Here’s another one-pan recipe that I know you’re going to love. This recipe is a honey lemon chicken baked with asparagus and baby potatoes. It’s a well-rounded dish that has most of the food groups and can be a complete meal on its own. But the best part is actually the flavor of the dish.
The chicken is slathered with a sauce made of sweet honey and savory soy sauce. It is oh-so-zesty with a capital Z! We’re talking 5 lemons kind of citrusy flavor that will perk you right up and leave you wanting more. The sauce is also drizzled over soft spears of asparagus and baby potatoes that would have caramelized in the oven.
Fancy having this with wine? This glazed lemon honey garlic chicken goes well with a neutral white wine, like Pinot Grigio or a Chardonnay.
10 minutes is all you need to prepare the dish in one baking sheet, and off it goes into the oven for 40 minutes. It’s truly a lifesaver for busy weeknights, especially when there are guests at my place. I’ve also saved this as one of my meal-prep rotation dishes. Can you believe they keep for up to 5 days in the fridge?
Recipe Ingredients
Get these ingredients ready for 6 servings of honey lemon chicken:
- Chicken breasts – Prepare boneless and skinless chicken breasts. These are the leanest part of chicken and the easiest to prepare, like fish filets.
- Lemon – Lemon is the primary source of citrus in this recipe and we’ll need lots of it. Squeeze ½ cup of fresh lemon juice (from about 2 ½ lemons and not the bottled kind, I’m begging you!). Also slice 2 lemons into rounds to garnish.
- Honey – ⅓ cup of honey acts as the base for the honey lemon sauce.
- Low sodium soy sauce – Measure 1 ½ tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce (I’ve been using the Kikkoman brand for all my recipes that call for soy sauce.) If you are gluten-intolerant, opt for a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Garlic – Garlic is the secret ingredient which completes the honey lemon glaze. This recipe calls for 4 garlic cloves, minced.
- Baby potatoes – Cut 16 baby potatoes into quarters so that they’re bite-sized. These will be the main source of carbs.
- Asparagus – For the vegetables, prepare 6 bunches of asparagus (totaling up to about 40 spears).
- Pro Tip: Can’t find asparagus? Broccoli, green beans, snap peas, zucchini, bell peppers or cauliflower go well in the place of asparagus.
- Parsley – Fresh parsley decorates this honey lemon chicken with not just bright green leaves but also a mild, fresh scent. Finely chop parsley leaves and divide into half portions.
- Salt and cracked black pepper – To season the baked honey lemon chicken.
Can I Substitute Chicken Thighs?
Chicken thighs, are without question, one of the best parts of chicken alongside drumsticks. They are more tender and juicy than chicken breasts. And since they have a higher fat content than chicken breasts, the flavor of the honey lemon chicken sauce will simply ooze in every bite.
Whether you opt for bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, they are definitely a good substitute for any recipe that calls for chicken breasts. Keep in mind that the cooking time for chicken thighs is a little longer, at about 30 to 40 minutes.
With that said, chicken thighs are very forgiving cuts of meat – they won’t dry out as quickly and easily if overcooked, unlike their leaner counterparts.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This honey lemon chicken takes just 10 minutes of prep time (so much win!) and 40 minutes of cooking time in the oven. Quick and easy!
Step One: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange chicken breasts on one side of the sheet and season with salt. Set aside.
Step Two: In a small bowl, make the honey lemon glaze. Combine the lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, half of the parsley (optional), salt, and pepper.
Step Three: Pour ¾ of the honey lemon sauce over the chicken breasts, coating the chicken completely. Arrange the lemon slices over the top.
Step Four: Spread the quartered baby potatoes on the opposite side from the chicken on the sheet pan. Leave the middle of the sheet pan empty for the asparagus later.
Step Five: Cover the chicken and potatoes with tin foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Pro Tip: Do not forget the tin foil as it prevents the chicken from losing moisture.
Step Six: While waiting for the chicken to bake, prepare the asparagus. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus.
- Pro Tip: If you sharply bend the asparagus near the base, it will snap in the right place. Discard the ends.
Step Seven: Remove the sheet pan from the oven and uncover foil. Lay the asparagus in the center of the sheet pan. Pour the remaining honey lemon mixture over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
Step Eight: Return to the oven to bake uncovered for another 20 minutes until the chicken is golden and the asparagus is cooked. Garnish with the remaining parsley (completely optional, but adds a fancy touch).
Bon Appetit!
Expert Tips & Tricks
How to cook asparagus perfectly:
How do you tell when asparagus is ready? Use a fork to poke the base of the asparagus. If it pierces easily, it’s ready! Very thin spears of asparagus will take from 9 to 12 minutes, whereas thicker asparagus will need 15 to 20 minutes.
Alternative side dishes to potatoes:
If you would like to opt out of using baby potatoes, this meal goes nicely with brown rice as well. Cook the brown rice separately in a rice cooker until they’re fluffy and steaming hot. Use the sauce in the pan to drizzle over your brown rice or any chosen side dish (such as mashed potatoes, pasta, or quinoa).
Storage Instructions
This honey lemon chicken is a fantastic meal-prep menu item. Sealed tightly, it stays fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When ready to serve, thaw to room temperature or, if frozen, set in the fridge overnight. I do not recommend microwaving this chicken as it completely dries it out. Chewy and overcooked chicken? No, thank you!
Instead, drizzle some olive oil over the chicken breasts, cover with tin foil, and bake at 400°F for 25 minutes.
Honey Lemon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- salt to season
- 1/2 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 ½ tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons parsley fresh chopped, divided
- 16 baby potatoes quartered
- 6 bunches of asparagus approx 40 spears or vegetables of choice
- 3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 lemons sliced to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange chicken on the sheet and season with salt; set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, garlic, half of the parsley (optional), salt and pepper. Pour three quarters of the honey lemon mixture over the chicken. Arrange the lemon slices over the top.
- Cut baby potatoes in quarters and spread on the opposite side from the chicken on the sheet pan. Leaving the middle of the sheet pan empty, to add your asparagus later.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, snap off the woody ends of the asparagus (if you sharply bend the asparagus near the base, it will snap in the right place). Discard the ends.
- Remove sheet pan from the oven and uncover foil. Arrange asparagus, in the center of the sheet pan. Pour the remaining honey soy lemon mixture over the vegetables and season them with salt and pepper.
- Return to the oven to bake for another 20 minutes until the chicken is golden and the asparagus is cooked. Garnish with the remaining parsley if you want to get fancy.
