Honey Chicken; also known as Chinese Honey Chicken, is a long standing traditional Chinese dish that most other Asian cooking styles have adopted and transformed into their own locally unique variations.

Popularity – Due to its long standing popularity some variation of Honey Chicken can be found as standard fare in practically every Chinese buffet you would care to visit. In fact; more often than not, you will find that there will be a number of dishes; such as Sesame Chicken, Honey Garlic Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken, Bamboo Honey Chicken and Sweet Honey Chicken etc. that will be based around this stalwart of the Chinese buffet.

Diversity – Because of this incredible diversity in Honey Chicken dishes I will present the basic recipe upon which all of these “local” variations are built. From there you can then modify it to your heart’s content and make it your own.

Marinade and Sauce Backgrounder

In order to make successful modifications to this recipe it helps to understand the roles played by the major components of the dish. By this I am referring to the marinade and the honey sauce.

The Marinade – The marinade is in itself a great flavor enhancer that contributes greatly to the tenderness and juiciness of the chicken. The marinade for this Honey Chicken recipe is made using a fruity wine and chicken base combination.

The Honey Sauce – The sauce that I have used for this particular Honey Chicken recipe is firmly rooted in the traditional Chinese sweet honey style. You might also like to include sliced scallions as a garnishing to impart additional exotic twists to the flavor of this dish.

The Recipe

Ingredients – 4 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, 2 Tablespoons Raw Sesame Seeds, 2 Large Onions

Marinade Ingredients – 1 Teaspoon each of Chicken Base and Lemon Juice Concentrate, ¼ Teaspoon each of Salt and Sugar, ½ Teaspoon of Sesame Oil, Ground White Pepper, 1 Tablespoon of Fruity Flavored Wine (e.g. Raspberry or even Marsala), 2 Splashes of Tabasco Sauce

Batter Ingredients – ½ Cup of All-Purpose Flour, 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 Egg (beaten), ½ Cup Water (or as much as needed to make batter smooth), 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch, 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil, Salt (to taste)

Sauce Ingredients – 3 Tablespoons Honey, 2 Tablespoons each of Sugar and Ketchup, 1 Tablespoon White Distilled Vinegar, 3 Pinches of Ground Black Pepper, Salt (to taste)

Preparation – Cut the chicken breasts into one inch chunks. Then skin and slice both onions. Next beat the egg ready for use in making the batter

Making the Marinade – Use a glass mixing bowl to combine all of the marinade ingredients, add 1 sliced onion and mix thoroughly

Marinade the Chicken – Add the chicken pieces and mix to ensure that all of your chicken pieces are evenly coated by the marinade. Cover and let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the Batter – In another bowl combine all of the batter ingredients and mix thoroughly. Note that the batter should be thick enough to coat the chicken but thin enough to flow around the pieces. Once done; set the batter mix to one side.

Battering the Chicken Pieces – Take the pieces of chicken out of the marinade and dip them into the batter mix one by one. Use a fork or tongs. Make sure that the chicken pieces are evenly coated with batter.

Deep Frying the Chicken – Deep fry the chicken in batches until golden brown (for about 10 minutes). Once done remove the now fried chicken pieces from the deep fryer and drain on paper towels.

Wok Alternative – You could also fry the chicken pieces in hot oil at about 325 degrees F in your wok until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes)

Make the Sauce – Combine the sauce ingredients in a wok and warm over medium heat. Bring the sauce mixture to a boil while stirring and then simmer until sauce slightly thickens.

To Serve

Place the now fried chicken pieces into a serving dish and coat with the honey sauce. Then garnish with the sesame seeds and scallions if desired.

Alternatively place chicken in serving dish and the sauce into small bowls for dunking the chicken pieces as you dine.