Name: Honey Garlic Chicken Bites
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (trimmed and cut into cubes about ¾"); 1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning; 1 tablespoon flour; 1 stick butter; 2 heads fresh garlic (finely diced); ¼ large lemon (juice only); ⅓ cup honey (or substitute hot honey); 1 tablespoon parsley (dried or rough chopped fresh); ¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional); optional cooked white rice for serving; optional sliced green onions or lemon wedges for garnish

These honey garlic chicken bites are loaded with fresh minced garlic, zesty lemon juice, and sweet honey for an easy weeknight chicken dinner that the whole family will love!

This hot honey garlic chicken bites recipe is the definition of a griddle crowd-pleaser. Barely any prep, maximum flavor, and just a few simple pantry ingredients. Whether you need a new chicken meal prep idea or you need to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes, these honey garlic chicken bites are for you!

Not too sweet, though there’s a good amount of honey in the recipe. And not too garlicky, though we used a shocking amount of fresh garlic. The flavors balance each other beautifully, creating a sauce that’s flavorful and sweetly subtle all at the same time.

A great chicken recipe to try on the griddle after you’ve mastered hibachi chicken and want to try something new!

Ingredients and Notes

chicken – I prefer to use boneless skinless breasts for this recipe, but you could easily substitute boneless thighs.
honey – We used Mike’s Hot Honey, which is not as spicy as you may think when added with the other sauce ingredients. You can substitute regular honey if you prefer.
fresh garlic – I used two whole heads. Don’t panic. It mellows out. Sautéing in butter brings out the deliciously sweet, aromatic side of garlic rather than the harsh bite. Fresh is preferred over jarred for this recipe.
butter – You’ll need one full stick. Use real butter for best results, not margarine or other butter substitutes.
all-purpose seasoning – Pick your favorite, or sub with a simple blend of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. We used our own Shake That All-Purpose seasoning.
parsley and red pepper flakes – Fresh or dried parsley for a pop of color and garnish. Crushed red pepper flakes are optional if you want to add a bit of spice.
flour – Just a tablespoon. This isn’t for breading the chicken, but giving the sauce a slightly better texture and helping the sauce stick.
lemon juice – Provides a nice counter to the sweetness from the honey, and gives the dish a bit of zing.

How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken Bites

Whether you make this honey garlic chicken on a Blackstone griddle or in a skillet on the stovetop, this recipe only has a few steps, and you’ll have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.

cutting boneless skinless chicken breasts into pieces

mixing chicken breast pieces and seasoning in a mixing bowl

Step 1: Prep the chicken. Trim any excess fatty bits off the chicken, then cut into bite-sized pieces that are fairly uniform in size so they cook evenly.

Step 2: Season the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl, and season with all-purpose seasoning, mixing together so that all of the meat is evenly seasoned. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes while you work on mincing the garlic.

cooking chicken bites on a Blackstone griddle

Step 3: Start cooking the minced garlic in butter. Finely dice two heads of garlic while your griddle or skillet is heating up on low heat. Add a stick of butter to the griddle to begin melting, and add the garlic to the butter. That fragrant garlic will soften in the butter and form the backbone of your sauce. *The idea isn’t to brown the garlic quickly, but to let it gently infuse the butter – so a low cooking temperature is best.

Step 4: Cook the chicken bites on the first side. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over the chicken and toss to coat. This thin flour layer is just enough to promote browning and help the sauce stick later – don’t overdo it.

*TIP – For griddle cooking, be sure that you can manage your griddle temperatures. Set one side of your Blackstone to low and another to medium or medium-high if needed, depending on how your griddle heats. The hotter side is perfect for browning the chicken; the low side helps manage sauce without burning.

Once the garlic is soft and fragrant, spread the chicken pieces out on the griddle, making sure each piece has good contact with the surface (I call this a “landing zone”) for maximum sear and texture.

Cook the chicken untouched on the first side for about 3-5 minutes for a good crust and a bit of color to develop.

flipping chicken bites to the second side to cook

Step 5: Flip the chicken and continue to cook. Use your spatula to flip the chicken bites to the second side, and continue to cook another 3-4 minutes, or until mostly cooked through.

Step 6: Add the garlic and butter to the chicken. Add the butter sauce with the softened garlic to the chicken, and toss together.

adding honey to garlic butter chicken bites

cooking honey garlic chicken bites on a Blackstone griddle

Step 7: Add the honey, lemon juice, and spices. Turn the griddle off or move the chicken to the cooler area on the griddle. This helps the sugars from the honey to not burn – there should be plenty of residual heat to thicken the sauce and finish cooking the chicken. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice, then drizzle the chicken with honey. Toss the chicken bites in the sauce.

Step 8: Cook until chicken is done and sauce has thickened. Cook a few more minutes, stirring occasionally, for the sauce to reduce and thicken. Sprinkle with parsley for garnish. When the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer the honey garlic chicken bites to a serving platter, and enjoy!