Asian Honey Chicken
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A take-out favorite that you can easily make right at home – and the homemade version tastes a million times better!
Featured Comment
reasons to make asian honey chicken at home
- Takeout favorite
- Budget-friendly
- Saves time
- Made with fresh ingredients
Ingredients
Vegetable oil
A great all-purpose oil with a high smoke point and neutral flavor.
Chicken
Breast, thighs or even tenderloins can be used here depending on personal preference.
Flour and Buttermilk
Coating the chicken in flour, buttermilk and flour again will help achieve that crispy crust and tender meat.
Cornstarch
To help thicken the sauce.
Honey
The key ingredient for the sweet sauce.
Soy Sauce
Adding salty, savory, umami flavors, blending so well with the rest of the flavors.
Apple cider vinegar
A little bit of acid to add flavor, balance and a bit of sweetness to the sauce.
Sesame oil
Adds a nutty flavor.
Crushed red pepper flakes
For added heat. Sriracha can also be used.
tips and tricks for success
- Use a cast iron skillet. A cast iron skillet is ideal here for even heat distribution for the hot oil.
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor.
- Cook in batches. If too much chicken is added at once, the oil temperature will drop and the chicken will absorb too much oil, resulting in soggy chicken.
- Mix it up. Use pork or shrimp in place of the chicken.
- Double the sauce. Need extra sauce for sopping with rice? The sauce portion can easily be doubled or tripled for those saucy folks!
leftovers and storage
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Freezing
We do not recommend freezing as the crisp texture will not hold up well in the freezer.
what to serve with asian honey chicken
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Asian Honey Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend using a neutral oil with a high smoke point such as vegetable oil, canola oil or peanut oil.
Absolutely! Chicken breasts, thighs or tenderloins can be used.
Coconut aminos is a great substitute that is also gluten-free.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Asian Honey Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour, dip into buttermilk, then dredge in flour again, pressing to coat.
- Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet, 3 or 4 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water; set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir in cornstarch mixture until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- Serve chicken immediately, drizzled with honey glaze.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
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Do you absolutely need the sesame oil for the glaze? I don’t have any and really want to make this. Help please.
Cindy, it’s best to use all the ingredients listed out for the best results possible.
I used coconut oil this time. But I have used regular oil before. It still turns out good, but the sesame or coconut oil gives it a different flavor! Hope this helps
Do you think this recipe would work with tofu?
I’ve never tried it myself but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. You may have to adjust cooking time as needed though.
Ok so far I’ve made the honey chicken, the potstickers but with chicken and the teriyaki chicken….. I’m practically an expert!!!! Everything came out amazing….. The sauces and glazes are sooooo good. Thank you so much! These recipes are really authentic !
Mmmm, looks and sounds ah-mazing! Thanks for the recipe, I love this!
Any suggested substitutes for the buttermilk?
Yes, you can create a buttermilk substitute with 1 scant cup milk (whole, 2%, or heavy cream) and
1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar. Just be sure to let the mixture sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
Could you substitute with a corn starch/egg dredge instead? Don’t have buttermilk at the moment!
It’s really best to use the ingredients listed to obtain the best results possible. You can certainly use cornstarch/egg instead but I cannot speak for how much this will change the taste/texture of the overall dish.
Do you offer the nutritional info for your recipes? It’d be so great to see the breakdown of calories, protein, carbs, fiber, etc. Thanks!
Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing the nutritional information for my recipes. Please use online resources at your discretion to obtain such information.
Yes this recipe is Damn Delicious. I did add some steamed carrots and celery and garlic and of course scallions. I served it with Jasmine Rice and it was wonderful.
PS: I doubled the sauce because we like sauces and I wanted to have enough when serving over the rice.
A definite keeper recipe!
I was wondering about the sesame oil…is there a potential substitute? Or, is it easy to find? I’m a bit, um, challenged when it comes to the culinary arts, but this sounds amazing and easy enough for even me! 🙂
Yes, it should be very easy to find at your local grocery store.
If I don’t use sesame oil, will it change the taste of the recipe drastically?
With only 1 teaspoon, it will not make a huge difference.
I found this on TasteSpotting yesterday and made it last night for dinner. It was a hit! Thank you for sharing. I will make this again for certain!!! 🙂
Do you think I can used almond flour instead of the regular flour? Can’t wait to try this.
I don’t see why that wouldn’t work – although I really can’t speak for how much this will change the taste/texture of the overall dish.
Wowser delicious and so doable. I am very very very glad you like to recreate Asian food at home. I love this dish, when I order out. Thank you for making me feel like I can do this myself.
I love this! Yum! 🙂
Such a lovely photo! I can never pass on Asian food! This looks incredible!
My family never tires of Asian-inspired chicken dishes, so love this! Will add it to the dinner rotation soon.
This chicken looks amazing!
WHOA! That looks so perfect and so inviting! I want that bowl near my face!!
Thanks for sharing!!! I love all of your delicious take out style food made at home. I never have to buy take out again!
Anisa – The Macadames.
http://www.themacadames.com
Your homemade dish looks fabulous! That honey glaze would be my favorite part. And that top shot you took while drizzling it on? So perfect and impressive! I’ve never had the guts to take an action shot like that. I’d either concentrate too hard on drizzling that I’d forget to click the shutter, or I’d focus on remember to take the shot and miss with the drizzle. Definitely takes coordination and skill! 🙂
Love that honey glaze, this is a must try!