I’m always looking for more simple ways to prepare chicken. This Brown Sugar Chicken uses a really simple method…cooking in a skillet! It comes together much quicker than baking.
Even though the name is brown sugar chicken, its actually quite low in sugar, since your only using one teaspoon per serving, and I used a non-processed sugar called coconut palm sugar. If you haven’t used coconut palm sugar before, I highly suggest you get some. You can find it in any health food store, and even some big box stores like Costco are carrying it in larger packages. Its low glycemic index, and I pretty much use it in anything that calls for “brown sugar”. It melts a bit different than regular brown sugar. Since its not processed as much, I find it remains a touch crunchier and takes longer for it to melt down, but that’s totally ok, and actually welcomed in this recipe!
As for cooking time, it will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts, but overall, it takes quite a bit less time than baking.
I love when chicken has a sweet sauce. It just seems to go well together. This recipe is really versatile, and great as is, or you could also use the leftover chicken and transform it with the addition of another sauce or condiment eg. hot sauce or mustard.
So the next time you have some fresh chicken breasts around, or some frozen ones thawing that you have no idea what to do with …make yourself some Brown Sugar Chicken and you’ll be amazed how something so simple, could be so good!
- 4 x 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ tsp pepper (or to taste)
- 1½ Tbsp salted butter
- 4 tsp coconut palm sugar (or sucanat)
- Pat your chicken breasts until dry. If they are thicker on one end and thinner on the other, pound them out a bit between 2 sheets of plastic wrap so they are even thickness.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Sprinkle pepper over the chicken breasts.
- Melt the butter in your skillet and place the raw chicken breasts in the pan. Cook until browned on one side (depending on the thickness of your breasts, it will be about 5-7 min per side).
- Add the garlic to the pan when you're flipping it to the second side. If you add it too early in the pan, there's a chance it will burn.
- Once chicken is almost cooked, flip it over in the pan again to have a hot side up. Sprinkle each chicken breast with 1 tsp of coconut sugar. The heat of the chicken itself will melt it down. If it needs a touch of help, a sheet of tin foil or a lid on for a minute will do the trick.