Built-to-last CRISPY Honey Chicken
Recipe video above. This recipe brings together a plethora of Asian cooking secrets for a crispy chicken that stays crispy for 4+ hrs even after tossing with sauce:1. Double coating - dredge in cornflour/cornstarch followed by batter2. Cold batter made with soda water = crispier chicken that's puffy and light, not dense and greasy3. Cornflour/cornstarch + flour batter - cornflour for ultra crispiness, flour for golden colour + baking powder lift4. Double fry for extra long lasting, thicker crispiness AND less greasy (Asian secret!)5. No-Soggy Sauce - glucose or corn syrup to make it "candy like" to stick on chicken crust rather than soaking in, plus NO WATER in the sauce.See Notes for make ahead (99% like freshly made).
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 300g/ 10oz chicken thighs (, skinless boneless, cut into 2.5cm/1" pieces (Note 1))
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce ((or all purpose, NOT dark soy))
- 2 tsp Chinese cooking wine ((sub with soy))
- 2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 1/2 cup cornflour/cornstarch
- 6 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch ((Note 8))
- 4 tbsp flour (, plain/all purpose)
- 7 - 8 tbsp COLD soda water, club soda or seltzer water ((NOT sparkling mineral water, Note 2))
- 1/4 tsp baking powder ((NOT baking soda))
- 1/4 tsp salt (, kosher/cooking (halve for table salt))
- 2 - 3 cups vegetable oil ((or canola))
- 1/3 cup (100g) honey
- 1.5 tbsp (25g) glucose OR corn syrup (light) ((Note 6))
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce ((or all purpose))
- 2 tsp Chinese cooking wine ((or more soy sauce))
- 25g / 2 oz Vermicelli rice noodles (optional) (, a wad of it (not bean noodles, must be rice noodles))
- Sesame seeds, finely sliced green onions
Instructions
- 1
Place batter mixing bowl in the fridge with the flour, baking powder and salt. (Helps keep batter cold = crispier chicken)
- 2
Marinade: Mix Chicken and Marinade in a bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 3
Dust: Spread the 1/2 cup cornflour/cornstarch on a shallow plate. Scatter over about 8 to 10 chicken pieces, toss to coat, shake off excess, put on a plate. Repeat with all chicken.
- 4
Rack: Place a rack on a tray (for draining, Note 3)
- 5
Heat oil: Fill small pot or large saucepan with 4cm / 1.7" oil. Heat to 180°C/350°F on medium high stove (or until chicken starts sizzle straight away when dipped).
- 6
Make Cold Batter: Whisk together flour, cornflour/cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Pour in 7 tbsp soda water, then do minimum whisks just to combine (10 or so) - few lumps ok, better than whisking too much (changes coating texture).
- 7
Batter thickness: should fully coat chicken easily, not be see through, but not thick and heavy - see video at 44 seconds. Use extra water 1 teaspoon at a time to achieve right thickness.
- 8
Dredge: Drop 8 or so pieces of chicken into the batter. Turn to coat, then carefully place in oil.
- 9
Fry #1: Cook for 3 minutes until light golden and crispy - when you pick them up, you can tell it's very crispy.
- 10
Drain & repeat: Place on rack, repeat with remaining chicken - I cook in 4 batches, don't crowd the pot, brings oil temperature down too much.
- 11
Cool chicken for 20 minutes (Note 4). Meanwhile, make Sauce.
- 12
Place ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, then leave to simmer for 3 minutes.
- 13
Consistency should be like maple syrup (video at 1 min 11 sec). Turn off stove, place lid on to keep warm (when cool, gets too thick to toss chicken).
- 14
Heat oil to 200°C/390°F.
- 15
Add in half the chicken (you can crowd the pot for Fry #2). Cook for 90 seconds until it changes from pale golden to very golden (but not dark golden, chicken will overcook), then remove onto rack. More golden = crispier chicken.
- 16
Repeat with remaining chicken. (Feel the chicken - you can tell it's built-to-last crispy!)
- 17
Tumble into saucepan with sauce, use rubber spatula to quick toss until coated with sauce. (Sauce starts thickening if you take too long, so be quick!)
- 18
Pile chicken up over crispy noodles (if using), scatter with sesame seeds and green onion and serve!
- 19
At any point while oil is hot, drop wad of noodles into hot oil, wait 3 seconds until it puffs up, then remove with tongs.
- 20
Drain on paper towels, place on plate to top with chicken!