This simple recipe will show you how to make perfectly crispy honey chilli chicken in just 30 minutes with a few everyday ingredients. With fried chicken in an irresistibly tasty 5-ingredient honey chilli sauce, you'll be surprised by how easy it is to make this Chinese takeaway favourite at home.
If you're thinking about which veggies to serve on the side, you'll be pleased to hear that stir-fried red peppers are included to make the dish a little healthier and reduce the hassle of cooking multiple side dishes.
Just like my Hong Kong Style Sweet and Sour Chicken and Salted Chilli Chicken, honey chilli chicken is a delicious, cheaper, healthier (and probably quicker) alternative to takeaway that you will be sure to make again and again.
The post contains additional information and helpful tips to ensure the recipe turns out great the first time. Please use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end if you are in a hurry!
6 reasons why you'll love this recipe:
- It's packed with flavour - perfectly crispy fried chicken in a sweet, salty and spicy 5-ingredient sauce.
- Quick and easy - you can get this tasty dish on the table in 30 minutes. A feasible option for any night of the week.
- It's cheaper and healthier than a takeaway, and probably quicker too.
- Uses simple everyday ingredients - no trips to an Asian grocery store required.
- Perfectly crispy chicken guaranteed in a few fail-safe steps
- Comes with added veggies - includes a tasty sauce with red peppers. Just add some rice and you have a meal.
🛒 Key ingredients and variations:
This tasty Honey Chilli Chicken recipe uses simple everyday ingredients. You should be able to find them all in your normal supermarket.
- Chicken thighs are juicier and more succulent than breast
- Fresh red chillies add heat to the dish
- Cornflour/cornstarch for dredging the chicken to give it a delicious light and crispy texture.
- Scallions/spring onions. Use the green parts to top the cooked crispy chicken.
- Neutral oil for frying with a high burn point like sunflower, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil. It cannot withstand high temperatures and has a lower burn point.
Sauce ingredients:
- Soy sauce for salty savouriness. Use regular light soy sauce. Dark soy sauce will make the sauce too rich.
- Rice vinegar for tanginess.
- Sweet chilli sauce. Any brand is fine. I often use Blue Dragon.
- Brown sugar for rich caramelly sweetness.
- Honey for more rich sweetness.
Substitutions:
- Chicken thighs: You can use breasts instead. Pork and beef can also be used.
- Fresh red chilli - you can add chilli flakes to the sauce instead or omit if you are sensitive to spice.
- Red peppers - use any other vegetables that stir-fry well, including courgette/zucchini or green beans. You may also choose to omit the veggies and serve some different veggies on the side.
- Cornflour/cornstarch: You can use rice flour instead, but I do not advise using plain flour because it will absorb more moisture and make the chicken greasy.
- Rice vinegar: You can use apple cider vinegar instead.
- Brown sugar: You can substitute with the same amount of white sugar.
Variations:
- Honey chilli pork or beef: switch the chicken for the same amount of pork or beef.
- Vegetarian/vegan alternative: make the dish with crispy fried tofu instead of chicken.
- Skip the cornflour and fry the chicken thighs in a little oil for a healthier and lighter dish.
🧑🍳 Recipe steps
Step 1: Make the sauce by mixing the soy sauce, honey, sweet chilli sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar/apple cider vinegar in a small jug or bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Mix a little garlic powder and white pepper with the cornflour/cornstarch in a bowl and add the chicken pieces. Mix with your hands until the chicken is evenly coated with cornflour.
Step 3: Place a frying pan on a medium to high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken pieces when the oil is hot and cook for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan when it starts to turn brown and crisp up and set aside.
Top tip: check the chicken is done by cutting into the largest piece. If the flesh is white and opaque you are good to go. If it is pink and translucent cook it for a little longer.
Step 4: Carefully remove most of the oil from the pan or add 1 tablespoon of oil to a fresh pan. Place the pan on a medium to high heat and add the garlic, chilli and ginger and fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Then add the red peppers and fry for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
Important safety tip: Be very careful when removing the hot oil from the pan. Ensure it does not come into contact with water and carefully pour it into a Pyrex heat-proof jug or bowl and set it aside in a place where there is no risk of it being knocked over by you or anyone else in your household. Do not pour it down the sink. Instead, transfer it to a container with a lid when it is cool and dispose of it in your normal waste bin.
Step 5: Pour on the sauce and let it reduce for a few seconds. Add the cooked chicken pieces and serve immediately with rice topped with spring onions/scallions and sesame seeds.
Expert Tips
- Don't skip the cornflour/cornstarch - it gives the chicken its crispy coating and is worth a few extra minutes and an additional bowl to wash up.
- Add enough oil to the pan - ensure you have 0.5cm/1/4 inch of oil in your pan. This may seem like a lot but most of it will still be in the pan when you are done.
- Add the chicken to the pan when the oil is hot - if you add the chicken to the pan too soon it will be soggy and greasy. For perfectly crisp chicken, check whether the oil is ready by dropping a breadcrumb into the pan. If it sizzles up the oil is ready. If the crumb sinks it needs longer.
Serving suggestions:
Oh so tasty and satisfying, this crispy and sweet chilli chicken doesn't call for anything more than a side of steamed rice, however, there are lots of side-dish options if you are feeding a crowd or fancy something extra:
- Egg fried rice
- Noodles: like Chicken Chow Mein, Bean Sprout Chow Mein, Special Chow Mein or Singapore Chow Mein.
- Stir-fried vegetables like pak choi, choi sum or broccoli
- Chinese Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup
- A light refreshing salad like this Mooli Salad with carrot and cucumber
🙋 FAQs
Adding the chicken to the pan before the oil is hot is the most common cause of greasy and soggy chicken. Test the oil is hot enough to start cooking by adding a breadcrumb to the pan. If it sizzles up you are good to go but if it sinks you need to leave the oil to heat up for a little longer and test again.
You can substitute the cornflour/cornstarch with rice flour, but I do not advise using plain flour because it will absorb more moisture and make the chicken greasy.
The fresh chilli and sweet chilli sauce give the dish a medium level of heat. If you are sensitive to spice you can omit the fresh chilli.
Chicken is done when it turns crispy and golden brown. If in doubt, you can cut into one of the large pieces to check that the flesh is white. If it's still pink you'll need to cook it for longer.
Honey chilli chicken tastes best when eaten fresh. When the dish is ready, serve it immediately. This isn't one you should leave hanging around. You can store the cooked honey chilli chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days, but it will lose its crispy deliciousness. Make sure you reheat it thoroughly on the stove or in the microwave before you eat it. This dish is not suitable for freezing.
Did you try this recipe? It would be really great if you could leave a comment and a star rating ⭐️. I would love to receive your feedback and know that other readers find it helpful too.
Don't forget to tag #knifeandsoulrecipes on Instagram or @knifeandsoul on Pinterest!
📖 Recipe
Honey Chilli Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Honey Chilli Chicken:
- 2 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch (Note 4)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp Pinch of white pepper optional
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 chicken thighs cut into bite-sized chunks (Note 5)
- vegetable or sunflower oil for frying (Note 6)
- 2 cm (1 inch) fresh ginger finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 red chilli de-seeded and chopped (Note
- 2 large red or green peppers cut into bite-sized pieces (Note
To serve:
- 2 spring onions/scallions green parts only thinly sliced
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small jug or bowl and set aside.
- Mix the cornflour/cornstarch, garlic powder, and optional white pepper in a medium-sized bowl that is large enough to hold the chicken pieces.
- Place the chicken pieces in the bowl and mix with your hands until they are evenly coated with the flour mixture.
- Put a frying pan on a high heat and add around 0.5cm or ¼ inch oil. Add chicken when the oil is hot (Note 2) and fry for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside when it is crispy on the outside and cooked in the middle. (Note 7)
- Carefully remove the excess oil from the pan or use a clean frying pan (you should be left with about a tablespoon - Note 8). Fry the chilli, garlic and ginger for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and add the peppers and fry for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
- Pour in the sauce let it reduce for a few seconds before adding the chicken pieces.
- Serve immediately with rice, topped with spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
- Soy sauce: Use regular light soy sauce. Dark soy sauce will make the sauce too rich.
- Brown sugar: Substitute with the same amount of white sugar.
- Sweet chilli sauce: Any brand is fine. I often use Blue Dragon.
- Cornflour/cornstarch: You can use rice flour instead, but I do not advise using plain flour because it will absorb more moisture and make the chicken greasy.
- Chicken thighs: You can use breasts instead, but the cooked chicken won't be as juicy. Pork and beef can also be used.
- Oil for frying: Choose an oil with a high burn point like sunflower oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Olive oil is not suitable for this recipe.
- Check the oil is ready by dropping a breadcrumb into the pan. If it sizzles up the oil is ready. If the crumb sinks it needs longer.
- Checking doneness: Chicken pieces are cooked when they are white and opaque in the middle. If in doubt, cut the largest piece in half to check.
- Safety tip: Be very careful when removing the hot oil from the pan. Ensure it does not come into contact with water and carefully pour it into a Pyrex heat-proof jug or bowl and set it aside in a place where there is no risk of it being knocked over by you or anyone else in your household. Do not pour it down the sink. Instead, transfer it to a container with a lid when it is cool and dispose of it in your normal waste bin.
Absolutely delicious, my kids raved about how authentic it tasted!
Thanks for letting me know. So glad you and your kids enjoyed it!
I made this for dinner last night and it was amazing, used pork instead of chicken, this is definitely going to be a regular in our home.
Thank you for the lovely comment, Remi. I'm really glad you enjoyed this recipe. I can imagine it would taste great with pork too.