Honey Chicken Recipe | Spicy Honey Soy Chicken Thighs

It’s Budget-Friendly. Hello, affordable dinner! Forget spending a small fortune on takeout when you can make something just as good —if not better— than takeout in the comfort of your own kitchen! Opting for chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts makes this choice super flavorful, juicy, and even easier on your wallet!

Minimal Steps To Follow. Cut up the chicken thighs, bread them, pop them in some hot oil to cook, prepare the tasty homemade sauce, and dig in! Just a few easy steps for a flavorful meal the family will happily dig into.

It Brings The Heat. I’m a heat lover, and I’ll admit that the first time I made this sauce, it was a little intense for me. So, I did some adjusting to balance the heat perfectly for my family. Follow the suggestions below to adjust things to make it perfect for yours.

Not sure what you need to grab to make a delicious Honey Soy Chicken with homemade sauce? Make sure you have these items before you get started. Don’t let the length of the list scare you away! A well stocked spice rack opens up so many more options for dinner time.

• Chicken Thighs– Provides a juicy, flavorful bite that is budget-friendly.
• Honey– Gives a natural sweetness to the sauce.
• Seltzer Water– This adds the bubbles to the chicken batter and makes it light and fluffy.
• Soy Sauce– A salty, umami flavor that marries well with the sweet and heat in the sauce.
• Rice Vinegar– The acidity helps cut some of the sweetness from the honey.
• Chicken Broth– The base of the sauce. Opt for a low sodium version to balance the soy sauce.
• All Purpose Flour– The main component of the chicken chunk batter.
• Cornstarch– Used to thicken the sauce and create the batter coating for the chicken thighs.
• Corn Syrup– You can opt to leave this ingredient out and substitute it with more honey. It is what makes the sauce EXTRA sticky.
• Baking Powder– Helps the tempura-like batter puff up when it is deep fried.
• Hot Sauce– Adds the base layer of heat.
• Red Pepper Flakes– You can adjust the amount used to cater to your family’s heat tolerance.
• Minced Garlic– Provides earthy, slightly sweet notes.
• Salt and Black Pepper– Elevates the flavors of the other ingredients.

Gather the ingredients. Gather all of the ingredients for the sauce, batter, and prepare the chicken thighs before getting started.

Mix the dry batter ingredients. In a medium sized bowl, combine the all purpose flour, all cornstarch but 2 tbsp, baking powder, salt, and pepper.

Incorporate the wet batter ingredients. Slowly add in the seltzer water and mix well.

Coat the chicken. Place the chunked chicken into the batter and ensure it is coated well. The chicken thighs like to stick to each other and prevent all of the sides from coating evenly.

Fry to perfection. Bring the vegetable oil up to 350F. Place in 1/4 of the coated chicken and gently stir it with tongs to prevent it from sticking together. Fry for 3-4 minutes. This is the first fry. Remove the chicken from the fryer and place it on paper towels. DO NOT CONSUME THE CHICKEN YET. Once all of the chicken has received the first fry, begin the second fry. Place the partially cooked chicken back in the oil and fry for an additional 2 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.

**Pro Frying Tips**You will need to cook your chicken in batches on the first fry to prevent overcrowding. When it is time for the second fry, overcrowding is less of an issue. I cooked in 4 batches for the first fry, and 2 for the s

Create the sauce. While the chicken is frying, you can begin creating your sauce. Bring the chicken broth, soy sauce, hot sauce, honey, rice vinegar, corn syrup, garlic, and red pepper flakes to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.

Make a slurry and thicken. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water. Mix them together well. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the simmering sauce. Whisk vigorously until the sauce begins to thicken and remove it from the heat.

Coat, serve, and enjoy! Toss the fried chicken in the homemade Honey Soy Sauce. Serve with your favorite side dish, serve, and enjoy!

Looking for more ways to make this Honey Chicken an even better fit for your family? Try some of these tips, tricks, and variations to make sure this dish is a hit:

• Adjust the heat. Like to keep things on the mild side? Skip the red pepper flakes entirely. When you simmer them in the broth, it rehydrates them and makes them much spicier than when they are dehydrated. So, even if you pile your pizza high with them, use a light hand when you incorporate them into your sauce. Remember, you can always add more, but it’s hard to take the heat out of a simmered sauce.
• Switch up the protein. If you’re not a fan of chicken thighs, or just have something else waiting for you in the fridge, you can always use chicken breasts. If you’re looking for a seafood option, try breading and frying some raw peeled and deveined shrimp. Just prepare the sauce as the recipe instructs and toss your preferred protein in it.
• Add some veggies. If you’re familiar with my recipes, you know that my kids aren’t huge fans of veggies. When we eat them, I serve them on the side so they at least eat SOMETHING. If your family doesn’t fuss too much about added veggies, don’t be afraid to stir in some diced onions, peppers, snap peas, or broccoli when you’re simmering your sauce.

If you’re not sure what to serve with your Honey Soy Chicken? Think of your favorite side dishes at the best Asian takeout place in town. Here are some of our favorites:

• Steamed Rice
• Cream Cheese Wontons
• Lo Mein Noodles
• Fried Rice
• Egg Rolls

I’ll be honest. This tempura-like batter doesn’t reheat as well as standard fried chicken. Don’t let that scare you away from making it, though!

If you have leftovers, store the chicken and sauce separately. This will prevent the breading on the chicken from becoming soggy.

To reheat the chicken, toss the cooked chunks in the air fryer at 300F for 2-3 minutes, or until they’re warmed through. Add a tablespoon of of water to the refrigerated sauce and either warm it in the microwave for a minute or allow it to simmer on the stovetop in a sauce pan until warmed through. Make sure you stir it often when reheating to prevent the cornstarch from separating and creating jelly-like clumps.

For the best bite, try to enjoy your leftover Honey Chicken within 3-4 days of preparing it. If you want to freeze it, store it in a freezer-safe container and date it. Use any frozen chicken within 3 months of the initial preparation.

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If you love this Spicy Honey Soy Chicken recipe as much as our family does, make sure you share it with your friends on social media so they can try making it too. Don’t forget to save the recipe so you can add it to your weekly meal rotation.