These delicious Honey Glazed Chicken Breasts are moist and tender with a tasty honey garlic glaze and a touch of smoky char from the grill.
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You can never have too many great chicken recipes. This one is easy to cook and will become the favorite recipe for many backyard BBQ grillers. Fire up the grill today.
The honey combined with lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, and a few common ingredients makes a wonderful glaze with an exceptional taste combination. Just follow the easy step-by-step photo instructions.
Serve with Grilled Baby Potatoes, Grilled Stuffed Tomatoes, Grill Mixed Vegetables, Grill Corn on the Cob, Cornmeal Biscuits, or a large glass of homemade lemonade.
For more information, see my tutorial on How to Grill Chicken Breasts. And check out Italian Grilled Chicken Breasts, BBQ Chicken Breasts, Grilled Reversed Seared Chicken Breasts, Lemon Garlic Marinated Chicken Breasts, and Grilled Buttermilk Chicken Breasts.
🐓Ingredients
- Chicken breasts—skinless boneless, skinless chicken thighs may be used—see the FAQ section for discussion.
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Honey Glaze—honey, olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic powder
- Optional Brine—water, salt
👨🍳How to Cook Honey Glazed Grilled Chicken Breasts
- Trim skinless boneless chicken breasts of about the same size and thickness. Brine if you have time and rinse after brining.
- Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of about 450°. Clean and oil grill grates well.
- Mix the glaze of honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic powder. Reserve ¾ of the mixture for later.
- Give each breast a little salt (if not brined) and pepper to taste, then brush the glaze on both sides of the chicken.
- Flip and brush with glaze every 5-6 minutes until an internal temperature of 165°—about 25 minutes.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
♨️Grill setup
The grill surface temperature at about 450°, which is medium to medium-high on most gas grills. You must be able to know the temperature you are cooking at to be successful in doing any grilling.
See A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for a complete discussion.
❓FAQs
A charcoal grill may be used, but measuring the grill's surface temperature is even more important since charcoal can get very hot. Don't overdo the coals; you will need to learn to adjust the vents.
Chicken thighs should be skinless, but bone-in or boneless will both work. Cook to an internal temperature of 185° instead of 165° for the breasts.
Skinless chicken breasts can quickly dry during cooking, especially if previously frozen. So if you have time to brine, you should for moister results.
A suggested brine would be two cups of water and one tablespoon of table salt for an hour or two. If you brine, rinse and skip the salt before brushing with the honey mixture.
All salt is not equal in volume due to crystal size. 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
❄️Storing and Reheat Leftovers
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container for 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
To reheat leftovers, first thaw overnight in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the oven at 350° covered until hot or in an air fryer. A microwave can be used, but it will affect the texture.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start with trimmed, skinless boneless chicken breasts. If you have the time, brine in 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt for an hour or two. Be sure to rinse well after brining.
If the thickness of the breasts is over ¾ inches, flatten them to about ¾ inch thick with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap or a ziplock bag to prevent splattering.
Mix the glaze of 2 tablespoons each of honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
Give each breast a little salt (if not brined) and pepper to taste, then brush the glaze on both sides of the chicken—reserve ¾ of the glaze for later brushing while grilling.
Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature while cleaning, oiling, and preheating the grill to a surface temperature of about 450°-500°—medium-high on most grills.
Place over direct heat. Flip the chicken and brush with glaze every 5-6 minutes.
Continue to flip every 5-6 minutes and brush until an internal temperature of 165°—about 25 minutes. But your time may vary—cook to the final internal temperature of 165° in the thickest area.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
📖 Recipe
Honey Glazed Grilled Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Honey Glaze
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Optional Brine
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon table salt
Instructions
- Start with trimmed, skinless boneless chicken breasts. If you have the time, brine in 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt for an hour or two. Be sure to rinse well after brining.
- If the thickness of the breasts is over ¾ inches, flatten them to about ¾ inch thick with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap or a ziplock bag to prevent splattering.
- Mix the glaze of 2 tablespoons each of honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Give each breast a little salt (if not brined) and pepper to taste, then brush the glaze on both sides of the chicken—reserve ¾ of the glaze for later brushing while grilling.
- Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature while cleaning, oiling, and preheating the grill to a surface temperature of about 450°-500°—medium-high on most grills.
- Place over direct heat. Flip the chicken and brush with glaze every 5-6 minutes.
- Continue to flip every 5-6 minutes and brush until an internal temperature of 165°—about 25 minutes. But your time may vary—cook to the final internal temperature of 165° in the thickest area.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Brine if you have time. 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- If you brine, rinse off the brine well and do not add any more salt.
- Flatten to ¾ inch thick if needed.
- Grill surface temperature of about 450°.
- Remove at 165°. Lower is not safe. Higher will dry.
- Skinless chicken thighs may be used. Boneless will cook a bit faster than bone-in. Cook thighs to 185° instead of 165°.
- Rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
- Be sure to oil the grill grates well to start to prevent sticking.
- To do this right, you should have a grill surface thermometer and an instant-read thermometer.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally Published July 19, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation. The original recipe was named honey crusted but glazed is more accurate to me.
Doug
The glaze was very tasty, but I had trouble getting the glaze to stick to the chicken, although I basted before, and every five minutes before flipping. The final product was good, but lacked a strong taste of the glaze. Any pointers?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Doug,
Welcome to the blog. Sorry, it didn't work very well for you.
Pointers: Nothing will stick to wet chicken. Dry with paper towels before starting, then dry again. Second, to oil can be cut in half would help stick (or even eliminate) that would help to stick and concentrate the flavor. Flavor-wise, I have added a pinch of heat with cayenne.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Celestine Armstrong Erby
Hi There, can I substitute with mayonnaise instead of olive oil in the honey sauce?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Celestine,
Welcome to the blog. I have some major doubts about how well that will work. I do have a nice mayo breast recipe that is oven based https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/parmesan-mayonnaise-baked-skinless/
Dan
Scotty
Can I use chicken legs?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Scotty,
Welcome to the blog.
The answer is probably. I have never done it but I grill drumsticks longer. Please see https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/art-of-drummies-grilling-chicken/ So the legs will need to cook longer so be careful about all the sugar burning.
Dan
Timothy Enns
Very nice recipe. It was my clear inspiration. I replaced the soy sauce with Coconut Aminos (4 T) and added all of the ingredients into a Sous Vide bag. Cooked at 141 for 1 and 1/2 hours. Then finished on the grill, glazing with the Sous Vide juices. Optionally, you could glaze with a BBQ sauce. Wellbee’s BBQ is great and compliant with our diet restrictions.
Nora
has anyone made it the oven? if so what temp, how long? Out of gas and don't have a grill pan. Recipe sounds really good! Thanks
Corine Wilber
Not sure if you figured out the answer, but I'm going to try tonight! I already brined my chicken and it starting POURING outside. I'm going to try 425 and rotating and glazing every five minute as instructed when cooking on the grill. I'll let you know how it turns out!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Corine,
Welcome to the blog.
Your plan probably will work. You probably should check out https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/baked-chicken-breasts/ since you have done half that recipe. Maybe just bake per those instructions. Glaze the top then flip halfway and glaze again.
Dan
Mike Fisher
Dan, I made this tonight for the wife and myself. It was perfect. I put it in the brine for an hour beforehand. Moist on the inside, sweet and sticky on the outside. Great recipe. Thanks!
Mike
Tim Burke
Used the recipe on chicken tenderloins, soooooo delicious!!! Currently trying it on some home cut pork chops right this minute, made a nice spicy teriyaki BBQ sauce to go with, idk if it's gonna work out or not, keeping my fingers crossed!!
DrDan
Hi Tim,
First, sorry for the delayed reply.
Hope that teriyaki worked well for you.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Loraine
This recipe was awesome! The best yet. Hubby just got a Weber grill and followed ur recipe to a tee.. moist inside too for being a chx breast...Thxs!!
Dawn Burke
This recipe was amazing! I didn't have lemon juice on hand so substituted with orange juice and it was great! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!!
DrDan
Thanks for the note and rating.
DrDan
Cheryl Barnes
I made this tonight. YUMMY!!!!! Unfortunately I had to make it on a grill pan on my stove because our outdoor grill wasn't gassed up tonight. lol. This was soooooo delicious and moist and I didn't do the brine first. It was so tasty that my husband volunteered to do the dishes. :-). Thank you so much for this recipe. I will be making this again!
I have one question/suggestion is nutritional info available? I put everything I eat into the my fitness pal app and it would be super if that was available. Thank you.
Suzanne
This recipe looks sooo good. Will be cooking it this week.