Air Fryer Honey Chicken (aka the easiest, glossiest chicken you’ll ever make)
Let’s just start with this: if your air fryer isn’t already your bestie, this honey chicken will absolutely seal the deal. I’m talking juicy, golden, sweet-and-savory perfection with basically zero effort. No marinade. No deep frying. No drama. Just vibes. ✨
So, what is this magic chicken?
Imagine crispy-edged, juicy chicken with a honey-balsamic glaze that makes it look like it came from a trendy downtown restaurant but actually took you less time than doomscrolling TikTok for 10 minutes. Yep, we’re in our domestic era now.
And the best part? The glaze is only five ingredients. FIVE. That’s fewer ingredients than a PSL.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Honey 🍯 – sticky, sweet, and straight-up glow-up material for your chicken
- Balsamic vinegar glaze – tangy and luxe, gives it that caramelized look
- Freeze-dried thyme – a little herby edge to keep things interesting
- Salt + pepper – don’t skip ‘em. Ever.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs… IMO thighs bring the flavor, but my fam prefers breasts)
Bonus: Fun Food Fact 🎓
Balsamic glaze isn’t just fancy vinegar. It’s vinegar that’s been reduced down to a syrup, which makes it sweeter, thicker, and absolute gold in glazes like this one. You can buy it pre-made (lazy genius) or reduce regular balsamic on your stove if you’re feeling extra.
How to serve it:
- Over fluffy rice with some roasted veggies
- Sliced into a salad for max main-character energy
- In a sandwich with melty cheese and greens (hello, leftovers!)
So yeah—this Air Fryer Honey Chicken is giving weeknight hero, date night show-off, and meal prep MVP all in one. Go ahead and make it. You’ll be in your “wait…I cooked this??” era in no time.
Air Fryer Honey Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar glaze
- 1 tea freeze-dried thyme
- Salt + pepper
- 1-1.5 LBS Boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Yes, we’re giving it a 5-minute warm-up.
- Pat your chicken dry and season with salt, pepper.
- Mix up your honey + balsamic glaze, add in thyme, salt, and pepper. It’s glossy. It’s dreamy. It smells incredible already.
- Score your chicken with a knife, that way all the juice gets into the chicken breast. Brush or drizzle that glaze all over the chicken.
- Into the air fryer they go! Cook for about 25 minutes total, flipping the chicken every 5 minutes so all sides get that sticky, golden crust. You’re basically basting with flavor every time you flip. Pro tip.
- Once they’re gorgeously browned and cooked through, let them rest for 10 minutes. This part is ✨ crucial ✨ — it locks in the juiciness like a pro.
