Honey chilli chicken is a perfect weeknight supper for two. Delicious tender chicken, coated with a sticky sauce with just the right amount of heat! All cooked in one pot, ready in less than half an hour with no deep frying!
Honey Chilli Chicken
Far better and faster than ordering a takeaway this honey chilli chicken is so easy to make at home with store cupboard ingredients! Simply cook the chicken, heat up the sauce and you are ready to serve.
See also
- Quick chicken curry is fast to make, adaptable, and ready before takeout would arrive
- Set and forget slow cooker chicken casserole, rich and flavourful
- A delicious combo: chicken & bacon pasta.
- All my chicken dishes
Even better this is all made in one pan, and takes less than half an hour, making it perfect for a mid week afterwork dinner.
Serve it as is for a tasty starter, or cook some rice and vegetables to make it into a main!
Why make fakeaway honey chilli chicken
- Quick – ready in 30 minutes
- Adaptable! Add more or less of the ingredients and adjust the flavour to your taste
- One pan – less washing up!
- It’s UPF free (depending on the brands you use) and on your table faster than a delivery
Honey chilli chicken ingredients
This looks like lots of ingredients but once you start cooking Chinese / Asian style fakeaways at home you will use them again and again.
- Chicken – Thighs are always my first choice when making a dish with small pieces of chicken which are going to be fried. Thighs are fattier have more flavour and a better texture once cooked. They are also cheaper than chicken breasts.
This recipe uses filleted thighs. You can either buy them ready-prepared, or remove the skin and fillet yourself. Pop both into a bag the freezer for the next time you make chicken stock.
- Cornflour / cornstarch – to coat the chicken and thicken the sauce.
- Ginger and garlic – Essential for the flavour.
Helen’s Pro Tip
If you regularly cook Asian / Indian style food where many recipes use ginger and garlic paste, buy jars of ready prepared ginger and garlic paste. It will save you lots of time (and your fingers from the grater). Once you open a jar portion the leftovers into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen store in an airtight plastic box until needed. A cube can easily be cut in half from frozen.
For a speedy defrost place in a small bowl that you have warmed with hot water.
- Honey – Any regular runny honey. that does not have too strong a flavour. You could also use maple syrup.
- Ketchup – regular tomato ketchup – whatever you have.
- Chilli Sauce / Siracha – Your favourite – you can vary the heat here to taste.
- Toasted sesame oil – for that nutty flavour – regular sesame oil has very little taste – don’t confuse the two
- Soy Sauce – I’ve used dark, but any will do – light, dark, sweet or tamari
- Rice Vinegar – I appreciate that this is not an everyday ingredient, and there is no need to buy some for this one recipe (although it does last for ages). Substitutions include mirin (or sake), a sweet apple cider vinegar, sherry, or any other light coloured vinegar with a pinch of sugar
How to make honey chili chicken – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces – I almost always use a sharp pair of kitchen scissors as I find it the easiest and fastest way.
Add the cornflour and give it a good stir so the chicken is coated.
Step Two – Add a glug of flavourless oil (not the toasted sesame oil) to a frying pan, and heat over a medium heat.
Add the cornflour coated chicken. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, but taking care not to dislodge the cornflour coating more than necessary, until the chicken is golden and no longer pink inside.
Remove the chicken from the pan and set to one side.
Get It Right! Helen’s Expert Tip
The size of your pan will make a difference to the outcome of the recipe. Too large a pan and the sauce will reduce too quickly, become too thick and sticky.
A 8″ / 20 cm (regular small frying pan) is perfect!
Step Three – Wipe the pan out, add the toasted sesame oil, and the garlic and ginger paste – cook over a low heat until the paste is fragrant, taking care not to burn the paste.
Step Four – Add the rest of the ingredients, the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup and chilli sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring all the time.
Carry on cooking for 2-3 minutes, the sauce will reduce to a syrup, that will coat the back of a spoon, or leave a trace at the bottom of the pan that will remain for 3-4 seconds.
Get It Right! Helen’s Expert Tip
Remember that as it cools the sauce will thicken considerably. We want to make a sauce to coat the chicken, not toffee!
Step Five – Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices that have been released as it cools.
Stir in and cook for another minute.
Serving suggestion
Serve immediately – I like to garnish with sesame seeds, chopped spring onions / scallions and chilli, as well as a few slices of lime.
You could also serve this over a salad – or my Asian slaw.
If serving as a main course this sticky honey chilli chicken is delicious with streamed, five spice rice or spicy rice and some steamed broccoli.
Storage
This recipe makes two portions. I think it’s far better to make this fresh rather than keep any leftovers, If you are cooking for one, or have smaller appetites, here is how to store excess for another meal, and cut down on food waste.
Fridge – Pack leftovers into an airtight tub and keep in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat gently, either in a pan on the stove top, or in the microwave. Add a little water to thin the sauce if needed.
Freezer – Pack leftovers in an airtight box, as above. Once cooled to room temperature, freeze. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge or on the worktop before reheating.
Reheat in a pan on the stove top, or heat in the microwave, making sure it is properly hot all the way through before serving. If needed, add a little water to thin the sauce.
Variation
Add some chilli flakes for extra heat.
Hints and tips
- The sauce will thicken as it cools. Don’t overcook it – you want a sauce will coat the back of a spoon, or leave a trace at the bottom of the pan that will remain for 3-4 seconds. We want to make a sauce to coat the chicken, not toffee!
- Your choice of pan can make a difference to the final result. Use a good heavy pan (8″ / 20 cm (regular small frying pan) for best results.
FAQs
I prefer the way that cornflour thickens the sauce, and I prefer the Asian style gloopiness in the sauce that you get from cornflour.
The meat needs to be cut into small pieces so that it cooks quickly. You could make this dish using chicken drumsticks, but they should be cooked in the oven for about 20 mins before adding to the sauce, to make sure they’re cooked through.
I prefer using thighs for this dish over chicken breast because the higher fat content makes them tastier, and they’re cheaper. However, if chicken breast is what you have, then no problem, just use that.
You can, yes, but I see no need. You are not using much oil in this recipe, and using the air fryer simply adds to the washing up, as the sauce needs to be cooked in a pan.
More Asian style recipes
I make absolutely no claims to authenticity for any of these recipes, but they are all delicious and easy for after work.
Honey chilli chicken
Ingredients
- 200 g (8 oz) chicken thighs (2-3 medium thighs) (1)
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
For the sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic – finely grated (2)
- 1 tsp ginger – finely grated (2)
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Sriracha / chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (3)
To Garnish (optional)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 spring onion / scallion
- 1 red chilli
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken – Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces – I almost always use a sharp pair of kitchen scissors as I find it the easiest and fastest way. Add the cornflour to the chicken, in a bowl, and give it a good stir so the chicken is coated.200 g chicken thighs (2-3 medium thighs), 1 tbsp cornflour
- Cook the chicken – Add the oil to a frying pan (8" / 20 cm – a regular small frying pan), and heat over a medium heat.Add the cornflour coated chicken. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, but taking care not to dislodge the cornflour coating more than necessary, until the chicken is golden and no longer pink inside.Remove the chicken from the pan and set to one side.1 tbsp cooking oil
- Cook the sauce – Wipe the pan out, add the toasted sesame oil, and the garlic and ginger paste – cook over a low heat until the paste is fragrant, taking care not to burn the paste.Add the rest of the ingredients, the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup and chilli sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring all the time.Carry on cooking the sauce for 2-3 minutes; it will reduce to a syrup, that will coat the back of a spoon, or leave a trace at the bottom of the pan that will remain for 3-4 seconds.2 cloves garlic – finely grated, 1 tsp ginger – finely grated, 2 tbsp runny honey, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Sriracha / chilli sauce, 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp rice vinegar
- Finish cooking and serve Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices that have been released as it cools.Stir in and cook for another minute to reheat the chicken. Serve immediately.1 tsp sesame seeds, 1 spring onion / scallion, 1 red chilli, lime wedges
Notes
- Chicken – I prefer thighs, as they have more flavour. But diced chicken breast would work fine.
- Garlic and Ginger – finely grated with a Microplane style of grater. You can make things easier and buy jars of ginger / garlic paste, which I find essential if you regularly cook Asian / Indian style food. Portion and freeze in ice cube trays, transfer to a airtight tub and quickly defrost before using.
- Rice Vinegar – I appreciate that this is not an everyday ingredient, that you may not wish to buy for one recipe. Substitutions include mirin (or sake), a sweet apple cider vinegar, sherry, or any other light coloured vinegar with a pinch of sugar.
- Add some chilli flakes for a spicier dish.
- The sauce will thicken as it cools. Don’t overcook it – you want a sauce will coat the back of a spoon, or leave a trace at the bottom of the pan that will remain for 3-4 seconds. We want to make a sauce to coat the chicken, not toffee!
- Your choice of pan can make a difference to the final result. 8″ / 20 cm – a regular small frying pan is perfect. With a larger pan the sauce can reduce too much.
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