Honey Sriracha Chicken

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Crispy Honey Sriracha Chicken – Spice up springtime with little flavor bombs of light, crispy chunks of chicken in the most amazing tangy, sweet, and spicy Honey Sriracha Sauce.

Quick and easy, you’ll love this sweet and spicy chicken recipe that’s big on flavor and ready in under 30 minutes!

The BEST Honey Sriracha Chicken!

This Honey Sriracha Chicken has perfectly crispy, crunchy chunks of chicken with the MOST AMAZING sauce that clings to every bite. Made with CHA! by Texas Pete® Sriracha Sauce – it’s BIG on flavor!

Sauce Like You Mean It™

CHA! by Texas Pete® Sriracha Sauce has the perfect balance of BOLD flavors and a little kick of heat – my go-to, secret ingredient that makes *everything* taste better. Sprinkle it over your favorite foods for a taste explosion. Add zing to sauces and marinades. Squirt some into mayo for a fantastic sandwich. Spice up your delivery or takeout foods. Use it anywhere you want big, bold flavor.

To find CHA! by Texas Pete® Sriracha Sauce, click on this store locator for your nearest retailer.

Quick and Easy recipe! Ready in under 30 minutes!

Honey Sriracha stir fry – ready in under 30 minutes, this quick and easy recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. Coat the chicken and mix up the sauce ahead of time for an easy-peasy dinnertime solution.

Your search is over for perfect bites of chicken!

To get the crispiest, best-tasting chicken, I tested countless batches with different coating ingredients and cooking methods. Check out my Sweet and Sour Chicken post for the deets.

My favorite by far is this perfectly crispy and crunchy frying method. It produces chunks of chicken that are crispy and crunchy while still being amazingly light. With nooks and crannies that cling to the maximum amount of sauce.

The best bites of chicken have to:

• Be perfectly crispy and crunchy
• Keep its crunchy texture, even in sauce
• Have a sturdy exterior that never crumbles off
• Be amazingly light, even though it’s fried
• Have bumps and ridges that cling to sauce
• Be tender, juicy, and seasoned on the inside
• Have a great texture, even when it’s reheated the next day
• Never be heavy or oily

To get this crispy, crunchy texture, chunks of chicken are tossed in egg whites with a little salt. They’re coated in cornstarch and baking soda, and then fried.

Don’t let frying intimidate you. I find it to be less messy than sautéing because it doesn’t splatter oil all over the stovetop. It only needs about an inch of oil in the bottom of a big pan.

Don’t want to fry the chicken?

I also tested batches in my Sweet and Sour Chicken post to find the crispiest sautéed chicken and give the instructions for that below along with those for the air fryer and oven.

 Of all the sautéed methods, this gave the crispiest, most pleasant texture. It’s also super easy. Though it won’t have that crispy, crackly crunch like the fried method and air fryer methods.

How to make Honey Sriracha Chicken

• Mix the egg whites, salt, and chicken until all the chicken is coated.
• Dredge the chicken in cornstarch mixed with baking soda and salt.
• Combine the sauce ingredients.
• Cook the chicken.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer and toss with the chicken.

Dredge the chicken:

Whisk egg whites in a bowl or pie dish. Add the chicken and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir until all chicken is coated.

In a second bowl or pie dish, whisk cornstarch, baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt to combine. Dredge the chicken pieces in the cornstarch until all surfaces are covered. Place on a baking/cooling rack and repeat until all chicken is coated.

Speed tip: Put the cornstarch mixture in a plastic container with a lid. Add the chicken pieces in 3-4 batches and give it a good shake. This also creates nubs of coating on the chicken that get crunchy when cooked.

Mix the sauce ingredients:

In a bowl, combine the cornstarch and vinegar. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the CHA! by Texas Pete® Sriracha Sauce, honey, soy sauce, and lime juice. Stir to combine and set aside.

Cook the chicken:

Heat an inch of frying oil in a large pan over high heat until it reaches 380° F. The higher the sides of the pan, the less mess. A hotter oil will let the chicken get a crunchy golden interior without overcooking on the inside. Hotter oil also means less oil will be absorbed.

Fry the chicken in batches, being careful to not crowd the pan, until golden on the outside and done inside. Place on a baking/cooling rack.

Finish the sauce and combine:

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet or large pan over medium high heat. Sauté the garlic and ginger briefly, until softened and fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds.

Add the combined sauce ingredients and cook until it bubbles, about a minute. The sauce will thicken and become syrupy. Remove from the heat, add the chicken, and toss to coat.

Tips for success:

Coat the chicken cubes in the cornstarch mixture first so it has a few minutes to rest while you make the sauce. This helps more of the cornstarch to settle and stick on to the chicken instead of floating off in the pan.

Heat the oil to 360-380° degrees when frying. A hotter oil will let the chicken get a crunchy golden exterior without overcooking the insides. Hotter oil also means less oil will be absorbed.

Use a large deep pan for frying. The higher the sides, the less mess.

Toss the chicken in the sauce shortly before serving for the crispiest chicken.

Sautéed Honey Sriracha Chicken – No frying method

Check out my Better-Than-Takeout Sweet and Sour Chicken where I tested different ways of frying and sautéing the chicken for your favorite takeout dishes. There I list the pros and cons of the different methods and recipes I tested.

Sometimes I want a lighter, quicker version of this hot honey chicken. Here’s my favorite method for sautéing the chicken:

• Combine 1 egg white and 2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch in a medium sized bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Stir in chicken until all pieces are evenly coated.
• Heat a large pan over high heat. You want the pan to be nice and hot so the outside of the chicken browns and crisps, while the inside stays juicy.
• Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, let it get hot, then add half of the chicken, dropping in the pieces one by one without the pieces touching each other. Don’t stir or move the chicken until a brown crust forms on the bottom.
• Flip the pieces so the other side browns. You can add an additional tablespoon of oil when flipping the chicken, if desired.
• Then stir the chicken so some of the sides turn golden. Cook until chicken is done inside.
• Remove chicken from pan and repeat with the second half of chicken.

Air Fryer Honey Sriracha Chicken

To cook the chicken in the air fryer, follow the directions for coating and dredging the chicken in cornstarch. Spray the air frying rack and both sides of the coated chicken with cooking spray (I use an olive oil spray). Cook in the air fryer at 425 F for about 10 minutes, until crispy and golden on the outside and cooked on the inside.

Oven Baked Honey Sriracha Chicken

Baking the chicken risks drying out the meat before the outside gets crispy. To minimize this, broil on high in a very hot oven with the oven rack close to the broiler.

To bake the chicken in the oven, follow the directions for coating and dredging the chicken in cornstarch. Spray a baking rack and both sides of the coated chicken with cooking spray. Place the rack on a baking sheet and broil about 8 inches away from the broiler.

Flip half way through cooking. Broil until crispy and starting to turn golden on the outside and cooked through on the inside, about 15 minutes. Be careful not to over cook the chicken.

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