Crispy Hot Honey Chicken
Equipment
- Small pan for sauce
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 16 oz chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ tsp salt
- Neutral oil spray
For the Hot Honey Sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sriracha
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp chili flakes
Optional Garnish
- Sesame seeds
- Scallions
- Steamed rice
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, and salt. Mix lightly, then add the cubed chicken thighs and dredge thoroughly until evenly coated.
- Lightly oil your air fryer basket and place the chicken inside in a single layer. Spray the tops with additional oil and air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 13 minutes until crispy and golden.
- While the chicken cooks, combine honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, garlic powder, and chili flakes in a small pan. Bring to a light simmer and cook until slightly thickened, then remove from the heat.
- Transfer the crispy chicken to a bowl, pour over the sauce, and toss until evenly coated.
- Serve over a fresh bowl of rice and optionally garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Table of Contents
- Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe
- Introduction
- Why You’ll Love This Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe
- Why The Sauce Is So Important For This Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe
- Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Crispy Hot Honey Chicken
- What to Serve with Crispy Hot Honey Chicken
- How to Store Crispy Hot Honey Chicken
- Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Substitutions
- What to Make Next
Introduction
Hot honey became super popular because of that addicting sweet and spicy combination, and this Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe is the perfect embodiment of that flavor profile. This recipe has crispy chicken coated in a hot honey glaze that’s sweet, savory, spicy, and so addictive without needing to deep fry anything. Air fryer recipes are my bread and butter, but I’ve found myself making this one over and over because it’s so easy and so delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe
This Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe is designed to give you the best crunch while also keeping the process simple without any deep frying. The combination of cornstarch and flour will create a light coating around the chicken thighs, which gets super crispy in the air fryer. The cornstarch gives those crunchy edges while the flour gives the coating more “structure,” which prevents the chicken from tasting too powdery and floury. Once it’s in the air fryer, it’s also important to keep the chicken separated so the hot air circulates properly around each piece, which is what makes it crunchy without deep frying. By the time the chicken is done, you’ll get an amazing piece of chicken that is the perfect vessel for your hot honey glaze.
Why The Sauce Is So Important For This Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe
The sauce is what puts this Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe above the rest out there (in my opinion!). The honey adds the sweetness and will help with the consistency while the soy sauce and vinegar add saltiness and balance to the honey. The seasonings and sriracha bring that heat and flavor which compliments the other ingredients perfectly. As the sauce starts to simmer, it thickens slightly and becomes the perfect consistency for coating your chicken. It clings to every piece without being “wet” enough to soak through the coating, which ends up giving you that perfect bite every time.
Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe Ingredients
Chicken thighs + coating (cornstarch, flour, salt) – The chicken thighs stay juicy while the coating gets crispy in the air fryer without deep frying.
Neutral oil spray – Helps the coating turn golden and crispy while allowing the chicken to cook evenly in the air fryer.
Hot honey sauce (honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, garlic powder, chili flakes) – A balanced sauce that creates an addicting sweet and spicy glaze that has just enough heat.
Optional garnishes (sesame seeds, scallions, steamed rice) – The perfect way to finish and serve the dish. The rice absorbs the extra sauce, while the garnishes add an extra bite and color.
How to Make Crispy Hot Honey Chicken
In a bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, and salt, then add the chicken and coat thoroughly.
Lightly oil the air fryer basket and place the chicken in a single layer.
Spray the tops with additional oil and air fry at 375°F until crispy and golden.
While the chicken cooks, combine honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, garlic powder, and chili flakes in a small pan. Bring the sauce to a light simmer and cook until slightly thickened.
Transfer the crispy chicken to a bowl and pour the sauce over. Toss until evenly coated.
Serve immediately over rice and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions if desired.
What to Serve with Crispy Hot Honey Chicken
This Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe pairs perfectly with a bunch of different dishes, and here are a few of my favorites:
- Steamed white rice. The perfect base for this dish because the hot rice soaks up all the extra sauce.
- Shredded cabbage. Pairs with the chicken and balances the richness of the sauce.
- Sautéed vegetables. I love to serve this dish with sautéed greens like bok choy or broccoli.
How to Store Crispy Hot Honey Chicken
This Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe is best fresh when the coating is at its crispiest, but leftovers still can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When reheating, you have a couple of options:
- Reheating in the air fryer. Works the best to restore some of that crunchiness. I like to air fry the chicken at 300°F (149°C) for 5 minutes.
- Using the oven. Will also bring back that crispiness. I like to convection bake the chicken at 300°F (149°C) for 9 minutes.
- Microwave. Not ideal for restoring texture, but the flavor will still be there. I like to microwave for 2 minutes at high heat.
Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Substitutions
This Crispy Hot Honey Chicken Recipe is flexible, and you can adjust a few ingredients depending on what you have available. A few of my favorite substitutions are:
- Baking in the oven. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake the chicken thighs at a high temperature until crispy and golden. I would recommend baking the chicken at 450°F (232°C) for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through and respraying.
- Chicken breast. A leaner option that still works great in a pinch.
- Potato starch. Can be used instead of cornstarch and depending on how much oil you spray on, can create an even crispier coating.
- Maple syrup. A great substitute for honey that still creates an amazing glaze.
- Hot sauce. You can still use your favorite hot sauce instead of sriracha if you have a hot sauce preference.
What to Make Next
Craving another crispy chicken dish? You’ll love my Crispy Korean Chicken!
Want something noodles instead? Try my Garlic Chicken Noodles!
Feeling like switching to fried rice? Cook my Chicken Fried Rice!
