Name: Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts; salt and pepper (to season the chicken); 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 Tbsp water; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

An easy way to add flavor to your chicken breasts that’s ready in 25 minutes!

Close up of three cooked chicken breasts covered in a glossy brown sugar sauce.

Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken Overview

Brown sugar garlic chicken is made with seasoned chicken breasts in a sweet brown sugar garlic sauce. The entire recipe can be prepped and made less than 30 minutes!

First the chicken is seasoned and added to a baking dish. Next, the sauce ingredients are mixed together in a bowl and poured over the chicken. Add it to the oven to bake for 20 minutes, and this recipe is ready to serve! It’s so easy and flavorful.

A plate with raw chicken breasts, and small bowls with brown sugar, olive oil, and a small plate with spices

Recipe Ingredients

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
olive oil – to brush on chicken
salt and pepper – to season the chicken

For The Sauce:

¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

A plate with seasoned raw chicken breasts, and a before after of a bowl of brown sugar with spices, then turned into brown liquid.

How To Make Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken

Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Brush a bit of olive oil over both sides of the chicken then season each with salt and pepper.

STEP 2: In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp water, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp ground black pepper.

Three images of a round baking dish. First has raw seasoned chicken, second has brown sugar sauce, third has cooked brown sugar chicken breasts.

STEP 3: Place the chicken in the baking dish and pour the brown sugar sauce over top.

STEP 4: Place the dish in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F with a meat thermometer.

STEP 5: Remove from the oven and add to serving plates. Drizzle the liquid from the baking dish over top of the cooked chicken. This sauce also tastes great drizzled over pasta and rice!

Close up of cooked brown sugar chicken breasts in a baking dish.

Recipe Tips

Generously season each raw chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides. This will add more flavor.
To ensure that your chicken is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, which should reach 165°F.
After cooking, let your chicken breast rest for a few minutes before slicing it. This will allow the juices to redistribute and make your chicken more tender and juicy.
The brown sugar sauce is not thick. It’s perfect for drizzling over top of rice or pasta.

How To Store Leftovers

Refrigerate – Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To Reheat – Reheat in the microwave for a minute or two. Or reheat in the oven at 375°F until the chicken is heated through, about 5-10 minutes.

Close up of cooked chicken breasts in a brown liquid with spices.

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Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken

4.34 from 12 votes

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper - to season the chicken

For The Sauce:

¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp water, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp ground black pepper.
Place the chicken in the baking dish and pour the brown sugar sauce over top.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F with a meat thermometer.
Remove from the oven and add to serving plates. Drizzle the liquid from the baking dish over top of the cooked chicken. This sauce also tastes great drizzled over pasta and rice!

Nutrition

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.

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Kelly

Friday 13th of December 2024

Olive Oil is mentioned in the photograph, but not in the recipe. Where does it go?

Andi

Sunday 15th of December 2024

Thanks for letting me know! I've updated the recipe :)

Melissa

Friday 6th of December 2024

How much olive oil?

A bit of olive oil is brushed on the chicken with seasoning before adding the sauce.