If you’re in a dinner slump, I have a solution that is 100% 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

Key ingredients in honey garlic sauce

Helpful swaps

What to serve with honey garlic sauce

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

4 cloves garlic, minced

For thickening (optional)

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Whisk 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if using together in a small bowl.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the honey mixture. (If you’d like a thicker sauce, whisk 1/4 cup water and 2 teaspoons cornstarch together, then whisk into the sauce at this point.)

3. Cook, whisking occasionally, until bubbling rapidly and the foam darkens slightly in color, 1 to 2 minutes.

Recipe note: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days.

(Patty Catalano is a food editor for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

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