighs on hand, so I made it with chicken breast that I cut a crosshatch pattern into before marinating. We served it with rice and sautéed broccoli, carrot, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. So so good, and we'll definitely make it again!
Herman says
It makes me so happy when folks try my recipe and LOVE it! Thanks for the positive review!
Lisa says
I made this tonight and it was good. I used an Air Fryer oven at 400 for 25 minutes. I’ll cut the time down to maybe 20 next time but my son ate two pieces and I had three.
Herman says
So glad you liked this recipe, thanks for the review!
S says
How many chicken thighs for the serving?
Herman says
I used about 3-4 boneless chicken thighs
Danette says
Thank you so much for this recipe! Dinner was ready in no time and was delicious. The only issue, like others, was the sauce was a little runny, even after an extra tsp of cornstarch. However, it's so good, it didn't matter. 😊 Thanks again!
Herman says
Thank you so much for the review! I usually add the sauce to a large skillet so it cooks down and thickens up easily but if not, you can add another 1/2-1 tsp to thicken faster. Hope this helps!
Kate Brock says
An absolute winner of a reciepe in our house! I have 1 fussy neuro divergent child and he is asking for this all the time! Its yummy! Thanks for sharing 👍
Herman says
I love hearing when kids (especially picky eaters) love my recipe. So glad you liked this recipe!
S. King says
I had to scroll all thru fb to find you. I JUST made this and man is it good. Tried to get my kids to try it but well you know if it don't come in a greasy bag they don't want it. I only cooled 3 to sample. Guess what I'm about to go do with rest lol. Extremely good! Thanks for this one. YOU are the first person that I have ever tried a recipe from online. Your way was simple and that's what I like no love about this one. Done in no time at all. 💪🏾 💪🏾 💪🏾
Herman says
Wow I appreciate the thoughtful and kind review! I'm so glad you and the family loved this recipe and I hope you try my other recipes as well!
Melissa says
I made this tonight for dinner and everyone loved it. I accidentally put to much cornstarch in it and it thickened up a good bit but I just added a bit more water and it was fine. I'd also recommend using low sodium soy sauce but it came out amazing. I made extra for lunch tomorrow and it was finished tonight. I wish I could post a picture to show how great it looks.
Herman says
So glad you loved this one! It's one of my favorite recipes 🙂