Description
Honey Garlic Chicken Bites are a quick and flavorful dish featuring tender bite-sized chicken pieces coated in a crispy cornstarch layer, sautéed and tossed in a sticky, sweet, and savory honey garlic sauce with a hint of heat from red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Perfect as a main served over rice, pasta, or with veggies, this recipe is an easy and delicious meal for any day of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1.5 pounds 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: Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. In a large bowl, combine the chopped chicken with cornstarch, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well to evenly coat the chicken pieces.
- Cook the Chicken: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy-duty pan over medium-high heat. Add the coated chicken pieces to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through and has a lightly crispy coating.
- Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, olive oil, honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, and hot sauce to create the flavorful honey garlic sauce.
- Combine and Thicken: Pour the prepared sauce over the cooked chicken in the pan. Continue cooking the chicken and sauce together for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to a sticky glaze and coats all the chicken evenly. Cooking longer will make the sauce even thicker and stickier.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve the honey garlic chicken bites over cooked 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 will slightly diminish upon reheating, but the flavor remains delicious.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes and hot sauce to control the spice level according to your preference.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos and ensure cornstarch is gluten-free.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 330 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
