Crispy honey garlic chicken is basically crunchy fried chicken pieces tossed in a sticky, sweet-savory garlic glaze. Here’s a reliable homemade version you can make without any special equipment.
🍯 Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken (Restaurant Style)
🧾 Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 500g boneless chicken (thigh or breast), bite-sized pieces
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- Oil for deep frying
For the honey garlic sauce:
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 5–6 garlic cloves (finely minced)
- 1 tbsp vinegar (white or rice vinegar)
- 1 tbsp ketchup (optional, for color & balance)
- 1 tsp chili flakes (optional for heat)
- 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry to thicken)
- 1 tbsp butter or oil
🔥 Instructions
1. Coat & fry the chicken
- In a bowl, mix chicken with egg, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add flour + cornflour and coat well (it should be slightly sticky and thick).
- Heat oil and deep fry on medium-high heat until golden and crispy.
- Remove and drain on paper towels.
2. Make the honey garlic sauce
- In a pan, heat butter or oil.
- Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant (don’t brown it too much).
- Add soy sauce, honey, vinegar, ketchup, and chili flakes.
- Stir and bring to a light simmer.
- Add cornflour slurry and cook until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
3. Toss everything
- Add crispy chicken into the sauce.
- Toss quickly until evenly coated.
- Turn off heat immediately to keep the chicken crispy.
🍽️ Serving ideas
- Steamed rice or egg fried rice
- Garlic noodles
- Or even as a party appetizer with sesame seeds and spring onions on top
💡 Tips for extra crispiness
- Double fry the chicken (fry once, rest 5 min, fry again)
- Keep sauce thick but not watery—thin sauce softens the crust
- Don’t let chicken sit in sauce too long before serving
If you want, I can also give you a Chinese takeout-style version, an air fryer version, or a spicy Korean-style honey garlic twist.