Crisp Honey Chicken with Last-Second Honey-Soy Glaze

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Bite-size chicken thighs go through a wet-dry cornstarch coating, get double-fried until they shatter, then meet the honey-soy glaze in the pan for about fifteen seconds — just long enough to lacquer, never long enough to go soggy. This is the takeout-counter classic done at the standard of a $17 sit-down version: crackly shell, glossy sauce, real garlic and ginger instead of sweet goo.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt
• 0.25 tsp white pepper
• 1 large egg white

• 1 cup cornstarch, divided
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt
• 6 tbsp cold water
• 6 cup neutral oil for frying (peanut, canola or vegetable)

• 5 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1.5 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
• Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Toss the chicken pieces with 1 tbsp soy sauce, the Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp salt, white pepper and the egg white. Mix hard with your hand for 30 seconds until the liquid is absorbed and the meat feels tacky. Let it sit at room temperature 15 minutes while you set up everything else.
2. Make the glaze base: in a small bowl whisk together the honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, rice vinegar, orange juice and 2 tsp sesame oil. In a separate small bowl combine the minced garlic, grated ginger and pepper flakes. In a third bowl stir the 1.5 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water. Keep all three next to the stove — the glaze comes together fast at the end.
3. Set up the coating: in a wide bowl whisk 1/2 cup of the cornstarch with the flour, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt, then whisk in the 6 tbsp cold water to make a thin, pancake-like slurry. Put the remaining 1/2 cup cornstarch in a second wide bowl.
4. Pour the frying oil into a heavy 4- to 5-quart pot or wok to a depth of about 2 inches and heat over medium-high to 350°F (175°C) on a clip-on thermometer. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan next to the stove.
5. Scrape the marinated chicken into the wet batter and stir to coat every piece. Lift pieces out a few at a time, letting excess batter drip off, and drop them into the dry cornstarch. Toss and press so each piece is thickly, shaggily coated, then shake off the loose powder onto the rack. Coat only as many pieces as you'll fry in the next batch.
6. Fry in 3 batches, 10 to 12 pieces at a time, keeping the oil between 335°F and 350°F. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per batch, stirring once after the crust sets, until pale gold and cooked through (internal temp 175°F for thighs). Lift to the wire rack. Let the oil come back to 350°F between batches.
7. Raise the heat and bring the oil to 375°F (190°C). Fry all the chicken again, in two batches, for 60 to 90 seconds each, until deep golden and audibly crisp. Return to the rack. Do not cover it or the steam will kill the crust.
8. Pour off the frying oil. Wipe the wok or set a clean 12-inch skillet over medium heat with 1 tsp of the reserved oil. Add the garlic, ginger and pepper flakes and stir 20 to 30 seconds, just until fragrant — do not let the garlic brown.
9. Pour in the honey mixture and bring to a hard bubble, about 45 seconds. Stir the cornstarch slurry to recombine, add it, and cook 20 to 30 seconds more, whisking, until the glaze is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. It should look like warm syrup, not water.
10. Kill the heat, add all the fried chicken at once, and toss for 15 to 20 seconds — no longer — until every piece is lacquered. Slide onto a serving platter immediately, scatter with sesame seeds and scallions, and serve with steamed rice while the crust still crackles.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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