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Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bites

These Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bites fried to golden brown perfection and coated in a sweet and garlicky sauce are simply delicious!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Marinade Time1 hour
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

  • 1 pound chicken tenders or breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg, whisked
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Dredge Mixture 

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For Frying 

  • 3-4 cups vegetable oil

Honey Garlic Sauce 

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, may substitute with apple cider or white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce, adjust to taste
  • 5-6 garlic cloves, finely minced

Assembly

  • sesame seeds, optional
  • scallions, thinly sliced, optional

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken, buttermilk, egg and seasonings (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper). Mix well to combine. Cover the bowl and marinade in the fridge for at least (1) hour or overnight.
  • As the chicken marinates, make the sauce. In a small saucepan under medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the garlic and cook while stirring until softened and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the honey, vinegar, and soy sauce. Mix to combine and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook the sauce while stirring occasionally until it starts to thicken and lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5-6 minutes or longer as needed. Remove from heat and set sauce aside to cool.
  • Remove the marinaded chicken from the fridge. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, corn starch, baking powder, and seasonings (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper). Mix well to combine. Drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of the chicken marinade liquid into the dredge mixture. Mix to form a crumbly texture.
  • Add a few of the marinaded chicken pieces into the bowl with the dredge mixture. Use hands or large kitchen tweezers to thoroughly coat the chicken in the dredge mixture. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining chicken pieces and set aside. Reserve remaining dredge mixture.
  • Heat up oil in a large skillet or pot to 350F under medium heat. (If you have a kitchen thermometer, use it to help monitor the temperature of the oil.) Check the coated chicken bites. If the coating appears overly moisten, lightly coat the bites in the remaining dredge mixture. Shake off any excess coating.
  • In batches, fry the chicken bites until fully cooked and richly golden brown, 4-5 minutes or longer as needed. Transfer to a wire rack placed over a paper towel lined baking sheet to catch any excess oil.
  • Transfer fried chicken bites into a large mixing bowl. Check sauce consistency, if it has thicken up too much, gently reheat under low heat to loosen up to a pourable consistency. Pour about 2/3 of the sauce over the chicken bites and gently mix to fully coat. Mix in more sauce as needed.
  • Top chicken bites with sesame seeds and scallions (optional) before serving. Serve immediately while still warm and crispy. Enjoy!

Notes

For more accurate results, use a kitchen scale to weigh the flour which should be 455g (3 1/2 cups). If using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method where you would spoon the flour into the measuring cup and carefully run the back of a knife over the top of the cup to remove excess flour.