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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. The sauce simmers until thick, then caramelizes on the hot chicken for a deep amber finish over rice.
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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: 850
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken coating
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs Cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • 1 cornstarch Use 1/2 cup for dredging (separate from sauce slurry).
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp white pepper
  • 1 egg Beaten.
Frying
  • Vegetable oil For frying; heat to 375°F.
Honey garlic sauce
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 6 garlic Minced (about 6 cloves).
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch Mixed with 2 tablespoons water for slurry (used in sauce).
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • sesame seeds and green onions For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Whisk together cornstarch, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, salt, and white pepper in a bowl until evenly combined.
  2. Dip the beaten egg into the flour mixture-dredge process by dipping each chicken piece in the beaten egg, then dredging in the cornstarch-flour mixture until coated.
Fry until shatteringly crisp
  1. Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet to 375°F, keeping the oil at that temperature before adding chicken.
  2. Fry the chicken in batches for 5-6 minutes, turning if needed, until deeply golden and cooked through with a crisp surface.
  3. Transfer fried chicken to a sheet pan to drain briefly while you fry the remaining batches.
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 the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency.
  3. Remove from the heat and stir in sesame oil until incorporated and fragrant.
Coat and serve
  1. Toss the hot crispy chicken in the honey garlic sauce until every bite is fully coated and the sauce clings.
  2. Serve the sauced chicken over steamed rice with sesame seeds and green onions on top.

Notes

For the crispiest texture, keep the oil at 375°F and avoid overcrowding the skillet so the chicken stays golden instead of steaming. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a single layer in a hot oven or air fryer to re-crisp. Freezing is not recommended for best crunch. For a gluten-free option, swap the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1:1 blend (and ensure soy sauce is gluten-free).