If you’re in a dinner slump, I have a solution that is 100 percent guaranteed to excite your taste buds. The secret to turning bland chicken breast and boring baked fish into something that you actually look forward to eating is adding a sauce. Restaurants add flavor-packed sauces to simple proteins to elevate their menus every day, and there’s no reason why you can’t do the same.
There’s a sauce for every flavor, from a sunny lemon-butter to spicy Viet-Cajun and beyond. The sauces that I rely on most often are made from ingredients that I always have on hand that up any protein I’m serving it with. One of my favorites is my honey garlic sauce. Made with fresh garlic, sweet honey, savory soy sauce, and tangy vinegar, it makes everything I spoon it on delicious. What’s even better is that it comes together in just 10 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- The ultimate sweet and savory flavor. Sweet honey, savory fresh garlic, and soy sauce are balanced with vinegar for a glossy sauce that is completely irresistible.
- Makes everything taste better. Spoon this sauce over everything from chicken wings to shrimp, salmon, tofu, and more.
Key Ingredients in Honey Garlic Sauce
- Honey: Honey adds sweetness and body to the sauce.
- Garlic: You’ll need 4 garlic cloves for this recipe.
- Soy sauce: This recipe was tested with regular soy sauce and tamari. If you use the low-sodium version, you may need to add additional salt to taste.
- Vinegar: A splash of acid balances the flavor of this sweet and savory sauce. Use apple cider, rice, or distilled white vinegar.
- Cornstarch: An optional slurry of cornstarch and water thickens the glossy sauce, helping it cling to your food.
Helpful Swaps
- Soy sauce can be replaced with tamari for a gluten-free sauce.
- Choose among the vinegar options in the ingredient list, or use what you have in your pantry. The same amount of freshly squeezed lime juice can also be used instead.
- For a spicy honey garlic sauce, add red pepper flakes to the sauce or use hot honey in place of regular honey.
What to Serve With Honey Garlic Sauce
- Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
- Stovetop Shrimp
- Pan-Seared Salmon
- Easy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Crispy Baked Tofu
Honey Garlic Sauce
Serves 4- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil or alternative
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
