Indulge in the sweet and spicy flavours of our crispy honey chilli chicken recipe. With tender chicken chunks and crunchy veggies tossed in a delicious honey chilli sauce, this dish is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Get the recipe now!
I love sticky honey chilli chicken sauce. It’s delicious. And, actually, you can use it on pork, prawns, veggies dishes and stir-fries. It’s really adaptable and easy.
This easy homemade version of a Chinese classic is budget and family-friendly for the perfect midweek dinner.
Is this Crispy Chicken?
No. While I love crispy honey chilli chicken from the Chinese, I generally serve it with chicken breasts and peppers when I make my sauce.
You could make crispy chicken, but I find it’s just a pain when, actually, we all really like just plain chicken breast.
If you want to make crispy chicken, there’s a fab recipe here. Or you could even buy frozen crispy chicken breasts and cut them into thin strips or serve them whole with sauce for a cheat version.
Why I Love This Easy Honey Chilli Chicken
Honey chilli chicken breast is fantastic because:
- Skipping the crispy chicken means that it’s super simple.
- It’s much healthier than a takeaway.
- The sweet flavour appeals to kids.
- You can add lots of different veggies and sides to suit your family.
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Ingredients For Honey Chilli Chicken
What’s in Honey Chilli Chicken Sauce?
Chinese takeaway sauces vary quite a bit, depending on where you order from.
When it comes to homemade honey chilli chicken, I recommend these ingredients but taste it and change quantities a little if you prefer sweeter or spicier. I use:
Clear Runny Honey
Chilli Puree – You can use a finely diced fresh red chilli or two, but I love purees. They are so handy to have it! Mine are from Aldi.
Soy Sauce – I use low sodium to make it a little healthier.
Sesame Oil
Lime Juice – Fresh lime juice is excellent if you have limes, but bottled can be a money saver.
Cornflour – Plain flour is fine too.
Water
Some people add ginger, too, but I prefer to add this when I cook my chicken. It’s just preference, though.
Some recipes call for a sweet chilli sauce instead of honey and chilli, but I prefer to add them as separate ingredients. It gives you more control over the final taste.
For my Simple honey chilli chicken recipe, I also use:
Cooking Spray – vegetable oil/olive oil is ok too.
Red Onion
Garlic – Fresh or garlic paste/puree.
Peppers
Ginger – Again, I use a puree for ease. You could swap for half an inch of root ginger if you prefer.
Spring Onions
You’ll Also Need
You’ll need a jug and whisk to prepare your sauce, a chopping board and sharp knife to prepare the meat and vegetables and a large, non-stick frying pan to fry it all together.
How to Make 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: How to Make Honey Chilli Chicken Sauce
Whisk the honey, soy sauce, red chilli puree, sesame oil, lime juice, water and cornflour in a jug and set to one side.
Taste a little bit, and add either more honey, chilli or a little more water, but remember the flavour will get stronger as it reduces.
Step Two
Mist a large frying pan liberally with cooking spray and warm over medium heat on the hob.
Step Three
Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until starting to soften. I like them to be a little crunchy, but fry for longer if you want them super soft.
Step Four
Add the garlic and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Step Five
Stir in the chicken breasts and fry for 5-10 minutes until the outsides are browned.
Step Six
Add the peppers and ginger puree and stir well.
Step Seven
Pour in the sauce.
Step Eight
Bring to a bubble, reduce the temperature to a gentle simmer and cook for around 20 minutes, stirring often. Take care to scrape the bottom of the pan with your spatula. It’s a sticky sauce, so it’s likely to stick to the pan.
Step Nine
When the sauce is thick and sticky, and the chicken is thoroughly cooked through (check the middle of a large piece), sprinkle on the spring onions.
Step Ten
Serve with rice.
Top Tips
There are plenty of tips in the instructions above, but my main tips are:
- Taste the sauce and adjust just to suit your palate.
- I don’t add salt and pepper because there’s soy, which is very salty, but you can add some to taste if you want to.
- Stir regularly and scrape the bottom of the pain to make sure it doesn’t stick.
- If it’s too watery after 20 minutes, simmer a little longer. If it’s too thick, but the chicken isn’t cooked yet, add a splash of water.
Serving Suggestions
I serve my honey and chilli chicken with white rice.
It would also be great with noodles.
Variations
There are a few things that you can do differently.
Honey Chilli Chicken Thighs
I tend to use chicken breasts, but you could use boneless, skinless chicken thigh portions if you prefer. Other options are mini breast fillets and boneless drum fillets.
Crispy Chicken
This honey chilli sauce for chicken can also be used to make crispy honey chicken.
Vegetables
Peppers, carrots, courgettes and lots of other veggies work really well. Add your favourites and cook to your preference. I like a little crunch.
Sesame Seeds
A handful of sesame seeds sprinkled on just before serving would be lovely.
Spicy Honey and Chilli Sauce
This recipe isn’t that spicy. If you prefer a spicier sauce, add some chilli flakes.
Leftovers
You can reheat leftovers the next day as long as your chicken has been stored safely. Reheat in the microwave for a few minutes or in a pan with a splash of water until the sauce is simmering and the chicken is piping hot.
I recommend using a meat thermometer.
I don’t recommend keeping leftover rice.
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.
Storage
Let your leftovers cool, place them in a sealed tub and leave them in the fridge overnight. Don’t keep it for more than a day, or reheat it more than once.
FAQ
Using fresh chicken pieces means this is a healthier version of this dish. But it’s not a super healthy dinner.
This isn’t a spicy honey chicken recipe. It’s very family-friendly. You can add a pinch of chilli flakes or a fresh chilli if you like a spicier dish.
This honey chilli sauce contains honey, soy, red chilli, sesame oil, lime juice, water and cornflour.
Honey chilli chicken is great with rice.
Yes, this recipe is based on a Chinese dish.
Sweet, spicy, and absolutely delicious.
Other Recipes
If you like this easy honey chilli chicken recipe, you might also enjoy:
- Pork Fried Rice
- Lamb Stir Fry
- Beef and Broccoli
- Salt and Pepper Chicken
- Leftover Pork Curry
- Butter Turkey Curry
Recipe Card
Honey Chilli Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons Honey
- 2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Red Chilli Puree
- 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
- ½ Lime (Juice Only)
- 200 ml Water
- 1 Tablespoon Cornflour
- Cooking Spray
- 1 Red Onion (Finely sliced)
- 4 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
- 400 g Chicken Breast (Diced)
- 2 Red Peppers (Deseeded and sliced into strips)
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger Puree
- Bunch Spring Onions (Finely sliced)
Instructions
- Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, red chilli puree, sesame oil, lime juice, water and cornflour in a jug and set to one side.
- Mist a large frying pan with cooking spray over medium heat.
- Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the garlic and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken breasts and fry for 5-10 minutes until the outsides are browned.
- Add the peppers and ginger puree and stir well.
- Pour in the sauce.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce the temperature to a gentle simmer and cook for around 20 minutes, stirring often.
- When the sauce is thick and sticky, and the chicken is thoroughly cooked through (check the middle of a large piece), sprinkle on the spring onions.
- Serve with rice.
Notes
- You can swap purees for 1-2 finely diced red chillies and half an inch of grated root ginger.
- Swap fresh lime juice for one tablespoon of bottled lime juice if you prefer.
- Add a pinch of chilli flakes for a spicier sauce.
- If your sauce is too watery, simmer for longer or add more flour. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water. It will start very watery though, so give it time to thicken before you add anything.
- Nutritional information does not include rice.
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.
