Honey Lime Chicken
Chicken is our favorite protein; I make chicken many times a week so I am constantly developing new recipes. Two ingredients that I love most are honey and lime.
This honey lime chicken is inspired by a recipe on Eating Well, but I simplified the recipe to make it easier for you. The recipe takes only 20 minutes to make!
Moist, Juicy and Tender Chicken
This honey lime chicken recipe turned out to be a perfect 10. It’s absolutely moist, juicy, tender and utterly delicious. The honey, lime, soy sauce and garlic marinade do wonders to the chicken. The end result is sticky sweet, savory and citrusy chicken that you will be begging for more.
Bone-in Chicken vs. Boneless Chicken
As usual, my favorite is boneless chicken thigh (check out how to debone chicken thighs video). You have the glossy, lacquered, perfectly charred and baked chicken skin, with the meat bursting with the chicken juice.
You can also make the chicken with bone-in chicken thighs. Whichever part of chicken you use, you can make this dish all year long: bake in the oven, outdoor on the grill, or just cook on skillet or cast-iron pan.
Skillet or Oven-Baked?
This recipe is absolutely versatile; you can choose to bake the chicken in the oven, or you can just cook it on the stove-top. I personally love oven-baked because I love crispy and charred skin, like the pictures here. However, skillet is an easy way to cook and you don’t want to wait that long to savor this delicious chicken.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Recipe Pairing Ideas
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Fettuccine
Brown Butter Garlic Honey Roasted Carrots
One-Pot Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes
More Delicious Recipes
Honey Soy Chicken Wings
Ginger Garlic Baked Chicken
Honey Orange Chicken
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Eileen
Hi there, can I substitute the lime for lemon? Kinda lazy to go out and get the lime as I have every other ingredients already :D
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can!
Alee
what can side dish can you use for this?
Georgia
I am making cilantro lime rice and broccoli to go with it. I also made extra for a salad topping.
Rasa Malaysia
Yummy!
Liz
Another nice and easy recipe, Bee with few ingredients. Love it. Thank you
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, very few ingredients and slightly different cooking method, and another new flavor in this honey lime chicken.
RJ
Great dish, everyone loved it. I am thinking about subbing fish sauce for the salt next time, any thoughts?
Rasa Malaysia
Totally, it will only make the honey lime chicken better. :)
jessie
What kind of fish sauce?
Rasa Malaysia
Red Boat Fish Sauce.
Stephanie
I made this tonight and after 20 minutes the sauce just burned and the chi ken was under cooked. Still waiting to see how it tastes but not sure I’ll use this recipe again….
Rasa Malaysia
I am sorry to hear that Stephanie. The picture is exactly the chicken I made with the recipe you are using. Other readers have tried with success. Did you measure the honey? Did you put the chicken on the top rack? In any case, I updated the recipe a bit to prevent this situation, by covering the chicken with the aluminum foil.
Zoe
When roasting or BBQ using honey or sugar, it’s best to add some acidic juices to the honey or sugar to prevent it from burning, as sugar is a compound of carbon.
V
I followed the recipe as well and mine did not come out like this at all. In fact mine became more watery. What did I do wrong? I have not eaten it yet, hopefully it tastes great?.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi V, hmm, did you pat dry the chicken? Which part of the chicken did you use? If it’s watery, you probably need to bake it a little longer so the juice and marinades dry up a bit.
KB
Some chicken pieces sold in big stores are injected with water to make the pieces look bigger. For example, I used to buy boneless skinless chicken breasts from Walmart (they were so affordable!) but found they let off so much water in the pan and the pieces themselves were much smaller when cooked. Now I pay a little more but get them from a butcher. Maybe that’s the source of the wateriness?
Quinn
Same. The sauce just slid off the chicken and onto the foil and burned there. I’m positive the proportions were correct. Why would this have happened?
Rasa Malaysia
Cover the chicken with foil before baking.
Theresa
I followed your recipe but it did not work. I believe your picture is a breast, not a thigh, right? Your cooking method is not right. Mine did not become sticky. Also, you state in your recipe to line the pan with either foil or parchment paper. I used parchment paper. Wrong thing to suggest. As a caution to your readers..DO NOT broil using parchment paper. It caught on fire! All in all, the flavors was good but the cooking method Needs some changes. I would suggest grilling, not baking to get that stickiness you say should happen.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Theresa, sorry to heat about your problem. I used chicken thighs with the skin on, I deboned the chicken thighs. Sorry about the parchment paper incident. I didn’t have that issue as I have a smaller countertop broiler. I have updated the recipe. In regards to the cooking method, please check the Cook’s Note as I also recommend skillet cooking and grilling.
helen
can i just grilled the skin for one minute instead of broil as my oven does not have the broil function.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes just grill to char the skin. :)
Lynette
I made this last weekend. I had enough marinade for 8 boneless/skinless thighs and two breasts (each cut in half). This was, without a doubt, THE BEST chicken I have ever eaten. My 11-year-old son doesn’t like chicken, but even he liked it, AND he was excited about leftovers the next day because he thought the chicken was so delicious. As I plan this week’s meals, this honey lime chicken is DEFINITELY added to the menu!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Lynette, awww, thanks so much for trying my honey lime chicken and the rave reviews. I have a ton of great chicken recipes here: https://rasamalaysia.com/tag/chicken/
Stacie
If you are using chicken breast how long would you cook it?
Elizabeth
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Lauren
Is this spicy with the cayenne pepper?
Jenny
This was delicious! I see what other people commented about when they said it came out burned. I put aluminum foil down and it totally burned the juice and I chose to turn the chicken twice to make sure it cooked fully and evenly without burning. My chicken was BEAUTIFUL and juicy but the oven was super smokey. I’d suggest putting foil down for sure to make sure your pan isn’t ruined and to turn the chicken to make both sides golden. Super tasty and will make it again! Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Jenny for trying out my honey lime chicken recipe.
Amanda
Would it work if I cooked the chicken first (not all the way) then put the sauce on it? So it doesn’t burn?
Rasa Malaysia
Sure, you can do that. Or reduce the amount of honey.
Jessica Desarro
I put this in myfitnesspal and it only comes out with 265 calories
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome!
Caroline
This chicken looks so moist and yummy!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes this honey lime chicken is yummy!
barbara cornelius
Could I marinade the chicken overnight and then grill it on skewers with the peanut sauce or teriyaki sauce? Which is better for the lime chicken
Rasa Malaysia
Sure you can! I think both sauces will give a completely different taste, so it’s up to your preference.
prehatin
Thanks I’m more helpful for me to cook at home
joe
I tried this recipe and it came out great
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Joe for trying out my honey lime chicken.
Weien
Love the few ingredients recipe. Followed the recipe, the covered chicken thighs took 55 min at 400 degrees F and the dish came out a little bland, what did I do wrong?
Rasa Malaysia
Did you use the exact amount in the recipe. Did you weight the chicken? If it’s too bland for you, then add more honey and lime juice to your taste.
PJS
Same situation here, but I’m eager to try again. I can tell the flavors are there– just not sure why they didn’t pop out. And I don’t mind the longer cooking time since I know to expect it now. Maybe my rack was too low.
Rasa Malaysia
Marinate longer, or use double the marinade.
Lou
For how long do we leave the chicken for
Daisy
This may be a silly question,but what would be some good side dishes to serve along this lime honey chicken? Thanks!
Amy c
I had similar issues as others. I lined the baking pan with foil and covered it before baking but all marinade just completely burned on the foil. I used boneless skin on chic breast same weight but followed recipe exactly after. Don’t get what I did wrong.
Sarah
I followed recipe exactly. The sauce just fell off the chicken and puddles on the aluminum foil.
Rasa Malaysia
Try to do this next time, just enclose the foil and open up and broil the top until golden brown.
Salena
Make sure the chicken is dried off before adding the marinade. Sometimes if the chicken is still wet the honey won’t stick.
Stan
For those who ended up with Honey-Lime burnt aluminum
foil try adding a chicken or vegetable broth to your marinade. This will slow down the burning of your sauce,,,
Also I suggest adding a cup of broth to your chicken letting it cook30-40 min and basting your Honey-Lime mixturetrus last 20 minutes at a higher temp or even broil for that BBQ Asian glazed look
Remember use those knobs with the Numbers
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Stan, thanks for your tips.
saps ibu bapa
Probably my favourite recipe. great to have here. Thanks
Alyssa
What sides would you pair with this?
Rasa Malaysia
https://rasamalaysia.com/garlic-parmesan-roasted-carrots/, https://rasamalaysia.com/creamy-lemon-parmesan-mushrooms/ or https://rasamalaysia.com/roasted-spring-vegetables/
Arelis Martinez
Am I able to let it marinate for a couple of hours? Or would it be better to cook it right after I put the marinade on?
Rasa Malaysia
Of course. If you have time, marinate longer!
Elaine
Do you bake with the marinade? Your instructions are unclear. Thank you.
SAPS Ibu Bapa
Very nice recipe. wish to try during fasting month of Ramadhan
Betty
This was an amazing chicken dish! We grilled the chicken down and loved the flavor! The only change we made wasn’t cilantro instead of parsley. We will definitely makes this again! Thanks!!!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Betty, thanks for trying my honey lime chicken. :)
Jessica
I’m so annoyed it seems like every time I make chicken with honey & soy sauce my chicken never looks like the picture. The sauce never works & my chicken comes out plain white with no sauce. I followed all the instructions & still it comes out ugly. What am I doing wrong???!!!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Jessica, sorry to hear that. Did you transfer the honey mixture with the chicken before baking? Here is the instruction: Transfer the chicken and the honey mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
Shary
I was wondering what other method I can use instead of putting it in the oven
Rasa Malaysia
Pan fry on the skillet.
Jean
If frying what should be used to keep from sticking?
Alecia
I made this for my family and we love it definitely will make this again. Served with brown rice
Rasa Malaysia
Yum.
Ellen
I had the same issue as Jessica. All the sauce just ran off and puddled on the foil (not burned) while my chicken is completely white. It browned up a little with broiling however we’d thrown some extra honey/soy sauce/lime juice on before broiling, also the puddle started burning during broiling. Still doesn’t look like the pictures though.
Rasa Malaysia
Did you cover the foil or left the foil open?
Rain
I made this recipe with chicken breast and the flavor was good, but the sauce came out really, really thin. I double-checked my quantities, and they were definitely right. Any tips?
Rasa Malaysia
Double up the sauce if you want thicker sauce!
Tabitha
Disolve some corn starch in water and add to sauce. Repeat unail desired thickness has been reached
Jamie
Mine too came out white :( I broiled it for longer thinking that would help it darken up but then it just dried it out. Maybe next time I’ll try it without the foil on top, or grill it.
Laura
For anyone having issues making this with boneless, skinless chicken breasts- rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel before adding to the sauce mixture. Also, most of the time store bought chicken breasts are two servings per breast, so i fillet them in half lengthwise prior to rinsing and patting dry. I also turned them once during the 20 minute bake to make sure juices were being absorbed on both sides. And i broiled with the foil off for 1 minute per side. Remember, everyones oven cooks a little different! Ive had to increase broiling time by a few minutes using a different oven, but always check every minute or so! Thisnis an awesome dish to serve with rice, blackbeans and plantains! Loved it and will definitely keep making it!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Laura, thanks for your great tips and ideas. I am so happy that you like my honey lime chicken recipe. :)
Sarah
Hey Laura, I tried boneless chicken breasts last night & it didnt turn out right. I laid the chicken over aluminum foil (over the pan), put the marinade on, & then covered the chicken with another piece of aluminum foil. After 20 mins, I set my oven on broil. Once that was set, I put my chicken back in for 1 min (I still had my chicken covered though). My chicken was tasteless, & pure white in color. Where did I go wrong?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Sarah, the pictures are skin on but boneless chicken thighs. If you use skinless chicken breasts, there is no skin and the broil function is not going to make it char because there is no skin. You have to broil longer to make it darker. Did you spoon the marinade over to the chicken breast? If you do, using the broil function, the marinade will turn brown. Also, if you use chicken breasts, you need to double the marinade ad chicken breast doesn’t absorb the marinade as well as chicken thighs.
Amanda
Flavor was great, chicken was tender but the sauce was super thin. Any thoughts?
Lisa Fleitas
I used bone in thighs. set the marinade aside, and seared the thighs in an oven proof pan on both sides until brown. Cooked in the oven as directed, about 25 minutes. Covered for the first 20 minutes, uncovered for the last few. Brought remaining marinade to a boil and served over the chicken once it was done. Turned out perfectly! Thanks for a great recipe.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Lisa, thanks for trying my honey lime chicken. I am so glad you liked it. :)
Romas David
Great recipe. I actually really appreciate this amazing recipe. I will make it for my family. Thanks!
Vickie
Great recipe! Thanks! Made this tonight when I was running out of chicken recipes!!
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, so happy that you tried my honey lime chicken recipe.
Laynee Viniotis
Thanks for sharing this recipe, it is so delicious!!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Laynee.
Ang Jia Wen
the perfect mixture of honey boosts the shininess of the chicken
Martin Huang
The taste is just perfect! A little bit of lime brings out the entire chicken aroma.
Mr Neo
Wow! Nice looking honey lime chicken! I will be sharing this in a foodie forum. Thanks!
https://www.sgfoodclub.com/
Rebecca
This was delicious and it’s going to be one of my go to recipes! It was quick and simple. Mine didn’t look exactly like yours, the sauce was watery as well and pooled at the bottom of the foil but I just poured it back over then grilled it on the top to char it a bit and it was still amazing so thank you!!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you have to pour the sauce and grill more to get the same look as my photos. Thanks for trying my honey lime chicken. :)
Alan
I just tried this and it was yummy! The only thing that I will do different next time is be more careful when I take it out of the oven. I accidentally spilled some of the sauce inside. oops
Rasa Malaysia
Ooops lol. That’s the best part. Thanks for trying this honey lime chicken recipe.
Da Truth
These recipe is going in rotation. I used the chicken thighs. I increased the amount of honey and soy sauce. Not by much. I followed the rest of the directions. This was extremely tender and the ingredients signatured the flavor.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Da Truth, thanks for trying my honey lime chicken. :)
Lori
This is the best marinade! It’s our new favorite. We use it for grilling chicken or pork and then make street tacos with a citrus slaw.
Rasa Malaysia
Yum, sounds so yummy. Tacos with the honey lime chicken sounds delicious.
Chicook13
This was amazing! I doubled the sauce and grilled the chicken. I always love chicken thighs but these were wonderful! I did add a tiny squeeze of chili paste because we love spicy food. I served it over some leftover rice. This was so easy and delicious, it will absolutely be a repeat in our house!
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, so glad that you love my honey lime chicken.
Georgia
I am trying this in crock pot since it’s too hot to use the oven in Texas. Looks really yummy!
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, happy cooking.
Rebekah
Is there any substitution for soy sauce? This sounds so good, but I’m supposed to be avoiding soy.
Rasa Malaysia
You can use fish sauce.
Helen
can you tell me what kind of honey you use .. there are quite a few different types
Michael
Loved this recipe.
Cheri
I made this tonight with 2 skinless chicken breasts. They were large so I baked them 5 minutes longer. Then I broiled them until charred- they are delicious! My husband agrees! I didn’t add the cayanne pepper- not our style- but followed the recipe otherwise. This was fast and easy (which I was looking for) and delightfully moist and delicious. Thank you!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Cheri for trying my honey lime chicken recipe! :)