These healthy baked honey soy chicken breasts are delicious enough to be the star of your dinner and versatile enough to be a meal prep staple for lunch. Cut them up and serve in a salad, on a wrap, or in a grain bowl for lunch. Or serve with rice and steamed broccoli for dinner!
My oven bbq chicken recipe has been made in thousands of kitchens all over the country with rave reviews. The secret to its deliciousness lies in its glazing and baking technique. I wanted to give you guys a healthier baked chicken breast recipe that uses the same technique. So here we go!
These baked chicken breasts are coated in a delicious honey soy glaze, flavored with garlic and lime, with just a hint of spiciness from Sriracha hot sauce.
If you’re good at planning ahead, you can marinate them for extra flavor. But if you’re in a hurry, you can skip that part.
I love the gorgeous color of the sauce and the crispy, charred bits from a quick stint under the broiler at the end!
Bake first, then broil
For this recipe, you’ll bake the chicken in the center of your oven and then move it up close to the broiler to get those gorgeous blackened, charred parts with an extra thick stick glaze on the top.
To prepare, I recommend moving one oven rack up close to the broiler at the top of your oven, and leaving one in the center of your oven. That way, you won’t have to mess with it while the oven is hot.
How to bake honey soy chicken breasts
The secret to getting a thick glaze on baked chicken is to brush it with the sauce a few times while it bakes. For this recipe, you should brush it with the sauce about three times.
- First, dip the chicken in the sauce to coat. If you have time, you can let it marinate in the sauce for up to 24 hours, for even more flavor!
- Then, place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Trust me- you DEFINITELY want foil for this, as the sauce will get burnt and charred on the pan. I even go so far as to fold the edges up slightly to create an extra barrier so nothing gets on the baking sheet.
- Bake the chicken for 7 minutes, then brush more sauce on. Repeat for a total of three times. I used up all the sauce doing this. If you run out, you can get some from around the bottom of the baking sheet.
- Finally, move the baking sheet up close to the broiler and broil for 5-10 minutes, or until the tops of the chicken breasts are starting to char and blacken. More flavor and a thicker glaze will result from this!
And I also recommend letting the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into it. This will help redistribute the juices, which will result in more juicy, moist chicken breasts. Since chicken breast meat is notoriously easy to overcook, it’s important to do as much as you can to keep it juicy so it doesn’t dry out.
How to make the sauce even thicker
I purposefully created this recipe to be healthy by using only a little honey and no cornstarch. The result is a sauce that’s thick enough to coat and stick to the chicken, but is still relatively thin.
But you can create an even THICKER sauce by adding more honey (up to 1/2 cup). Or, you can add some sugar (white or brown) in addition to the honey.
You can also add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the marinade mixture. As the chicken bakes and the sauce warms, the cornstarch will help thicken the sauce drastically.
What to serve with Honey Soy Chicken
To serve honey soy chicken breasts for dinner, I recommend pairing it with some steamed broccoli with soy mayo dip or green beans with spicy peanut sauce. And something to absorb all that delicious sauce, like cilantro lime brown rice.
You can slice it up and toss it with some baby greens, slivered almonds, and drizzle the salad with some miso sesame ginger salad dressing or some honey ginger salad dressing.
Or, chop it up and use it in a panini with some sliced cheese or on a cold wrap packed with veggies.
Other easy chicken breast recipes
- Pesto Baked Chicken Breasts
- Rosemary and Garlic Sheet Pan Chicken Breasts and Potatoes
- 20-Minute Honey Mustard Chicken
- Sesame Chicken
- Green Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
Check out all my other easy Dinner Recipe ideas!
Did you make this Baked Honey Soy Chicken Breasts recipe? Please click the stars below to comment and Rate this Recipe
Baked Honey Soy Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- juice and zest of one lime
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce optional
- 2 lbs. chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
- lime wedges and fresh cilantro for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange an oven rack at the very top of your oven and one in the middle as well.
- Whisk together all ingredients (except for chicken) in a medium bowl until honey is dissolved and sauce is well combined. (If you have time, you can marinate the chicken in the sauce at this point for up to 24 hours).
- Pat the chicken breasts dry and dip each in the sauce using tongs, making sure it's coated on all sides. Shake off any extra and place on a rimmed baking sheet (covered with foil or brushed with oil to lessen the mess).
- Bake for 7 minutes on the rack in the middle of the oven. Use a basting brush to brush the top of the chicken with the sauce. Bake for 7 more minutes. Repeat for a total of 3 times, resulting in 21 minutes of cooking and 3 sauce bastes.
- Place chicken breasts on the top rack of the oven parallel to your broiler. Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until some crispy browned parts appear, and internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F.
- Remove from oven, place chicken breasts on a platter, and allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving. If you like, you can carefully lift the foil liner out of the pan by both edges, creating a depression in the center to allow you to easily pour the sauce over the chicken.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce or a suitable substitute.
- For a paleo version, use liquid aminos instead of soy sauce.
- For a thicker sauce, you can either add more honey and/or add a tablespoon of cornstarch to the mix.
- The recipe is written for whole chicken breasts, not chicken breast cutlets, which are smaller and thinner. If you use chicken breast cutlets, make sure you don't bake it for as long (I recommend baking for 5 minute increments for a total of 15 minutes, then broiling for 5 minutes).
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Mirp
This recipe was really tasty! I needed something simple and gluten free so I gave it a try.
The burnt tamari / soy on the pan freaks me out and makes me think I messed up somehow, but I’m a little relieved to see yours has it too. Thank you for including that photo. The chicken itself looks and tastes great
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! I try to keep my photos as “realistic” as possible, and I’m glad to hear that was helpful for you!
Benjamin
This turned out rather good. My daughter and I loved it. I used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts. I wish I would have had the time to marinate it though. Thanks for the recipe.
Rachel
Simple and delicious!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thank you! So glad you liked it!