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Crispy Chinese Honey Garlic Chicken

Crispy Chinese honey garlic chicken with shatteringly crunchy golden bites coated in a sticky, glossy honey garlic sauce that caramelizes into deep amber. Tossed hot for maximum crisp and served over steamed rice with sesame seeds and green onions.
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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
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken coating
  • 0.5 cup cornstarch
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp white pepper
  • 1 egg beaten
Chicken frying
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
  • vegetable oil for frying
Honey garlic sauce
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 6 garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp water for cornstarch slurry
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • sesame seeds and green onions for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Whisk together cornstarch, flour, garlic powder, salt, and white pepper in a bowl.
  2. Dip the chicken pieces in the beaten egg, then dredge in the flour mixture until evenly coated.
Fry until deep golden
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet to 375°F and keep it there.
  2. Fry the chicken in batches for 5-6 minutes until deep golden and cooked through.
  3. Transfer the fried chicken to a sheet pan or rack to drain briefly.
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 2-3 minutes, stirring, until thickened and glossy.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.
Toss and serve
  1. Toss the hot crispy chicken in the honey garlic sauce until fully coated.
  2. Serve over steamed rice topped with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the oil at 375°F and fry in batches so the temperature doesn’t drop—this is what keeps the coating shatter-crisp. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a hot oven or air-fryer to regain some crunch. Freezing isn’t recommended because the coating loses texture after thawing. For a lighter swap, use skinless chicken breast and reduce frying time by a couple minutes while checking doneness.