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Brown Butter Chicken takes something as simple as honey garlic chicken and turns it into something extraordinary. Each bite is coated in a rich, nutty brown butter sauce laced with sweet honey, fragrant garlic, and a splash of lemon juice for balance. It’s proof that you don’t need fancy ingredients to create restaurant-level flavor right at home.
This brown butter chicken recipe was inspired by the flavor magic of my original Brown Butter Honey Garlic Salmon, a dish that became an instant favorite. I still remember the idea coming to me in the middle of the night back in 2015, and I couldn’t wait to recreate that same buttery, caramelized flavor in a new way. The result is a comforting skillet meal that’s both familiar and completely unforgettable.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
The secret to incredible flavor with this Brown Butter Chicken lies in the brown butter. Letting the butter gently toast until it turns golden brings out its deep, nutty aroma, which transforms the entire dish. When it’s paired with honey and garlic, the sauce becomes glossy, caramel-like, and completely irresistible.
This brown butter chicken recipe is simple but feels indulgent. The honey balances the savory notes of the browned butter, while a squeeze of lemon brightens everything up. Whether you use thighs or breasts, the result is tender, juicy honey butter chicken that hits all the right notes: sweet, savory, and rich without being heavy.
What Goes Into Brown Butter Chicken
This brown butter chicken recipe uses simple pantry staples that work together to create rich, balanced flavors. The key is letting each ingredient shine, from the nutty butter to the bright finish of lemon juice.
- Chicken: Use thighs for juicy, flavorful results, or breasts for a leaner option. Either way, pounding them slightly ensures even cooking and better browning.
- Butter: The heart of this recipe. Browning it deepens the flavor and creates a nutty base that ties the sweet and savory elements together.
- Honey: Adds a natural sweetness that caramelizes beautifully in the sauce, giving the chicken that signature glossy finish.
- Garlic and Lemon Juice: These balance out the richness. Garlic adds depth, while lemon juice cuts through with just the right amount of tang.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Brown Butter Chicken
- Preheat the Oven: Place your oven rack about 8 inches from the heat source and preheat to broil (or grill, if you’re in Australia).
- Season Chicken: Dry chicken with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. This creates that golden, crispy crust later.
- Sear: Melt one tablespoon of butter over medium-high. Sear chicken skin side down for about 5 minutes, then flip and sear other side for another 5 minutes. Drain most of the fat, keeping about 2 tablespoons for flavor.
- Start the Sauce: In the same pan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Stir and swirl for about 3 minutes until it turns golden and smells nutty, scraping up any flavorful bits left from the chicken.
- Add Honey, Garlic, and Lemon: Stir in the honey and let it melt into the butter. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute until fragrant, then pour in the lemon juice and stir well to bring everything together.
- Return the Chicken: Place the chicken back, skin side up, and cook in the sauce for about 5 minutes while basting with the pan juices. Lower heat, cover, and continue cooking until done, turning occasionally.
- Broil for a Crispy Finish: Transfer skillet to the oven and broil for 2–3 minutes until caramelized. If adding broccoli, move chicken aside, season the florets, and cook them in the same pan for tender, charred edges.
- Serve and Enjoy: Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges, spooning the buttery honey sauce over the top. This brown butter honey chicken pairs beautifully with rice, noodles, or a fresh salad.
This brown butter chicken recipe deserves sides that can soak up all that rich, honeyed sauce. I love pairing it with simple comfort dishes that balance the sweetness and bring extra texture to the plate.
Try it with Creamy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes for a creamy, buttery base that complements the browned butter flavor beautifully. If you’re in the mood for something lighter, Garlic Green Beans add a crisp, garlicky freshness that cuts through the richness of the chicken. Or go for Cheesy Brussels Sprouts, which are roasted, golden, and just indulgent enough to match the tone of the meal.
Tips For Making Brown Butter Chicken
- Watch your butter closely. Once it starts foaming, it can go from golden to burnt quickly. Keep swirling the pan and pull it off the heat as soon as it turns deep amber and smells nutty.
- Use the right pan. A cast iron or stainless steel skillet helps brown the chicken evenly and develop those flavorful bits that make the sauce so good.
- Don’t rush the sear. Let the chicken sit undisturbed while it crisps. Moving it too soon prevents that golden crust from forming.
- Balance the flavors. Taste the sauce before serving. If it’s too sweet, add a bit more lemon juice; if it’s too tangy, stir in a drizzle of extra honey.
Recipe FAQ’s
Brown butter is simply butter that’s been cooked until the milk solids turn golden and give off a nutty aroma. It adds incredible depth and richness that regular melted butter can’t match, making your honey butter chicken taste extra luxurious.
Yes, you can cook the chicken and make the sauce ahead, then store them separately in the fridge. When reheating, warm the sauce first, then add the chicken back in so it stays juicy.
Yes, absolutely. Chicken breasts work beautifully in this brown butter chicken recipe, especially if you pound them slightly thinner for even cooking. Just be careful not to overcook them since they dry out faster than thighs.
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Browned Butter Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs or 4 large chicken breast fillets pounded thin, bone in or out | skin on or off
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch pepper to taste
- 6 tablespoons butter divided
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced or 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed or juice of half a lemon
- 2-4 tablespoons chicken broth optional
- 3 cups broccoli florets raw or steamed, optional
- 4 lemon wedges to serve
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Arrange oven shelf about 8-inches away from heat element in your oven. Preheat your oven to broil (or grill in Australia) on medium heat.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towel, then season with salt and pepper. Melt one tablespoon of butter in an oven-proof pan or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Sear chicken thighs, skin side down first, until the skin is nice and crispy (about 5 minutes). Flip and sear again until golden and crisp (about another 5 minutes). Drain most of the excess oil from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons of the pan juices for added flavour. Transfer chicken to a warm plate; set aside.
FOR THE SAUCE:
- Melt the butter in the same pan or skillet the chicken was seared in over medium heat, scraping any bits left over in the pan from the chicken with a spatula. Stir the butter and swirl the pan occasionally for about 3 minutes or until the foam settles; the butter begins to change in colour to golden brown and has a nutty fragrance.
- Pour in the honey and let it dissolve into the butter while mixing it through. Then add in the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the lemon juice; stir well to combine all of the flavours together.
AFTER MAKING THE SAUCE:
- Add the chicken back into to the browned butter/honey mixture in the pan.Cook SKIN SIDE UP for 5 minutes in the sauce, while occasionally basting the tops or skin with the pan juices. Reduce heat, cover skillet with a lid and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, while turning every 5 minutes or so until done. Season with a little extra salt and pepper, to your taste, if desired. Add in 2-3 tablespoons of chicken broth if the sauce becomes to thick (this is an option only).
- Transfer the skillet to your oven to broil (or grill) for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the tops of the chicken are nicely charred. (If serving with broccoli, move the chicken to one side of the pan and arrange your florets on the other side. Season broccoli with salt, pepper, a pinch of garlic powder and a drizzle of olive oil. For tender-charred broccoli, steam first. For crisp-charred broccoli, use raw.)
- ALTERNATIVELY FOR OVEN BAKED CHICKEN: Preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C. Sear chicken in an oven proof skillet or pan, skin side down first for 3 minutes. Flip and sear for a further 3 minutes until browned. Transfer chicken to a plate; make the sauce following recipe directions, then add the chicken into the sauce in the pan. Transfer to the oven for a further 20-25 minutes until completely cooked through and no longer pink inside. Change oven settings to broil (or grill), until nicely charred on the tops.
- To serve, add the lemon wedges around the chicken, garnish with parsley and drizzle with the pan juices. Serve with steamed vegetables; over rice or noodles, or with a salad!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was so well balanced, my family loved it. I made no substitutions and followed the recipe. Inaddes the chicken broth although it was optional.
My husband is a picky eater and this dish was a hit. Made it in a cast iron pan with boneless, skinless thighs and still came out perfect.
I made asparagus and rice as sides due to overall time constraints. This was an easy weeknight dinner – thanks for posting and the other good reviews!
My goodness, this was a fabulous, mouthwatering recipe. It taste like something you’d order from a 5 star restaurant! I made it last night using 2 breast tenderloins marinated in chicken broth overnight. I kept the sauce proportions as written. Made some garlic rice and poured the sauce over both the chicken and rice. It was easily the best dish I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for sharing. I’ll be trying all your recipes now!
Just made this and my son tore it up! I will need to double the recipe because the one pack of thighs were not enough for his greedy behind. The sauce was delicious. I just wish it didn’t take so long to cut off all the disgusting fat on the thighs.