About
Now, this dish is a little hands-on, but trust us; it is so, so worth it. Crispy Honey Chicken is guaranteed to be incredibly crunchy and satisfying, with a heart of beautifully marinated savory chicken beneath the battered and twice-fried crust. The sweet-and-sticky honey sauce brings a fantastic contrast in flavor that will make this the best fried chicken ever. Crispy Honey Chicken is literal music to the ears (you can hear it from miles away)!
Ingredients
- For the batter:
- 6 tablespoons corn flour or cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, can substitute 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- For the chicken and the marinade:
- 10 ounces chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, not all-purpose soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Chinese cooking wine
- 2 teaspoons corn flour or cornstarch
- For the dredging and frying:
- 1/2 cup corn flour or cornstarch
- vegetable oil, to taste
- 7 tablespoons soda water, cold, plus more, to taste, can substitute club soda or seltzer water
- For the honey sauce:
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon light or all-purpose soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Chinese cooking wine or soy sauce
- Optional, for serving:
- 2 ounces vermicelli rice noodles, cooked
- sesame seeds, to taste
- green onions, to taste, finely sliced
Directions
Step 1 -In a mixing bowl, add 6 tablespoons of the corn flour, the flour, the baking powder, and the salt.
Step 2 -Place the bowl in the refrigerator until ready to fry. This will keep the batter cold, which helps with the final texture.
Step 3 -In a bowl, add the chicken, 1 tablespoon of the light soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of the cooking wine, and 2 teaspoons of the remaining corn flour and stir and mix to combine.
Step 4 -Refrigerate the bowl and marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5 -In a shallow plate, add the 1/2 cup remaining corn flour and spread it out.
Step 6 -In batches of about 8-10 chicken pieces, scatter the chicken over the corn flour in the shallow plate and toss to coat.
Step 7 -Shake the excess off the coated chicken pieces and transfer them to a plate.
Step 8 -Repeat until all of the chicken pieces are coated.
Step 9 -Place a rack on a baking tray so the chicken can drain.
Step 10 -In a small pot or a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add about 2 inches of the oil to 350 degrees F.
Step 11 -Transfer the flour mixture from the refrigerator and whisk to combine.
Step 12 -Add 7 tablespoons of the soda water to the flour mixture and whisk until it is just combined, being careful not to overmix; it's ok if a few lumps remain. The batter should be able to coat the chicken, without being thick and heavy. Add the extra soda water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the right consistency is achieved.
Step 13 -In batches of about 8 pieces, add the chicken to the batter and turn to coat.
Step 14 -Carefully add the coated chicken pieces to the hot oil and fry until they are lightly golden and crispy, about 3 minutes.
Step 15 -Transfer the fried chicken to the prepared rack and repeat the battering and frying process with the remaining chicken. Make sure the oil stays at 350 degrees F.
Step 16 -Cool the chicken for 20 minutes.
Step 17 -In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the honey, the corn syrup, the remaining light soy sauce, and the remaining Chinese cooking wine and stir to combine.
Step 18 -Bring the sauce mixture to a simmer and let it simmer until it has a maple syrup-like consistency, about 3 minutes.
Step 19 -Transfer the saucepan from the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid to keep warm.
Step 20 -Heat the frying oil to 390 degrees F.
Step 21 -Add about 1/2 of the chicken to the hot oil and fry until the chicken again is very golden and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 1 minute 30 seconds.
Step 22 -Transfer the double-fried chicken to the rack and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Step 23 -Add the double-fried chicken to the saucepan with the sauce mixture and very quickly toss to coat.
Step 24 -Serve the chicken over the noodles, garnished with the sesame seeds and the green onions.
