Forty minutes, one heavy pot of oil and one skillet. The coating is half cornstarch and half flour, which is what makes it craggy rather than smooth.
Everything in this recipe is arranged around one moment: the chicken comes out of the oil crisp, and it has a short window before that crispness softens. The glaze has to be ready and waiting.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cornstarch cut with flour fries into a rough, craggy shell instead of a flat batter.
- Egg first and dry mix second is what makes the coating stick thickly enough to stay craggy.
- Oil held near 350 degrees Fahrenheit cooks the inside in four to five minutes while the outside sets crisp.
- Draining on a rack rather than paper keeps air under the bites so the underside does not steam soft.
- A cornstarch slurry thickens the glaze to coating consistency, so it clings in a layer rather than soaking in.
Ingredient Notes
- Cornstarch, in two places
- Half a cup goes into the coating and one teaspoon into the slurry that thickens the glaze. Same ingredient, opposite jobs.
- Honey and soy
- A third of a cup to a quarter cup. That ratio is why the glaze reads sweet first and salty second, and why it turns dark and glossy rather than staying thin.
- Rice vinegar
- A tablespoon, and it is doing more than it looks. Without it the honey and soy together are flat.
How to Make It
Get the oil to 350F
Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Egg, then the dry mix
Mix cornstarch, flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg, then coat thoroughly in the dry mixture.
Fry in batches to 165F
Fry in batches 4 to 5 minutes until craggy, crisp, and 165 degrees Fahrenheit inside. Drain on a rack.
Simmer the glaze
Simmer honey, soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a skillet for 2 minutes.
Thicken it to glossy
Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until glossy and thick enough to coat.
Toss immediately
Toss the crisp chicken in the glaze immediately and finish heavily with sesame seeds and scallions.
Three Stages, and One Deadline
The first two stages make something crisp, the third makes something wet, and the whole recipe is arranged so the wet one is ready first.
Stage 1 of 3
The coating
Steps 1–2 of 6
Oil to 350F in a heavy pot, and 1 1/2 lb of breast pieces dipped in 2 beaten eggs then coated thoroughly in 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cornstarch is half the dry mix, and it is what makes the shell craggy rather than smooth.
- Get the oil to 350FHeat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Egg, then the dry mixMix cornstarch, flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg, then coat thoroughly in the dry mixture.
Stage 2 of 3
The fry
Steps 3–3 of 6
Four to five minutes a batch until craggy, crisp and 165F inside, drained on a rack. In batches, because a crowded pot cools the oil below the temperature that sets a coating - and drained on a rack, because paper traps steam under the bites.
- Fry in batches to 165FFry in batches 4 to 5 minutes until craggy, crisp, and 165 degrees Fahrenheit inside. Drain on a rack.
Stage 3 of 3
The glaze, finished first
Steps 4–6 of 6
1/3 cup honey, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp sesame oil simmered 2 minutes, then thickened with 1 tsp cornstarch slaked in 1 tbsp water until glossy and thick enough to coat. The chicken is tossed in it IMMEDIATELY - the recipe's own word - and finished heavily with 2 tbsp sesame seeds and 2 tbsp scallions.
- Simmer the glazeSimmer honey, soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a skillet for 2 minutes.
- Thicken it to glossyStir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until glossy and thick enough to coat.
- Toss immediatelyToss the crisp chicken in the glaze immediately and finish heavily with sesame seeds and scallions.
Success Tips
- Fry in batches — crowding drops the oil temperature and a cool fry gives a soft coating.
- Have the glaze finished before the last batch comes out; immediately means immediately.
- Use a rack, not kitchen paper, so the bites do not sit in their own steam.
Serving Ideas
Four servings in white bowls, the craggy bites turned in the dark glossy glaze and finished heavily with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Could this be done in a slow cooker instead?
No. The coating is the dish — battered and fried crisp is what these bites are, and no amount of slow cooking produces it.
How do I know the chicken is done?
165 degrees Fahrenheit inside, after four to five minutes at 350. The coating going golden is not on its own the test.
Why did my bites go soft?
Usually one of three things: the oil was below 350, the pot was crowded, or the glaze was not ready when the chicken was.
