This honey garlic chicken starts with a sweet and savory honey garlic marinade and ends with juicy, caramelized flavor from the grill!

Sliced grilled honey garlic chicken breast.

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Honey Garlic Grilled Chicken with Sweet and Savory Flavor

This honey garlic chicken breast recipe is the grilled version of my slow cooker honey garlic chicken, perfect for the BBQ! Grilled chicken breast is marinated in a simple honey, soy sauce, and garlic marinade, then grilled until charred and smoky, served with extra honey garlic sauce on top!

One of my favorite flavor combinations for glazes and marinades is sweet and savory which is why so many of my easy chicken breast recipes, including honey sesame chicken, have a variation of that combination. I’ve also used it on my honey garlic meatballs!

Why I Love This Recipe

  • Love that I can make these on an indoor and outdoor grill.
  • The honey garlic sauce is both a marinade and a glaze! So juicy!

Ingredients Notes

Chicken break, honey, garlic, olive oil, soy sauce plus salt and pepper.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Chicken breast: Boneless skinless chicken breasts.
  • Honey garlic marinade for chicken: Soy sauce, honey, and minced garlic. You can use coconut aminos or tamari to make it a gluten-free version.
  • You’ll also need: Olive oil, salt, and pepper.

How to Make Grilled Honey Garlic Chicken Breast

Add oil, soy sauce, honey, and garlic to a large Ziploc bag and season with salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce for later.

Place the chicken breasts in the bag and let them marinate for at least an hour in the fridge. You can also keep them marinating for up to 8 hours.

Honey garlic marinade in a bag.
Marinating chicken breast in a zip top bag.

Once you’re ready to grill, set your grill to preheat to medium-high heat. Place the chicken down to cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway.

Depending on how thick the chicken is, you may need to keep it cooking a little while longer. Once it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, it’s ready to eat!

Marinated chicken breast on grill.
Honey garlic chicken breasts on grill.

Recipe Tips

Honey garlic chicken breast on a plate with rice and broccoli.

More chicken recipes to try include chicken kabobs, honey sesame chicken and oven baked chicken breast.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes

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Sliced grilled honey garlic chicken breast plated with rice and broccoli.

Honey Garlic Chicken Breast

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Marinade Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 14 minutes
Servings: 4
This honey garlic chicken starts with a sweet and savory honey garlic marinade and ends with juicy, caramelized flavor from the grill!
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Video

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ pound chicken breasts , boneless and skinless
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons less sodium soy sauce , or coconut aminos
  • 3 Tablespoons honey
  • 2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Make marinade: In a large zip top bag, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 Tablespoons soy sauce, 3 Tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup for basting if desired.
  • Marinate chicken: Add chicken to zip top bag and let marinate for at least 1 hour, up to 8 hours.
  • Grill chicken: Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place chicken on grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for another 5 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F.. You may need to cook a little longer, depending on the thickness of the chicken.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Variation: For a boost in flavor sometimes I like to add a dash or two of sesame oil and red pepper flakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 1233mg, Potassium: 461mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 35IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Substitutions and Variations

  • Swap the chicken breast for thighs. This honey garlic marinade works with shrimp and salmon too!
  • Add red pepper flakes for heat.
  • Green onions can be added to the marinade for extra flavor or used as a garnish for serving. Sesame seeds can also be great for garnish.

Recipe FAQs

How to store leftover honey garlic chicken breast?

Keep the chicken stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can slice or chop up the leftover chicken breasts and use them in salads or wraps for a quick lunch.

Can I freeze this chicken?

Transfer the chicken to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. These will keep frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.