Description
Crispy chinese honey garlic chicken brings together golden-brown chicken with a glossy, tangy-sweet sauce that clings to every bite, and it’s easier to make than you’d expect at home. Garlic and honey create that restaurant-quality flavor you keep ordering takeout for, except here you’re cooking it yourself in about thirty minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken:
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 0.5 cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil
Honey Garlic Sauce:
- 0.33 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 0.25 cup water
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 0.25 cup chopped green onions
Instructions
- Cut 1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs or breasts into bite-sized pieces so they cook evenly throughout.
- Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper with your chicken pieces and mix well.
- Place 1/2 cup cornstarch in one shallow bowl and pour 2 beaten large eggs into another bowl for your coating station.
- Dredge each chicken piece in the cornstarch, shake off any excess, then dip it into the beaten eggs until fully coated.
- Pour 1/2 cup vegetable oil into a large skillet or wok and heat it to medium-high temperature until it shimmers, about 2-3 minutes.
- Working in batches so your chicken doesn’t crowd the pan, fry the pieces for 3-4 minutes per side at medium-high heat until golden and crispy on all surfaces.
- Transfer your finished chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil while you prepare the sauce.
- Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil to a separate skillet or wok and warm it over medium heat for about 1 minute.
- Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for exactly 1 minute at medium heat until the aroma becomes fragrant.
- Pour in 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, and 1/4 cup water, then let the mixture simmer at medium heat.
- Create a slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, then stir it into your simmering sauce at medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.
- Return all your fried chicken to the skillet with the sauce and toss everything together for 1-2 minutes at medium heat until each piece gets evenly coated.
- Transfer your chicken to a serving dish and sprinkle sesame seeds and chopped green onions over the top before serving immediately.
Notes
- Double-dredge your chicken by coating it in cornstarch first, then egg, then a second light dusting of cornstarch for extra crispiness that stays crispy even after the sauce coats it.
- Don’t skip draining the fried chicken on paper towels, as this removes excess oil so your final dish tastes light rather than greasy.
- Make your cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) before you start the sauce so it’s ready to go when the honey mixture simmers, preventing lumps from forming.
- Toss the chicken gently in the sauce for just a minute or two rather than letting it sit, keeping the coating crispy instead of soggy; add it right before serving if your chicken sits around.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: More Fried Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 475 kcal
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg