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Skip the take-out and make this Crispy Honey Chicken recipe at home today! They’re sticky, sweet, and so crispy. The crunch is absolutely addictive! These tempura batter coated chicken bites are double fried to golden perfection then topped with a sweet honey sauce, the whole family will love this recipe.
You won’t be able to stop eating these delicious pieces of crispy honey chicken. They’re tasty, addictive, and the crunch is absolutely satisfying. This easy chicken recipe is full of flavor and perfect for a busy weeknight and a great alternative to take-out. Serve it over a bowl of rice for the perfect dinner.
If you’re looking for another crispy chicken recipe, you have to try my Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders, Honey Chilli Chicken or my Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken. They’re so delicious and a crowd-pleaser. Your family will be begging you to make them again and again.
Why You’ll Love This Chinese Honey Chicken
- A light but crispy crust. Coated in tempura batter, this crispy honey chicken is so light but crispy! The coating doesn’t feel heavy at all.
- A delicious sauce. The honey sauce paired with chicken is the perfect combination of sweet and savory.
- A family favorite. The kids devour these little nuggets of crispy chicken. Trust me, there’s never any left at the end of dinner.
Crispy Honey Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken tenders: chicken tenders are easier to cut into bite-sized chunks.
- Marinade: I use salt, pepper, soy sauce, and cornstarch for the honey chicken marinade.
- Tempura batter: for that crispy coating on the chicken, you’ll need cornstarch, all-purpose flour, baking powder, water, and egg whites.
- Honey sauce: for the sauce to coat the crispy chicken, you’ll need honey, glucose/or corn syrup, and soy sauce.
- Garnish: for garnish, I use green onions and sesame seeds.
- Oil: for frying.
How To Make Crispy Honey Chicken
- Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, soy sauce, and a tablespoon of cornstarch. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Coat the chicken: Coat the chicken with the rest of the cornstarch. Repeat the same with the raining chicken pieces and keep them aside. In a medium bowl mix the ingredients to create tempura batter; flour, baking powder, water, and egg whites until smooth. Add the chicken cubes and coat them well in the batter.
- Fry the chicken: Deep fry the chicken cubes for 4-5 minutes. Remove the fried chicken from oil and add the next batch. Once all the chicken cubes are fried, double fry the chicken again until golden and crispy.
- Make the honey coating: In a skillet add honey, glucose or corn syrup, and soy sauce. Bring to simmer until the sauce turns bubbly (2-3 minutes).
- Coat the chicken with the honey sauce and garnish: Add the chicken back to the pan, toss the chicken until coated with honey sauce. Finally, sprinkle some sesame seeds and green onions, toss and serve while it is still warm.
Tips and Notes
- Make sure the oil is not at the highest heat setting otherwise it will splatter.
- If the temperature is too high, the outside of the chicken will burn before the inside cooks.
- When frying, I recommend using a Dutch oven as it is great at keeping the temperature steady. The high sides also help keep splattering to a minimum.
- Avoid adding too many pieces of chicken into the oil at once as it will drop the temperature of the oil.
- Double frying the chicken ensures that the chicken gets super crispy. Don’t skip that step!
- Be sure the temperature of the oil reaches at least 350 F. If the chicken is added to the oil too early on, the chicken will be greasy as it absorbs a lot more oil.
Honey Chicken Variations
- Add in vegetable: Add a variation of your favorite veggies to load up the dish. I suggest steaming them first and then adding in towards the end because vegetables release liquids and you don’t want to make the chicken soggy.
- Use different cut of chicken: If you are like me, I very much enjoy chicken thighs more. Swap chicken breast with chicken thighs.
- Add heat: Make this spicy by adding in some chili flakes or sriracha sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both chicken tenders, breasts, or thighs are perfect for this honey chicken recipe. Just make sure your internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 F as chicken thighs take a little more time to cook.
You want to make sure you use oil with a high smoke point so it doesn’t burn. The most common and easy to access oil is canola oil and vegetable oil. However, peanut oil and corn oil can be used as well!
I recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should be 165F when you insert it into the middle.
This crispy honey chicken recipe is best eaten immediately for the best texture. However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Even better, don’t coat the chicken you don’t think you’ll be able to eat so they stay crispy longer. When ready to eat, reheat them in the oven so they stay crispy!
Similar to PF Chang’s crispy honey chicken, these go really well with steamed white rice. You can also serve it with brown white, quinoa, noodles, or cauliflower rice.
Honey chicken sauce is made of honey, soy sauce and either glucose or corn syrup to thicken up the sauce. You can also use chili flake or sriracha to spice up the sauce.
More Easy Asian Recipes You’ll Love
- Baked Teriyaki Salmon
- Easy Chicken Lo Mein
- Spicy Sriracha Chicken
- Mongolian Chicken
- Easy Beef Lo Mein Recipe
- Healthy Orange Chicken
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Crispy Honey Chicken recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!
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Crispy Honey Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 1 lb. chicken tenderloins, cubed
- ½ tsp. salt, or more to taste
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
For Tempura Batter:
- 1 cup corn starch, to coat the chicken
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsps. baking powder
- 1 cup water, chilled
- 1 whole egg white
- Oil, to deep fry
For the Honey Sauce:
- ¼ cup raw honey
- 3 tbsps. lite corn syrup, or glucose
- 1½ tbsps. soy sauce
- 2 tbsps. green onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. sesame seeds, to garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, soy sauce and a tablespoon of cornstarch. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Take a wide plate, spread the remaining cornstarch and coat the chicken evenly all over. Repeat the same with the raining chicken pieces and keep it aside.
- In a medium bowl mix the ingredients to create tempura batter; flour, baking powder, water and egg whites until smooth.
- Add the chicken cubes and coat them well in the batter. Deep fry the chicken cubes for 4-5 minutes. Remove the fried chicken from oil and add the next batch.
- Once all the chicken cubes are fried , double fry the chicken again until golden and crispy.
- In a skillet add honey, corn or glucose syrup and soy sauce. Bring to simmer until the sauce turns bubbly (2-3 minutes)
- Add the chicken back to the pan, toss the chicken until coated with honey sauce.
- Finally sprinkle some sesame seeds and green onions, toss and serve while it is still warm.
Video
Notes
- Make sure the oil is not at the highest heat setting otherwise it will splatter.
- If the temperature is too high, the outside of the chicken will burn before the inside cooks.
- When frying, I recommend using a Dutch oven as it is great at keeping the temperature steady. The high sides also help keep splattering to a minimum.
- Avoid adding too many pieces of chicken into the oil at once as it will drop the temperature of the oil.
- Double frying the chicken ensures that the chicken gets super crispy. Don’t skip that step!
- The longer you let the chicken marinate, the better!
- Be sure the temperature of the oil reaches at least 350 F. If the chicken is added to the oil too early on, the chicken will be greasy as it absorbs a lot more oil.
This dish looks 5 Star, I’m going to try it over the next few days, thanks for the recipe.
Hi Gail, can’t wait to hear back from you.