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Crispy Chinese Honey Garlic Chicken

Crispy Chinese honey garlic chicken with shatteringly crisp golden bites coated in a glossy honey-garlic sauce that caramelizes into deep amber. This Chinese chicken recipe delivers better-than-takeout crunch with a quick 2-step sauce and a toss coating for sticky, flavorful coverage.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken dredge
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs Cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • 0.5 cup cornstarch For dredging and crisping.
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour Helps form a crisp coating.
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp white pepper
  • 1 large egg Beaten.
  • 1 vegetable oil For frying; keep enough for 2 inches in the pan.
Honey garlic sauce
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 6 garlic Minced (6 cloves).
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch Mixed with 2 tablespoons water for slurry.
  • 2 tbsp water For cornstarch slurry.
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 sesame seeds For garnish.
  • 1 green onions Sliced for garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Dredge the chicken
  1. Whisk together cornstarch, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, salt, and white pepper.
  2. Dip the beaten large egg into the coating mixture, then dredge the chicken pieces in the flour-cornstarch mix until coated.
Fry until shatter-crisp
  1. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 375°F.
  2. Fry chicken in batches for 5-6 minutes until golden and cooked through, then drain on a sheet pan.
Make the honey garlic sauce
  1. Combine honey, soy sauce, garlic, and rice vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
  2. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil for a glossy finish.
Coat and serve
  1. Toss the crispy chicken in the honey garlic sauce until fully coated and sticky.
  2. Serve over steamed rice topped with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

For maximum crunch, fry in batches so the oil stays near 375°F, and toss with sauce right before serving so the coating stays crisp. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a hot oven/air fryer to re-crisp. Freezing isn’t recommended because the sauce can soften the crust. If you need a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend in place of all-purpose flour.