Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken — Stop calling for takeout or going to the mall food court and make this AMAZING sticky chicken at home in 15 minutes!! So EASY with the perfect balance of sweet and spicy with plenty of sticky sauce!!
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Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken
If I’m walking by the food court in the mall and I can snag a free sample of sticky chicken, I do a little happy dance inside. But I don’t order it because I know it’s greasy and loaded with calories and fat that I don’t need.
Enter this homemade non-fried version of Asian sticky chicken that’s made in one skillet and ready in 15 minutes. No fuss, hassle-free, and perfect for busy weeknights. The chicken is ridiculously tender, juicy, and loaded with authentic Asian flavors.
Sticky Chicken Ingredients
To make this sticky Asian chicken recipe, you’ll need:
- Honey
- Ketchup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Chili garlic sauce
- Egg
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
Try This Recipe Next!
Chili garlic sauce is readily available at almost any grocery store these days. If you like this flavor profile, check out my 15-Minute Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Sticky Chicken
This recipe for sticky chicken couldn’t be simpler! Here are the basic steps:
- To a large skillet, add boneless skinless chicken breast pieces that have been dredged in egg, flour, and cornstarch.
- Cook until the chicken is done, about 7 minutes, and then add the sauce.
- Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the Asian sticky sauce is thick and, well, sticky!
- Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving.
Love Extra Sauce?
As written, the recipe makes a lot of sauce and I like to drench my rice in it, but if you’re not as much of a sauce person you can cut the sauce recipe in half.
Recipe FAQs
No, this recipe is best made in a skillet.
I used boneless skinless chicken breasts in this sticky chicken recipe, but boneless skinless thighs can likely be substituted.
I added 3 heaping tablespoons chili garlic sauce and the chicken and sauce had a nice kick. If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, dial that quantity back. Start with 1 tablespoon and work up from there.
Or if you don’t want any spiciness, it’s easy to omit. But in my opinion for a true better-than-takeout sticky chicken, there needs to be some spiciness.
Cornstarch thickens any liquids or sauces it comes into contact with. In this recipe, it helps the sauce tighten up and cling to the chicken.
Tips for the Best Asian Sticky Sauce
Cornstarch is a kitchen magician in many regards, but there are some pitfalls. If you’re not careful you can have a gloppy mess in a hurry.
My tips for avoiding that include:
- Cook sauce over medium to medium-high heat, but not high.
- Stir the pan sauce nearly constantly until you get the sauce consistency just to your liking.
- Sauces that have cornstarch in them tend to tighten up a bit more as they cool so plan accordingly.
What to Serve with Sticky Asian Chicken
Sticky chicken is best served atop a bed of steamed white, brown, or cauliflower rice. Or, pair it with one of the following side dishes for an Asian-inspired feast:
- Fresh Spring Rolls
- Sheet Pan Orange Ginger Veggies
- Teriyaki Salad (omit the chicken)
- Mushroom Vegetable Soup
- Green Edamame Salad
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Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce
- ½ to ⅔ cup honey
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, or regular or rice vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 to 4 tablespoons chili garlic sauce, to taste (I used 3 heaping tablespoons and there was a nice kick; reduce to 1 tablespoon or less if you're very sensitive to spicy foods)
Chicken
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup corn starch, for dredging
- 1.25 to 1.50 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons cold water
- green onions, sliced thin; optional for garnishing
- sesame seeds, optional for garnishing
Instructions
- Make the Sauce
- To a medium bowl, add all the ingredients, and whisk to combine; set aside.
- Make the Chicken
- Add the egg to a small bowl, the flour to a separate shallow bowl, and the 1/3 cup corn starch to another shallow bowl.
- Add the chicken to the egg bowl (I add it all at once and smoosh it around with my fingers), pick it up and transfer it to the flour bowl and coat it with flour (doesn't have to be 100% completely and perfectly coated), pick it up and transfer it to the corn starch bowl and coat it with corn starch.
- To a large skillet, add the oil, add the chicken, and cook over medium to medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until the chicken is seared, lightly browned on the outside, and cooked through.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the sauce to the skillet, and stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, add 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of cold waer, and stir to combine. This is called a slurry. Add the slurry to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Stir the sauce nearly continuously for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened up as much as desired, allowing it to boil gently as your stir.
- Optionally, evenly garnish with green onions and/or sesame seeds and serve immediately. Chicken will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Notes
- Note: This makes a lot of sauce and if you don't love sauce or want extra (it's great over rice), halve the sauce recipe from what is written.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made this last week and it was absolutely fantastic! I made a batch with chicken for my husband -he loved it. I also made and a batch with tofu for myself where I just followed the recipe and replaced chicken with tofu (no modifications). It had that consistency of tofu that I’ve been trying to replicate from my local chinese restaurant. If you cook with tofu you probably know what I mean – it always crumbles and is too soft. But this was sooo good!