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This honey lemon chicken has a crispy coating and the perfect sweet-tangy-savory sauce! If you love mixing it up in the kitchen, this easy honey lemon chicken for beginners is a great place to start. This recipe only requires 5 minutes of prep time! Yes, that’s it! Just five minutes of prepping, and you’re on your way to fall-off-the-bone honey lemon chicken.
I’d wager this is the best honey lemon chicken recipe I’ve ever found and recreated. It’s packed with flavor combinations that allow you to enjoy the savoriness of chicken while adding a dash of sweetness to the chicken at the same time.
This simple honey lemon chicken meal will have your taste buds doing summersaults, guaranteed. If you’re a lover of both savory and sweet, this one is definitely a keeper for your weekly meal rotation. And, you can make it fast, meaning if you have a hectic or busy lifestyle, this recipe will fit right in.
The aroma this family friendly honey lemon chicken gives off is worth it alone. If you’ve been searching for homemade honey lemon chicken ideas, read on! We’re sure you’ll be satisfied.

We made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious!

It’s beyond appetizing!

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast—you only need approximately 5 minutes of prep time to get this recipe started.
- Basic ingredients—it uses basic ingredients that can be found in your pantry and at a local grocery store (or in your refrigerator, if you’ve already done your weekly shopping).
- It’s extremely versatile, especially if you want to use different cuts of chicken.
- It’s budget-friendly and packs immense flavor!
Number of Servings: 2-4 – Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs Chicken (Use thighs, wings or drums for this recipe)
3 tsp of each: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt, Onion Powder
1 T Oil
½ C Honey
⅓ C Fresh Lemon Juice
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Chicken: While the original quick honey lemon chicken recipe here calls for dark meat, you can also use chicken breasts if you’re interested in a healthy honey lemon chicken version. You can also use a locally bought rotisserie chicken to save even more time when preparing this honey lemon chicken! A rotisserie chicken not only saves times, but provides tender, juicy chicken that’s even easier to work with, and it’s perfect if you’re in a rush or have a busier schedule.
Honey: If you’re watching your sugar or if you do not have traditional honey available, you can swap it for low-carb honey. An alternative to consider if you’re searching for a honey that does not impact your glucose is Allulose. Many allulose-based honeys are available at larger supermarkets, or they can be purchased ahead of time, online.
Fresh lemon juice: Swap the fresh lemon juice for traditional lemon juice in a squeeze bottle if you do not have any lemons on hand.
Oil: While olive oil is recommended, you can also use avocado oil or butter, depending on your preferences. Just be sure to watch the smoking temperature for each, to avoid burning the oil or butter, whichever you prefer.

How to Make It
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. This will provide you with time to prepare the additional ingredients. In a bowl, mix ½ honey with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Reserve lemons for later if you’re using fresh lemons.
Step 2. Oil & season 1-2 pounds of chicken with 3 tsp of salt, pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder. Mix the seasonings with the chicken, or toss, to combine thoroughly.
Step 3. In a pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Sear each piece of chicken for 3-5 mins, or until they’re browned. Searing the chicken and browning it will provide immense flavor. Don’t skip this step!
Step 4. On a baking sheet, drizzle a bit of oil, add chicken, & your reserved lemons. Pour half your honey lemon mixture over the chicken. Toss. Bake, uncovered for 40-45 mins (depending on the size of chicken) or until it’s no longer pink and its internal temp has reached 165° (Fahrenheit). We highly recommend using a meat thermometer whenever you’re cooking chicken or other meats.
Step 5. Drizzle the remaining honey lemon mixture over the chicken during the last 10 minutes of cooking it.
Step 6. Serve hot! Allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes for the best results.
Enjoy!
Tips for Success
Drizzle lemon juice over chicken immediately once cooked. This helps seasonings to absorb due to the acidity in lemons.
Storage & Reheating
Luckily, you can store and save this honey lemon chicken without a hassle. Store individual servings or your entire platter of chicken in Tupperware or in a container designed for freezing and refrigerating for up to 4 days. You can freeze this chicken safely for up to 3 months with proper preparation. Wrap your pieces of chicken in foil or plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.
To reheat, remove your honey lemon chicken from your refrigerator or freezer and allow it to come to room temperature. Reheat in a 300-degree (Fahrenheit) oven for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also reheat individual servings of this honey lemon chicken in your microwave in a covered, microwave safe bowl for 2 to 3 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this honey lemon chicken recipe with a fresh Italian or traditional garden salad. This will keep this recipe on the extremely healthy side! If you’re in the mood for potatoes or a heartier side dish, try our loaded crack potatoes, or even our French onion stuffed potatoes. Mm mmm, delicious! This dish also goes great with Parmesan crusted asparagus fries or air fryer green beans! Either way, there are plenty of healthy sides that pair perfectly with honey lemon chicken.
Notes
This recipe is a classic and requires just a few ingredients to bring this chicken meal to life. It’s perfect for weeknight meals and quick weekend dishes that are sure to leave your family smiling.

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Honey Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 - 2 lbs Chicken, Use thighs, wings or drums for this recipe
- 3 tsp of each: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt, Onion Powder
- 1 T Oil
- ½ C Honey
- ⅓ C Fresh Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° In a bowl mix ½ Honey with 3 T Lemon Juice. Reserve lemons.
- Oil & Season 12 lbs chicken with 3 tsp salt, pepper, garlic salt and onion powder.
- In a pan over Medium High heat, add 1 T oil. Sear each piece of chicken for 3-5 mins until browned.
- On a baking sheet, drizzle a bit of oil, add chicken & your reserved lemons. Pour half your Honey Lemon mixture over chicken. Toss. Bake, uncovered for 40-45 mins (depending on size of chicken) or until no longer pink and internal temp reaches 165°. Last 10 mins, pour remaining Honey Lemon over. Serve hot... Add roasted lemon for extra flavor
Notes
Nutrition
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2 comments
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Is twelve pounds of chicken parts correct?
Hello, thanks for your help!
It’s 1-2 lbs of chicken parts (typing error and it’s updated now)
Sorry for that
Have a good day 🙂