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Home Meal Type Dinner
5
/5
30 minutes minutes

Honey Garlic Chicken Marinade (with sauce)

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Gluten Free Gluten Free Nut Free Nut Free Freezer Friendly Freezer Meal Prep Meal Prep
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By: Denise Bustard26 Comments
Posted: 4/21/20 Updated: 8/23/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This five-ingredient honey garlic chicken marinade infuses the chicken with delicious sweet and savory flavor, and cooks up with a sticky sauce that is perfect for spooning over rice and vegetables. 

Prepare to banish bland chicken with this deliciously sweet and sticky honey garlic chicken marinade. Like my favorite sweet chili chicken marinade, and chipotle chicken marinade, this marinade reduces in the oven giving you a deliciously sticky sauce that is perfect for spooning over your baked chicken breast, rice or vegetables.

spooning the thickened honey garlic chicken marinade over a sliced chicken breast

Quick to prepare and made with simple pantry staples, this honey garlic chicken marinade is the perfect accompaniment to coconut rice (or coconut cauliflower rice!).

It's versatile and can be cooked on the grill, in the oven, or even in the air fryer!

Reasons you'll ♡ honey garlic chicken marinade

  • you need five simple ingredients
  • it's meal prep friendly
  • it's gluten-free friendly, paleo, and works great on a variety of proteins

labeled image with the ingredients required for honey garlic chicken marinade

5 simple ingredients

This honey garlic chicken marinade is the perfect blend of ingredients for a delicious chicken marinade: olive oil to disperse the ingredients + flavors, soy sauce for a savory punch of umami, honey to balance the saltiness, garlic to add flavor contrast, and salt to bring all the flavors together. It's simple, but so effective in infusing a ton of flavor into your chicken.

How to marinate your chicken

The most effective way to get complete coverage of your chicken breast with the marinade is to marinate in a bag; a meal prep container or bowl just don't work quite as well.

Over the years I have experimented with various reusable bags, and have found Stasher bags to give good coverage of chicken with a marinade.

  • use the sandwich Stasher bags for 1 lb (2 chicken breasts)
  • use the ½ gallon Stasher bags for 2 lbs (4 chicken breasts)

Plan for at least 2 hours

If you've been disappointed with a lack of flavor from chicken marinades in the past, it's likely that you have not given the chicken enough time to absorb the flavors. I recommend planning for at least 2 hours of marinating time, all the way up to 24 hours if you have it!

On the other hand, I do not recommend marinating chicken breast for longer than 24 hours as marinade ingredients can sometimes make the chicken mealy in texture. If you are not able to cook your chicken in this time frame, just pop it into the freezer! You can freeze the chicken breast right in the marinade for up to 3 months.

Works with other proteins

This honey garlic chicken marinade works great for other proteins as well. While written for a pound of chicken breasts, you could use this marinade on:

  • boneless chicken thighs- 2-24 hours marinating time
  • shrimp or fish- 30 minutes marinating time
  • pork tenderloin- at least 24 hours to marinate
  • tofu- press first, then marinate for 2-24 hours

marinating honey garlic chicken in a freezer bag

Cooking your chicken

This recipe is written to bake in the oven, as it helps the extra marinade thicken into a sauce, however you can cook it using any number or methods:

  • oven- Cook uncovered in a baking dish at 425°F for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through
  • grill- I recommend pounding the chicken flat before marinating to ensure it cooks through evenly. Shake off excess marinade to avoid flare ups. See my perfect grilled chicken breast recipe for full details.
  • frying pan- here's a good tutorial
  • air fryer- again I do recommend pounding the chicken before marinating. Shake off excess marinade before cooking. We cook 4 minutes + 2 minutes (flipping half way). Full details here.

For pounded chicken, I make sure it cooks to 155°F before allowing to rest (carryover cooking helps it reach 165°F). For un-pounded chicken, cook to 165°F. Always allow chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing into it.

This is my favorite digital thermometer!

More tasty chicken marinades

  • 7 Freezer Chicken Marinades
  • 7 More Freezer Chicken Breast Marinades
  • Greek Chicken Marinade
  • Jamaican Jerk Marinade (shortcut)
  • Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

sliced chicken on wood cutting board with spoon drizzling honey garlic chicken marinade over it

Honey garlic chicken marinade

5 from 10 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Print Rate
This five-ingredient honey garlic chicken marinade infuses the chicken with delicious sweet and savory flavor, and cooks up with a sticky sauce that is perfect for spooning over rice and vegetables. 
4

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce see note 1
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (roughly 2 average chicken breasts)

Instructions 

  • Add the olive oil, soy sauce, honey, garlic and water to a freezer bag or reusable silicone bag. Smoosh the bag with your hands until it is completely combined.
  • Add the chicken and move the bag around to ensure even coverage of the chicken breasts with the marinade.
  • Marinate the chicken in the fridge for 2-24 hours.
  • Heat oven to 425°F. Bake chicken in a shallow baking dish for 10 minutes, flip over, then bake for another 12-17 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  • Allow chicken to rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Freezer

  • After combining the marinade ingredients with the chicken, place the bag in the freezer immediately. Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw in the fridge overnight, or by immersing the bag in a bowl of cold water for a couple of hours.
  • Cook as directed above.

Tips:

1- to make this gluten-free, swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos
Storage
Marinade may be mixed up 7 days before adding chicken.
Cooked chicken may be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Alternative cooking methods:
  • grill- I recommend pounding the chicken flat before marinating to ensure it cooks through evenly. Cook over high heat 2 minutes per side until it reaches an internal temp of 155°F
  • frying pan- cook in olive oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet for 5-7 minutes per side
  • air fryer- I recommend pounding the chicken before marinating. Cook at 390°F/ 200°C for 4 minutes + 2 minutes (flipping half way).
Marinating time for other proteins:
  • boneless chicken thighs- 2-24 hours marinating time
  • shrimp or fish- 30 minutes marinating time
  • pork tenderloin- at least 24 hours to marinate
  • tofu- press first, then marinate for 2-24 hours

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/2 chicken breast (3.5 oz), Calories: 235kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 64mg, Sodium: 486mg, Sugar: 18g
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did You Make This?Don't forget to leave a review below, and tag us on Instagram using @SweetPeasAndSaffron or #sweetpeasandsaffron
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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Read more...

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5 from 10 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Victoria says

    Posted on 8/20/21 at Posted on 8/20/21

    I tried this recipe last night and it was great! I only had time to marinate the chicken for 2 hours so I can’t wait to try it when I’ve time to marinate the chicken for even longer. Thanks for the recipe it’s so perfect for an easy weeknight dinner!

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 8/23/21 at Posted on 8/23/21

      Hi Victoria, we are so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review, we really appreciate it!

      Reply
  2. Jill says

    Posted on 5/2/21 at Posted on 5/2/21

    5 stars
    Used this marinade recipe today for chicken breast strips and had baked potato wedges to go with it - SO incredibly delicious. This recipe is getting bookmarked!

    Reply
  3. Allison K says

    Posted on 3/27/21 at Posted on 3/27/21

    I am interested in trying this as we love honey garlic chicken .... can it be done with thighs instead of breast (as we do not often get that due to $$). If so, do I use same amount (1 lb)?

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 4/19/21 at Posted on 4/19/21

      Hi Allison! Yes, you can use an equal amount of chicken thighs, though you may need to increase the cook time a touch. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Haley says

    Posted on 2/19/21 at Posted on 2/19/21

    This isn’t gluten free like it says. Soy sauce is not gluten free.

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 2/22/21 at Posted on 2/22/21

      Thank you for catching that, Haley! I normally put notes suggesting tamari or coconut aminos as GF swaps for soy sauce but somehow they didnt' make it on here. Will modify the post right now.

      Reply
  5. Buzzy Gordon says

    Posted on 5/29/20 at Posted on 5/29/20

    Hi,
    After the ingredient "honey" it says (see note*).
    I searched the entire page and could found no note relating to honey!
    Buzzy

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 6/2/20 at Posted on 6/2/20

      Apologies for that, there is no note, will delete for clarification.

      Reply
  6. Lara says

    Posted on 1/14/19 at Posted on 1/14/19

    Hi there! If freezing, is it okay to add the water after thawing and before baking,l? Looking forward to trying!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/15/19 at Posted on 1/15/19

      Hi Laura! You can add the water right to the marinade. If you forget to add before freezing, after thawing works as well!

      Reply
  7. Alli says

    Posted on 10/15/18 at Posted on 10/15/18

    5 stars
    I hate it when all the comments are only people asking about the recipe instead of reviews so I’m thrilled to be the first one to say that I made this recipe exactly as written and it was AMAZING! I can’t wait to try the other marinades on this page!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 10/20/18 at Posted on 10/20/18

      Yay! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Alli! Thanks for taking time out of your day to leave a review 🙂

      Reply
    • Kim Siehl says

      Posted on 8/29/19 at Posted on 8/29/19

      >Allie, everyone has different cooking skills and abilities.

      Reply
  8. STACEY says

    Posted on 7/24/18 at Posted on 7/24/18

    Will this taste as good in a skillet instead of an oven? Sounds delicious!!!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 8/2/18 at Posted on 8/2/18

      Hi Stacey, so sorry for my late reply, I've just returned from holidays! I believe it would work in a skillet but you may need to keep an eye on the sauce and make sure it doesn't over-reduce and burn. If you try, I'd love to hear how it goes for you!

      Reply
    • Lottie says

      Posted on 12/22/20 at Posted on 12/22/20

      5 stars
      This marinade came out great, and the family loved it. It's just right, sweet but not too sweet: I defiently recommend this marinade to go with a nice dinner of rice and vegetables. 🍽

      Reply
      • Denise Bustard says

        Posted on 1/4/21 at Posted on 1/4/21

        Hi Lottie! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review, I really appreciate it!

        Reply
  9. Vanessa says

    Posted on 7/19/18 at Posted on 7/19/18

    5 stars
    Hi Denise
    Could i also make this in a slow cooker or instant pot? Do you know of suggested cooking times for these please? Thanks!
    Vanessa

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 8/2/18 at Posted on 8/2/18

      Hi Vanessa, apologies for my late reply, I’ve just returned from holidays! If you are looking for a honey garlic chicken recipe for the slow cooker you could try this one: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/sticky-slow-cooker-honey-garlic-chicken-thighs/ (it should also work in the Instant Pot). Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  10. Lizzie says

    Posted on 5/3/18 at Posted on 5/3/18

    Can I use vegetable oil of I don't have Olive oil?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 5/7/18 at Posted on 5/7/18

      Yes!

      Reply
  11. Allison says

    Posted on 4/21/18 at Posted on 4/21/18

    Do you empty the whole bag (including excess marinade) to bake? I wasn't sure if that was okay since it had touched the raw chicken?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 4/26/18 at Posted on 4/26/18

      Hi Allison! Yes, you do add the whole marinade to the baking dish. Same as with the chicken, if there are any bacteria they are killed by the heat of the oven, so it's perfectly safe to eat 🙂

      Reply
  12. Richa Gupta says

    Posted on 2/6/18 at Posted on 2/6/18

    5 stars
    I love the sound of this marinade and the fact that this is freezer friendly! Can't wait to try this out!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 2/6/18 at Posted on 2/6/18

      Thanks Richa! Hope you like it 🙂

      Reply

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