Description
A delicious recipe for Crispy Chinese Honey Garlic Chicken featuring tender chicken thigh pieces marinated and fried to golden perfection, then coated in a sticky, sweet honey garlic sauce. This dish is complemented by optional crispy vermicelli rice noodles and garnished with sesame seeds and green onions for added texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Marinade
- 300g (10 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp Chinese cooking wine (or substitute with soy sauce)
- 2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
Batter
- ½ cup cornflour (cornstarch)
- 6 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 4 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
- 7–8 tbsp cold soda water (club soda or seltzer water; NOT sparkling mineral water)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (halve if using table salt)
Frying
- 2–3 cups vegetable oil (or canola oil)
Honey Garlic Sauce
- â…“ cup (100g) honey
- 1.5 tbsp (25g) glucose or light corn syrup
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp Chinese cooking wine (or more soy sauce)
Optional garnish and sides
- 25g (2 oz) vermicelli rice noodles (optional; use rice noodles, not bean noodles)
- Sesame seeds
- Finely sliced green onions
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces with light soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and 2 tsp cornflour. Mix well to coat evenly and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to infuse flavor.
- Dredge the chicken: After marinating, dredge each chicken piece in cornflour, shaking off any excess to ensure a light, even coating that will help create a crispy texture.
- Prepare the batter: In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup cornflour, 6 tbsp cornflour, plain flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Gradually add cold soda water while whisking until the batter is thick but smooth, perfect for coating the chicken.
- Heat the oil: Pour 2–3 cups of vegetable oil into a deep pan or wok and heat it to 350°F (175°C), ensuring it’s hot enough for deep frying without burning.
- Fry the chicken: Dip each chicken piece into the prepared batter, letting excess drip off, then carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding, cooking each batch for 4–5 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Make the honey garlic sauce: In a small saucepan, combine honey, glucose or light corn syrup, soy sauce, and cooking wine. Warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes syrupy and well blended.
- Coat the chicken: Toss the freshly fried chicken pieces in the honey garlic sauce until they are evenly coated with the sweet, sticky glaze.
- Prepare crispy vermicelli noodles (optional): If using vermicelli rice noodles, deep fry them in hot oil until they puff up and become crispy, then drain them on paper towels.
- Serve: Plate the honey garlic chicken and garnish with sesame seeds and finely sliced green onions. Add the crispy vermicelli noodles on the side or on top for extra crunch and visual appeal.
Notes
- Use cold soda water for the batter to achieve a lighter, crispier coating.
- Do not overcrowd the pan while frying to maintain the oil temperature and ensure even cooking.
- Substitute Chinese cooking wine with additional soy sauce if unavailable.
- Adjust the honey garlic sauce sweetness or saltiness to taste by varying honey or soy sauce amounts.
- The vermicelli noodles add a nice textural contrast but can be omitted for a simpler dish.
