Honey Butter Chicken
intro
Crispy, juicy pan-fried chicken coated in a glossy, sweet-savory honey butter glaze with subtle garlic notes—fast, comforting, and endlessly satisfying for busy nights.
Ingredients
Steps
Coat the chicken pieces
Pat 680g of bite-sized chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. In a large mixing bowl, combine 80g all-purpose flour, 40g cornstarch, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Toss the chicken pieces in the flour mixture until every piece is evenly coated, then set aside on a plate for 5 minutes to let the coating adhere firmly.
Heat frying oil
Pour 240ml vegetable oil into a large, deep skillet, and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 175°C (350°F), about 4-5 minutes. Test the oil by dropping a tiny pinch of the flour coating into the oil: it should sizzle immediately and rise to the surface without burning quickly. Do not heat the oil to smoking point, as this will burn the coating before the chicken cooks through.
Pan-fry chicken until crispy
Working in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, carefully add coated chicken pieces to the hot oil. Fry for 6-7 minutes total per batch, turning each piece halfway through with tongs, until the chicken is golden brown, crispy on all sides, and reaches an internal temperature of 75°C (165°F). Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess oil; do not drain on paper towels, as trapped steam will make the coating soggy.
Make honey butter glaze
Once all chicken is cooked, carefully pour out excess frying oil from the skillet, leaving about 1 teaspoon of oil in the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, add 56g unsalted butter and 10g minced fresh garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant (do not burn the garlic, as it will turn bitter). Stir in 80ml honey and 15ml low-sodium soy sauce, whisking continuously for 1 minute until the glaze is smooth, bubbly, and slightly thickened.
Toss chicken in glaze
Add all the crispy fried chicken pieces back into the skillet with the warm glaze. Turn the heat to low, and toss the chicken continuously with tongs for 1-2 minutes, until every piece is evenly coated in the shiny honey butter glaze. Do not use high heat at this stage, as honey burns quickly and will develop a bitter, off flavor.
Serve and enjoy
Transfer the glazed chicken to a serving platter, and serve hot within 5 minutes of cooking for the best crispy texture. Pair with steamed white rice, roasted autumn vegetables, or a simple green salad for a complete meal. Garnish with a light sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds or chopped parsley if desired.
Tips
2.Do not overcrowd the pan when frying, as this drops the oil temperature too quickly, resulting in greasy, unevenly cooked chicken instead of light, crispy pieces.
3.Wait to make the honey butter glaze until the chicken is almost done frying, as the glaze thickens quickly as it cools and will not coat the chicken evenly if made too far in advance.
OMG y’all, this crispy honey butter chicken is a GAME CHANGER for weeknight dinners! My two picky eaters went back for seconds AND thirds, and my husband asked if we can add it to the weekly meal rotation. The crust stayed so crunchy even after I tossed it in the sauce, which never happens with other recipes I’ve tried. 10/10, no notes!
Super easy to make even in my tiny dorm kitchen! I meal prepped 4 servings on Sunday and it held up way better than I thought – I crisped it up for 2 minutes in the air fryer before eating each portion and the crunch was still there. Only thing I did different was use a little less honey because I prefer less sweet savory dishes, still slapped.
Brought this to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were hovering over the platter before I even set it down! I doubled the recipe and every last piece was gone in 15 minutes. Multiple people asked for the recipe, I told ‘em it was my little secret (kidding, I linked them here obviously). Only bummer was I burned the first batch of butter because I got distracted talking to my neighbor, oops. Don’t walk away from the pan when you’re making the sauce, y’all!
Made this after a long day hiking last weekend, and wow it was so quick to throw together! I used chicken thighs instead of breasts because I think they have more flavor, and it turned out insanely good. The honey butter glaze is the perfect balance of sweet and salty, I ended up drizzling a little extra on my roasted broccoli too. Will absolutely make again.
First time ever cooking chicken that didn’t come out dry or rubbery!!! I was so nervous because I’m terrible at pan frying, but the instructions were so straightforward and easy to follow. The crust was crispy, the sauce was delicious, my roommate thought I ordered delivery lmao. So proud of myself right now.
So happy this recipe works with gluten free flour! I swapped the all purpose for a 1:1 GF blend and the crust was just as crispy as the regular version, which is so rare for GF swaps. My whole family (none of whom are GF) didn’t even notice a difference, that’s how good it was.
30 minute cook time is no lie! I got home from work at 6:15, had this on the table by 6:45, and even had time to throw together a quick side salad. The flavor is unreal for how little effort it takes. My only tiny complaint is that my stove runs hot so I had to turn the heat down a little to keep the honey from burning, but that’s a me problem, not the recipe’s fault.
I’m the guy who usually spends $20+ a pop on takeout honey chicken because I could never get it right at home, but this recipe is BETTER than the restaurant version by my house. The crust is crispier, the butter flavor is richer, and I can make a whole batch for less than the cost of one takeout order. Game changer for real, I’m never ordering this out again.
Tried making this in the air fryer instead of pan frying and it came out SO good! Sprayed the chicken pieces with a little oil, cooked at 400 for 12 minutes flipping halfway, then tossed in the honey butter sauce. Crunchy, no greasy mess, perfect weeknight meal. 10/10 would recommend the air fryer method if you hate cleaning up oil splatters like me.