Asian Honey Chicken
by Chungah
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This Asian honey chicken is made with crispy golden brown chicken tossed in a sweet and savory irresistible honey glaze! Better than takeout!
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Why you’ll love this asian honey chicken
- Better than takeout. You have complete control over all of the ingredients, allowing you to avoid heavy oils and reduce sodium while tailoring it to your family’s liking, whether you want extra heat, more tang or less sugar.
- Crispy chicken. Say goodbye to soggy chicken in takeout boxes. Cooking at home means your chicken will stay perfectly crisp!
- Maximum cost savings. You can use inexpensive ingredients and pantry staples, costing just a fraction of restaurant or delivery prices, making this a budget-friendly option for the entire family.
- The sauce is pure gold. The sticky honey glaze coating the golden-brown crispy chicken is everything. All you need is a heaping bowl of steamed white rice for sopping.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil
This is 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
This will help thicken the sauce.
Honey
Honey is a key ingredient for the sweet, sticky and glossy sauce.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce will add salty, savory, umami flavors, blending so well with the rest of the flavors.
Apple cider vinegar
A little bit of acid will add flavor, balance, and a bit of sweetness to the sauce.
Sesame oil
Sesame oil will add a nutty flavor.
Crushed red pepper flakes
Add red pepper flakes for a kick of heat, or substitute Sriracha.
How to cook asian honey chicken
- Dredge the chicken. Coat the bite-sized pieces of chicken in the flour, then dip into the buttermilk, then coat in the flour again, shaking off the excess.
- Cook the chicken. Heat the vegetable oil to 350°F in a large cast iron skillet and cook the chicken in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
- Make the sauce. Combine the honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water) until thickened and glossy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve. Toss the crispy chicken with the warm sauce until evenly coated, and serve warm.
leftovers and storage
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating
Gently reheat on the stovetop over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Freezing
Avoid freezing as the crisp texture of the chicken will not hold up well upon thawing and reheating.
what to serve with asian honey chicken
Tools For This Recipe
Asian Honey Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
Use 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 but cooking times will vary.
Coconut aminos is an excellent substitute that is also gluten-free.
This is a mixture of equal parts cornstarch and cold liquid (ex. water or broth) used as a thickening agent, adding a glossy sheen (without requiring any fat) to soups, gravies and sauces.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, gently reheating on the stovetop until warmed through.
Asian Honey Chicken
Video
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 large bowl, combine chicken and sauce until evenly coated.
- Serve warm.
For the sauce
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water; set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium 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.
Equipment
Notes
- 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!
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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!