Honey & Soy Chicken Recipe [VIDEO]

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Honey & Soy Chicken is a fragrant and captivating dish covered in glossy glaze and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. As the honey soy sauce is well balanced, it can be flavored with garlic, lemon juice, paprika, turmeric, or other spices of your taste.

Delicate and inexpensive, chicken breast is one of the most popular cuts of meat above all thanks to its versatility. Indeed it takes very little to give it a new face every day. What makes this recipe special is the dark amber color given by the soy sauce and honey which is almost caramelized during cooking. You can serve the honey & soy chicken with boiled rice or with rice and veggies for a complete dish with a balanced taste.

Ingredients for honey soy chicken recipe

I’m so happy I can share you with one more simple, fast yet ultra delicious recipe. You can enjoy the honey soy chicken at a Wednesday ordinary dinner or serve it on special occasions. The ingredients needed are basic and most probably you already have them in your kitchen. Here is what it takes for a delicious meal:

• chicken breasts
• butter
• soy sauce
• honey
• sesame seeds
• garlic cloves
• spices: paprika, granulated garlic, ground pepper

Grab these ingredients all together, take the best sharp knife you have and let’s get started.

How & why score the chicken breasts?

Chicken breast is a versatile meat that lends itself to many tasty and healthy preparations. This is a time-saving recipe and for that, we need to score the chicken breast. Why? Because of two simple reasons. First, to speed up the cooking time. The chicken breasts are a rather thick type of meat and for the heat to faster penetrate all areas, we score it. Second, by scoring the meat we make sure that the sauce perfectly coats the chicken breasts and the meat soaks in evenly all the umami flavors of the honey-soy sauce.

To score the chicken breasts, remove the skin and clean the meat. Use a sharp knife to make parallel cuts at the surface, don’t go deeper than a quarter of an inch. Repeat making parallel cuts opposite to the first ones. Make sure they’re about half an inch apart from each other. That is how you get beautifully scored chicken breasts perfect for the honey- and soy chicken recipe.

Seasoning chicken breasts for honey and soy chicken

Chicken meat is mild-flavored and can be adjusted to one’s taste and preferences. For this specific recipe, I like the chicken breasts flavored with spices such as granulated garlic, paprika, either smoked or regular, and some ground pepper. Salt the breasts only a bit or avoid using salt in general because there will be soy sauce added later upon cooking that will provide the meat with the necessary saltness.

How to cook honey soy chicken breasts?

Just like I have previously said, it is very easy to cook this recipe. It will only take 30 minutes from had to tail. First, after you have scored the chicken breasts, season them. Sprinkle the spices on the meat and gently rub it. Let it soak in the flavors until you heat up the pan. Use a large frying pan or skillet to heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the seasoned and scored chicken breasts.  Next, add the butter and the peeled garlic cloves.

When the butter has fully melted, pour in the soy sauce and one tablespoon of honey. Fry the breasts on each side for about 8-10 minutes on both sides. Make sure the skillet is on medium heat, you don’t want to burn the meat. You can cover the frying pan with a lid for half of the time to make sure the heat penetrated well the meat and cook it evenly.

For extra taste and color, throw some cherry tomatoes at the last minute. Turn off the stove because the honey soy chicken is ready to be served.

How to serve the honey soy chicken?

Serve the honey soy glazed chicken breasts as soon as you remove them from the stovetop. Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and enjoy every single bite! Accompany the chicken breasts with a fresh salad such as the mixed greens with apricot vinaigrette or the cabbage salad with carrot and cucumber.