This honey chicken is crispy pieces of chicken breast that are fried to golden brown perfection, then tossed in a sweet and savory honey sauce. A homemade version of the takeout classic that tastes even better than what you would get at a restaurant!
My family loves when I prepare some of our favorite Asian style dishes at home including pork fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, egg rolls and this amazingly delicious honey chicken. Add a side of rice and dinner is served!
Whenever I eat at P.F. Chang’s I have to order the honey chicken. I just can’t resist that combination of ultra crispy chicken with sauce! This copycat version is simple to make, and is sure to please the whole family.
How do you make honey chicken?
The first step is to cook up the chicken. Dip pieces of chicken breast into a seasoned egg mixture, then coat them in a blend of corn starch and flour. Fry the chicken until it’s golden brown and cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Place honey, soy sauce and seasonings in a pan, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in a little corn starch to thicken the sauce. Toss the cooked chicken pieces in the sauce, then top with green onions and enjoy.
Tips for the perfect chicken
- Be sure to use a frying thermometer so that you can closely monitor the temperature of the oil. If the oil is too hot, the coating can burn before the chicken is cooked through. If the oil is too cold, the chicken will absorb excess grease.
- This dish is best served immediately as the chicken coating will eventually soften as it soaks up the sauce. If you’d like to have leftovers for another day, plan to store a portion of the crispy chicken separate from the sauce. That way you can reheat the chicken and sauce on their own, and the dish will maintain its flavor and texture.
- I typically use a basic clover honey for my honey chicken, but other varieties of honey will also work. I recommend using a milder flavor honey so that the flavor of the sauce doesn’t overpower the chicken.
- Use a neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point such as vegetable oil, canola oil or peanut oil.
Flavor Variations
While I love this recipe as written, sometimes I use other ingredients for a different flavor.
- Protein: Try using pieces of chicken thighs instead of breasts for a richer flavor. Another option is to use medium sized shrimp.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add some cooked vegetables to the chicken and sauce, some good options include broccoli, zucchini or carrots.
- Spice: Love spicy food? Add some heat to the sauce with sriracha or crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
What to serve with honey chicken
While I often serve this dish over steamed white rice, other great grain options include crispy fried rice noodles, quinoa, brown rice, or a boiled rice or egg noodle. If you’re looking to save a few carbs, try serving your honey chicken over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
You cannot go wrong with this dish – it’s packed with bold flavors and is just as good as anything you’d get at your favorite Asian restaurant!
More Asian food favorites
Honey Chicken Video
Honey Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- oil for frying canola or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup green onions thinly sliced
For the sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water divided use
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Instructions
For the chicken
- Place the eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir to combine.
- Place the flour and 1/2 cup corn starch in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Stir to combine.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the flour. Repeat the process with all of the chicken.
- Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot to 350 degrees F.
- Add 7-8 pieces of chicken to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken.
- Drain the chicken on paper towels.
For the sauce
- While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Place the honey, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of water, sesame oil and apple cider vinegar in a small pan. Bring to a simmer.
- Mix the corn starch with the remaining tablespoon of water. Pour the corn starch mixture into the honey mixture.
- Bring the sauce to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
- Toss the honey sauce with the chicken. Sprinkle with green onions, then serve.
Yummy! My family thought it was take out!
This is sooo good! i made this with rice, and tossed some steamed broccoli in with the sauce and the chicken. I’m a vegetarian so I used Quorn brand meatless pieces, which is fake meat and it still tasted sooo good!!! I 10/10 recommend this delicious recipe, thank you!
Can you substitute white vinegar for Apple cider??
Yes use 2 teaspoons!
Would the chicken turn out if you sprayed them with some oil and put them in the air fryer instead of deep frying them?
I think it could work but I haven’t tried it this way!
I am not a big fan of Asian food but this was AWESOME! Thank you for another great recipe.
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!
I am a mom in a blended family with 4 teenagers…. 2 are picky eaters and 1 thinks everything I make is “disgusting”. I found your website 2 days ago, and tried this recipe tonight with 4.5lbs of chicken thighs. HARDLY A SPECK LEFT!!! They asked how so I can make this again!!! Thank you so very much!!
Is there anything I can substitute for the corn starch?
You could try using all flour but I haven’t tested it that way!
Arrowroot powder
Really good and tasty! Thank you. I even got my picky toddler to eat a few small pieces.
What temperature should the oil be to fry the chicken properly?
350 degrees F, step 4 of the recipe!
My kids really loved it! Such a great meal for weeknights!
Honey chicken is one of my favorite recipes to order when we eat out! This looks better than any restaurant version I have tried! Excited to enjoy this for dinner tonight!
My kids LOVE PF Changs but of course we can’t go now. Can I tell you how excited they were when I made this as a surprise?! Honestly, I think it’s better than PF Changs (shhhhh).
This recipe was a huge hit at my house. It’s so good. We will be adding it to our regular dinner rotation.
This recipe was amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!
I’ve tried your honey chicken recipe and everyone loved it! Yummy!
This honey chicken has the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors! Crispy too. I served mine over cauliflower rice with sautéed sugar snap peas on the side. Delicious!
Such a delicious recipe and definitely restaurant quality!
My kids made this last night and they LOVED it! They made a “happy” plate and didn’t complain one bit.
This chicken is so tasty the whole family enjoyed it!
I made this for my family and they absolutely loved this recipe! Thanks!