Description
Honey Garlic Chicken Bites are a quick and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken pieces coated in a sticky, sweet, and tangy sauce made from honey, garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, and a hint of heat from red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Perfectly pan-fried to a golden crisp and served over rice, pasta, or vegetables, this easy-to-make recipe delivers a satisfying meal in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1.5 pound chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5-6 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce or sriracha
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken coating: Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel. In a large bowl, combine the chicken with corn starch, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well to ensure each piece is evenly coated.
- Cook the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy-duty pan over medium-high heat. Add the coated chicken pieces to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the chicken is browned and cooked through.
- Prepare the sauce: While the chicken cooks, whisk together the crushed garlic, olive oil, honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, and hot sauce in a small bowl until well combined.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Pour the prepared sauce over the cooked chicken in the pan. Continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the sauce to thicken and become sticky, coating the chicken thoroughly.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve the honey garlic chicken bites over rice, pasta, or alongside your favorite vegetables for a complete meal.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 months; note that texture and crispiness may decrease upon freezing and reheating.
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce or red pepper flakes based on your preferred spice level.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos and ensure corn starch is gluten-free certified.
- If you prefer extra crispiness, lightly fry the coated chicken pieces in oil before adding the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 4 ounces of chicken with sauce)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
