Description
Sweet and Spicy Honey Pepper Chicken is a delicious dish featuring crispy chicken pieces tossed in a sticky, sweet, and spicy honey pepper sauce. This flavorful recipe combines the heat of pepper with the sweetness of honey, resulting in a balanced and addictive dish. It’s perfect as a main course or an appetizer, and pairs well with rice or vegetables.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
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For the chicken:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup flour
- Vegetable oil, for frying
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For the sauce:
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons water + 1 tablespoon cornstarch (slurry)
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For garnish:
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Coat each piece in cornstarch, then dip into the beaten eggs, and finally coat in flour.
- Fry the chicken: In a large skillet or deep pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken pieces in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes per batch. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Make the sauce: In a separate saucepan, combine honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Thicken the sauce: Stir in the cornstarch slurry (water and cornstarch mixture) and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Toss the chicken: Add the fried chicken pieces to the saucepan and toss to coat in the sweet and spicy sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with chopped green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
- For a lighter version, bake the chicken at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes instead of frying.
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce and red pepper flakes to control the level of spiciness.
- Serve over steamed rice or with a side of stir-fried vegetables for a complete meal.