HONEY CHICKEN

Honey Chicken image

This Honey Chicken recipe is velvety Asian chicken pieces fried to golden perfection and smothered in a sweet and spicy honey ginger sauce and sprinkled with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Provided by Beth Pierce @smalltownwoman

Categories Chicken

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

CHICKEN
1 1/2 pound(s) boneless skinless chicken breast (or boneless skinless chicken thighs)
1/3 cup(s) water
2 tablespoon(s) low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
3 tablespoon(s) vegetable or canola oil
2 teaspoon(s) sesame seeds
2 green onions thinly sliced
HONEY SAUCE
1/2 cup(s) honey
3 tablespoon(s) low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoon(s) chicken broth or water
2 clove(s) garlic minced
1 tablespoon(s) cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon(s) sesame oil
1 tablespoon(s) grated ginger
1 tablespoon(s) sambal oelek (ground chili paste)
1 tablespoon(s) cornstarch

Steps:

Add the chicken, water, and soy sauce to a bowl and marinate for 10 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Marinate for another 20 minutes.
Whisk together the honey, low sodium soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic, cider vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger, sambal oelek, and cornstarch.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. Add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown. Remove the chicken to a plate and continue cooking in batches until all the chicken is browned and cooked through. Add more oil when needed.
Reduce the heat on the skillet to medium low and give the sauce that you set aside a little whisk. Add the sauce to the skillet and cook until thickened; whisking frequently.
Meanwhile add 2 teaspoons sesame seeds to a small dry skillet (no oil) over medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the seeds are golden brown and fragrant. Stir or shake the skillet several times to make sure the sesame seeds do not burn.
Add the cooked chicken to the skillet with the thickened sauce. Sprinkle with thin sliced green onions and the toasted sesame seeds.
NOTES Cut the chicken breast into small thin bite size uniform pieces so they cook quickly and evenly. If you are sensitive to spicy food reduce the sambal oelek (ground chili paste) to 1 -1 1/2 teaspoons. Once you start cooking this recipe moves fairly quickly so have your tools, pans, marinated chicken, sauce, and sesame seeds within close proximity to the stovetop. I cook this recipe in a skillet but a wok works just as well. Don't skip toasting the sesame seeds. It brings out their natural nutty flavor and aroma. This recipe is best served promptly while the chicken is hot, the sauce is perfectly thickened, and the green onions and poppy seeds are crisp. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat at 50% power in the microwave until warm.