This one-pan Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet is a lifesaver on busy weeknights! With just a handful of ingredients and in less than 20 minutes, the chicken cooks up beautifully in a delicious honey lemon sauce.
Between the tender chicken cutlets and the sweet and tangy honey glaze, this is one chicken recipe you will be putting on your meal plan on repeat! And with one dish to clean up after dinner, there is NO excuse not to try this easy chicken recipe.
When it comes to creating flavorful dishes with minimal ingredients, I love using ingredients that are rich and robust in flavor.
One of my favorite flavor combinations is sweet honey paired with tart citrus. This duo adds intense flavor to meals without the need for many other ingredients.
Whether transforming chicken cutlets into this simple glazed Honey Lemon Skillet, or preparing Honey Baked Pork Chops, Instant Pot Ham, Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas, Instant Pot Lemon Chicken, or Honey Glazed Salmon, honey plus citrus equals flavorful simple meals!
why you'll love honey lemon chicken
When I am looking for quick and healthy dinner options, this recipe for Honey Lemon Chicken is one of my favorite go-to recipes for many reasons!
- Fast. This chicken skillet is ready in less than 20 minutes. I would argue that it is easier than driving through any drive-thru and certainly easier than running into a store to grab a frozen meal that you have to come home and cook.
- Minimal Ingredients. This recipe is made with only a few ingredients that pack in a ton of flavor.
- Healthy. Honey Lemon Chicken is low in fat, low in sodium, gluten-free, and full of protein.
- Delicious. The chicken is melt-in-your-mouth tender and glazed with a sauce that is both sweet and savory.
Notes on Ingredients & Equipment
- Chicken Cutlets: I recommend using thin chicken breast cutlets for this chicken skillet recipe. Because the chicken is thinly sliced it will cook quickly, remain tender, and have an ample sauce-to-chicken ratio, which translates to more flavor.
- Lemon: Do not use jarred lemon juice! Fresh lemon juice is a must for the sauce. It makes for a beautiful presentation to add sliced lemon to the chicken skillet as well, but it is not crucial to this recipe.
- Saute Pan: I do recommend using a nonstick skillet for easier cleanup and less risk of burning the sauce. The honey in the sauce is a bit sticky and high in sugar and can burn quickly if not watched carefully--I never have an issue in a non-stick pan.
∗ money saving tip ∗
Chicken breasts are much more affordable than purchasing chicken cutlets. You can prepare your own chicken cutlets using chicken breasts by using a sharp fillet knife to slice the chicken breast horizontally into two even pieces. Place the sliced chicken breast between two slices of plastic wrap and then pound with a meat mallet. For more help, watch the video on how to make chicken breast cutlets out of chicken breasts here.
How to Make Honey Lemon Chicken
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. I do recommend using a nonstick skillet for easier cleanup and less risk of burning the sauce. The honey in the sauce is a bit sticky and high in sugar and can burn quickly if not watched carefully--I never have an issue in a non-stick pan.
- While the oil is heating, season the chicken evenly with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Place the seasoned chicken cutlets in the saute pan, ensuring that they are not overlapping! It is better to work in batches than to overcrowd your pan, which will result in steamed, not seared chicken.
- Sear the chicken on each side until golden brown on both sides.
- Once browned, remove the chicken from the skillet and place it on a plate.
- Whisk together the honey, lemon juice, chicken stock, and Dijon together in a large bowl.
- Pour the honey lemon sauce into the skillet and whisk constantly until the sauce is boiling.
- Once bubbling, turn the heat to medium-low, add the chicken back into the skillet, top with lemon slices if desired, and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, remove the skillet from the heat.
- Serve the glazed honey lemon chicken with a garnish of fresh parsley if desired.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Honey Lemon Chicken with Green Beans Almondine and a simple Spinach Salad for an easy, healthy 30-minute meal.
Leftover Honey Lemon Chicken
Leftover Honey Lemon Chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. You can also freeze the chicken in the sauce for up to 6 weeks in the freezer.
The leftover chicken cutlets are also delicious diced up and added to a spinach avocado salad or tossed salad for a quick and healthy lunch.
More Simple Chicken Recipes
- Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs
- Skillet Chicken with Green Beans
- Chicken Florentine
- Simple Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Easy Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet
- Baked Pesto Chicken
If you try this simple recipe for Honey Lemon Chicken, I would love for you to leave a review below.
Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon sliced
- ¼ cup chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper evenly on both sides.
- Place the seasoned chicken in the heated oil in a single layer (work in batches if needed.) Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, for about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place it on a plate.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lemon juice, chicken stock, and Dijon together. Pour into skillet and whisk until boiling.
- Once the sauce is bubbling, reduce the heat to a low simmer and add the chicken back to the pan. Lay the lemon slices over the chicken, cover the skillet, and let simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Toni
I added garlic as many have suggested. Also I found the sauce too thin to fully coat the chicken. I added a little cornstarch diluted in a quarter cup of chicken broth to thicken the sauce after I removed the chicken from the pan. Worked very well and poured the sauce over the chicken. Chicken remained moist with good flavor.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing how you thickened the sauce Toni!
Jordan
I made this for Father's day for my dad. And this came out AMAZING! I added pasta and spinach best combo in my books. It was also the first time I cooked with meat, I'm proud on how it came out. Though there wasn't any leftovers.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so honored that this was the recipe you selected to enjoy with your dad! I love hearing you all enjoyed!
Brenda
I had some extra time after browning the chicken so thinly sliced some butternut squash rounds into the yummy lemony sauce and poached them for about 5 minutes before adding back the chicken and lemon slices. It was a colorful and delicious addition to the dish.
Margaret Crisalli
This was so easy, light and delicious!! I used fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, a chicken bone broth, locally sourced honey and a spicy brown mustard- it was very flavorful!! The sauce was a great compliment over the chicken as well as steamed carrot sticks!! Quite healthy & tasty - adding it to my "favorites file". Thanks for sharing, 😋, 🍽 !
Kristen Chidsey
I am honored that this is going into your favorites Margaret! Thanks for sharing your review!
Meg
This was so yummy !!! We loved it !! I did add garlic because we just love garlic.. Thanks for a great recipe ! I love your recipes and weekly meal plans !!
Letty
Loved the recipe wnd will make it again. Great alternatives to chicken piccata. Sauce is yummy.
Kristen Chidsey
So happy to hear you enjoyed Letty!
Kathy
I, too, found it very bland, which surprised me. The honey/lemon mixture was very nice, but very little of the flavor went into the chicken. Did I saute too long? I will thicken the mixture tonight to serve as a 'gravy' to pour over the leftover chicken.
Kristen Chidsey
I am sorry you found this bland. It may have been that you slightly overcooked the chicken.
Alexa
followed the instructions very thoroughly and came out very bland....
Kristen Chidsey
I am sorry you found this to be lacking in flavor. Because this recipe has so few ingredients, you want to be sure you select good quality ones, like fresh lemon juice and good quality Dijon.
Michael geraty
I made the recipe for my family tonight.
The changes I made were boneless,skin off thighs 3 lbs,half an onion sliced thin,capers. Served on a bed of rice along with brussel sprouts.
Enjoyed the dish.
Amanda
This was so good! Thanks for the recipe ☺️
Lisalen
Simple recipe which I liked on a busy night. The sauce was very thin. I’m going to try it again but I’m going to reduce the liquid by half before covering. Adding garlic from a previous review would also help deepen the flavor. I don’t think a thin cutlet needs another 10 min so I would cut down that time as well.