Sticky Honey Lime Chicken (Easy & Healthy Skillet Recipe)

This Sticky Honey Lime Chicken recipe makes a flavor-packed, healthy and inexpensive meal that the whole family will love. It is ideal for busy weeknights, because it is ready to eat in just over 20 minutes. Learn how to make Asian-style saucy lime chicken with this quick and easy recipe! 

UPDATE: This post was originally published in March 2018 and has been updated to reflect new information and helpful content.

You are going to absolutely adore this healthy chicken dinner recipe, because it is bursting with amazing tangy flavor and it is ready to eat in mere minutes. It features juicy chicken pieces cooked to crispy perfection on the stovetop and tossed in the most delicious honey lime sauce. To make it a complete and balanced meal, serve the chicken with rice, quinoa or a simple green salad.

How to Make Sticky Honey Lime Chicken

As always, full instructions are listed in the recipe below. But here is the outline of how to make this Honey Lime Chicken recipe, plus some helpful tips to ensure it comes out perfect:

1. Brown the chicken: Start by seasoning the chicken in a bit of salt of pepper. Using a pair of tongs, add the chicken pieces to a hot, oiled pan, topside down. Let the chicken cook for a few minutes, then flip it over and cook the other side. When you’re done, the chicken should be golden on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate. Tip: The chicken pieces are ready to be flipped when they release easily from the pan.
2. Mix up the honey lime sauce: Add the lime juice, tamari, honey, garlic and ginger to the pan. Stir to combine and let the sauce heat up until it is bubbling. Tip: Roll the limes on a flat surface, pressing down firmly, to loosen them up. Then cut them in half and use a citrus press to juice them. These two steps will ensure that you get maximum juice out of your limes.
3. Finish cooking the chicken in the sauce: At this point, the chicken is browned on the outside, but not cooked all the way through. Return the chicken to pan and allow it to finish cooking in the sauce. Be sure to flip the chicken over regularly so it stays coated in the honey lime sauce. Tip: Don’t forget to cover the pan! This is done to trap the heat and keep all the moisture in the pan while the chicken is cooking.

Where to Buy Organic Chicken and Other Meats

I am a huge advocate of only eating organic, humanely-raised chicken. This is because naturally-raised, organic meat is just so much more healthy, ethical, sustainable and flavorful than factory-farmed meat. And for the best-tasting organic chicken and other meats, I highly recommend using ButcherBox.

ButcherBox is a popular organic meat delivery service that delivers hormone-free and antibiotic-free cuts directly to your door. Their meat selection includes 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, free-range chicken, heritage breed pork, and wild-caught seafood.

If you want to learn more about ButcherBox, I have written a detailed Butcher Box Review here on the blog. But if you are interested in using another delivery company, I wrote an article called: The Best Organic Meat Delivery Services. In that article, I review and discuss other online organic meat delivery services (in addition to ButcherBox) that might work better for you.

Should You Remove Chicken Skin?

Chicken skin is known to be high in fat. However, according to the health experts at Harvard, most of the fat in chicken skin is healthy, unsaturated fat. In addition, cooking with the skin keeps the chicken flavorful and moist, so you don’t need to use potentially harmful seasoning or breading as a result. So if you’re cooking chicken, there’s no need to strip the skin. You can still enjoy skin-on chicken (which is used in this recipe) in moderation as a part of a healthy diet.

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More Healthy Chicken Recipes

Looking for more easy and wholesome chicken dinners? Here are some of my favorite recipes on the blog:

• Healthy Orange Chicken Stir-Fry
• Easy Coconut Chicken Curry
• Broccoli Chicken Quinoa
• Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry
• Honey Mustard Chicken

For This Honey Lime Chicken Recipe, I Recommend:

Here are a few pantry essentials that I suggest using to make this recipe. All of these ingredients can be ordered online from Thrive Market, which is an online retailer that sells healthy, organic food at wholesale prices. I like to think of it like Amazon (online retailer) meets Costco (wholesale prices) meets Whole Foods (all wholesome, junk-free foods).

• Avocado Oil – This is my favorite cooking oil to use for pan-frying, because it is one of the few oils with a high smoke point and neutral flavor that is actually good for you.
• Raw Honey – Not all packaged honey is created equal, so I recommend using one that is 100% pure, raw, and unfiltered for optimal health benefits.
• San-J Tamari – I prefer using tamari rather than soy sauce, because it is gluten-free and has a richer and milder taste than regular soy sauce. This particular brand of tamari is organic, contains 100% whole soybeans, and uses unique, natural fermentation process that gives it an amazing, delectable taste.

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the above items, you’ll need to get a Thrive Market membership. However, if you’re a reader of my website, you will get an exclusive bonus when you sign up:

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If you make this Sticky Honey Lime Chicken recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡

Sticky Honey Lime Chicken (Easy & Healthy Skillet Recipe)

Alia | Everyday Easy Eats

This Sticky Honey Lime Chicken recipe makes a flavor-packed, healthy and inexpensive meal that the whole family will love!

4.84 from 6 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Main

Cuisine American, Asian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 433 calories

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (such legs and thighs)
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 3 limes, juiced
• 1/4 cup organic tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Instructions

 

• Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for about 10 minutes or until golden brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, add the lime juice, tamari, honey, garlic and ginger. Stir to combine and heat until bubbling.
• Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, turning the chicken over occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165ºF using a meat thermometer.
• Serve warm with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Notes

1. If possible, I highly recommend using organic, pasture-raised chicken in this recipe.
2. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Sticky Honey Lime Chicken (Easy & Healthy Skillet Recipe)

Amount per Serving

Calories

433

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

28

g

43

%

Saturated Fat

 

7

g

44

%

Cholesterol

 

116

mg

39

%

Sodium

 

649

mg

28

%

Potassium

 

353

mg

10

%

Carbohydrates

 

16

g

5

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

12

g

13

%

Protein

 

30

g

60

%

Vitamin A

 

233

IU

5

%

Vitamin C

 

13

mg

16

%

Calcium

 

32

mg

3

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword Healthy Chicken Recipe, Honey Lime Chicken, Skillet Honey Lime Chicken, Sticky Honey Lime Chicken

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