Indulge in the perfect blend of sweet and spicy with our air fryer honey chilli chicken recipe. Discover a healthier twist on a beloved favourite with tantalising flavours that will leave your taste buds begging for more. This dish is not only easy to make but also impossible to resist.
I love this dinner! It’s so quick and easy and always tastes fantastic. I love my OG honey chilli chicken recipe, but cooking it in the air fryer speeds up the whole thing.
The kids love it because it’s a little sweet and sticky. It’s really one of those perfect family dinners.
Why I Love Air Fryer Honey Chilli Chicken
I love most of the foods. But this one is pretty special because:
- The sweet, sticky flavour makes it perfect for kids.
- Air frying is super quick and easy, but it also means that the peppers stay a little crispy and the chicken chars ever so slightly. Fantastic textures.
- It’s not super saucy, which is a nice change. However, you can make more sauce if you want to.
- Most honey chilli chicken recipes coat the chicken in cornflour or breadcrumbs. I don’t. It’s just fresh, uncoated chicken. If you prefer crispy honey chicken, this might not be the one for you, but you could still use the sauce ingredients.
- It’s sweet, but it’s not unhealthy.
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Ingredients For Air Fryer Honey Chilli Chicken
When I air fry honey chilli chicken, I use:
Honey
Soy Sauce – I use low-sodium soy.
Red Chilli Puree
Sesame Oil
Lime Juice
Ginger Puree
Garlic Puree – You can use fresh ginger, garlic, and chilli, but I find the purees much easier to use in a sauce.
Cooking Oil – Vegetable oil, olive oil, or any other kind are fine.
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
Red Onion
Bell Peppers – Any colours are fine. I use yellow and red. Use your favourites.
Spring Onions
You’ll Also Need
In addition to your air fryer and its crisper tray, you’ll need a sharp knife, chopping board, a jug and spoon (or whisk), and a large bowl.
I recommend using a food thermometer to make sure your chicken is safe to serve.
How to Air Fry Honey Chilli Chicken – Step-by-Step Instructions
Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One
Rub the tray in your air fryer basket with cooking oil. If you have a spritzer bottle, use it, but don’t use a calorie-controlled cooking spray.
Step Two
Preheat your prepared air fryer to 200 degrees C.
Step Three
Whisk together the honey, soy, red chilli puree, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, and ginger puree in a small jug or bowl. I use a glass jug and just mix it with a spoon, but you can use a whisk.
Step Four
Place the chopped chicken in a large bowl with the peppers and onions.
Step Five
Pour in half of the sauce and mix well.
Step Six
Place the chicken and vegetables in the preheated air fryer basket, spreading them out evenly. There will probably be too much for a single layer; spread as much as possible.
Step Seven
Air fry for 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. The chicken and peppers will release a lot of juice, so they shouldn’t have stuck, but if any has, just give it a little poke with a wooden or silicone spatula.
Prepare your sides while they cook.
Step Eight
After 15 minutes, I recommend using a food thermometer to ensure the chicken is over 75 degrees C. If necessary, cook for longer, checking every few minutes.
Step Nine
When cooked, tip the chicken, peppers, onions, and sauce into a large bowl. Remove the tray from your air fryer to ensure you’ve got any juices and vegetables that might have fallen through.
Step Ten
Pour in the rest of the sauce and stir well.
Step Eleven
Sprinkle on the spring onions.
Pro Tips for Perfect Air Fryer Honey Chilli Chicken
I recommend a few things for absolutely delicious honey chilli chicken in the air fryer.
Disclaimer: While I aim to be as accurate as possible, any advice in this post, including but not limited to, cooking times, quantities, nutritional information and storage and freezing guidance is based on my own experience. Please use your own skills, knowledge and judgement, and get up to date food safety information.
Use a Food Thermometer
I always use a food thermometer. It takes a few seconds and is absolutely worth it.
This is even more important when cooking quickly in the air fryer. Stab a few bits of chicken, making sure the needle is right in the middle and that they are all over 75 degrees C. If they aren’t, reduce the temperature and air fry for longer.
Grease the Tray
I often use a baking tray or dish when I cook in the air fryer to keep it clean and make sure the food is easy to get out. But this is big, so I just throw it all in. Rubbing the tray with a bit of oil ensures nothing sticks.
Taste the Sauce
I recommend tasting a bit of the sauce before using it and adding more honey, chilli, or even a little salt and pepper.
Toss Thoroughly
Make sure the chicken and vegetables are tossed thoroughly in the sauce and, again, halfway through cooking, so that the bake is even and everything is well cooked.
Fully Empty Your Air Fryer Basket
Some of the smaller bits of pepper and onion and plenty of sauce will fall through the holes in your tray. I recommend carefully removing it and fishing all these bits out so you don’t lose any.
Serving Suggestions
I serve with white rice generally, but noodles would be great, too.
You can serve it on a bed of rice, but sometimes, because it’s not a dish with a lot of sauce, I toss the cooked rice in with the remaining sauce and the cooked honey chilli chicken so it gets plenty of flavour.
Variations
I love this air fryer honey chilli chicken recipe just as it is. But there are a few things that you can do differently.
Use Different Veggies
Peppers and onions are perfect, but you could also add courgettes, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Anything you can stir fry, you can air fry.
Use Chicken Breasts
I love chicken thighs. They are cheaper and juicier, but you can use anything that’s skinless and boneless. Breasts are great if you prefer them.
Kick Up the Heat
My air-fried honey chilli chicken recipe is mild and family-friendly. But if you prefer a spicier dish, add more chilli.
Add Flour to Your Chicken
In most recipes for honey chilli chicken, the chicken is coated in breadcrumbs or flour. I prefer it without, but you can add some if you prefer.
Make More Sauce
If you want more sauce, double this recipe, but still only toss your chicken in a quarter before air frying. You can warm the rest in a pan on the hob if you want it warm.
Leftovers
Leftovers can be reheated, but make sure you use a food thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked using a food thermometer before serving.
Reheat in the microwave, on the hob, or in your air fryer. How long it takes will depend on how much is left. But please make sure the chicken is piping hot and over 75 degrees C before you serve.
Storage
Store leftovers in a sealed tub in the fridge for 1-2 days, as long as the chicken is still in date.
FAQ
There’s actually not that much honey in this honey garlic chicken recipe, so it is fairly healthy.
Yes.
This recipe is fairly mild, but you can add more chilli if you want it to be spicier.
No, sweet chilli chicken uses a sweet chilli sauce, which isn’t honey-based.
Other Recipes
Other air fryer recipes you might enjoy include:
Air Fryer Honey Chilli Chicken
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 4 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce (I use Low-Sodium)
- 2 Teaspoons Red Chilli Puree
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1/2 Lime (Juice Only)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger Puree
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Puree (or one crushed clove)
For the Chicken:
- 1 Teaspoon Cooking Oil
- 600 g Boneless (Skinless Chicken Thighs)
- 1 Red Onion (Sliced)
- 2 Bell Peppers (Seeds removed and sliced)
- 4 Spring Onions (Finely sliced)
Instructions
- Rub the tray in your air fryer basket with cooking oil.
- Insert the basket and preheat the air fryer to 200 degrees C.
- In a small jug or bowl, whisk together the honey, soy, red chilli puree, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic puree, and ginger puree.
- Place the chopped chicken in. a large bowl with the peppers and onions.
- Pour in half of the sauce and mix well.
- Place the chicken and vegetables into the preheated air fryer basket, spreading out evenly.
- Air fry for 15 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- After 15 minutes, I recommend using a food thermometer to ensure the chicken is over 75 degrees C. Cook for longer if necessary.
- Tip the chicken, peppers, onions, and sauce into a large bowl when cooked.
- Pour in the rest of the sauce and stir well.
- Sprinkle on the spring onions.
- Serve with rice or noodles, cooked to packet instructions.
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
