Honey Butter Fried Chicken

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Easy Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken recipe loaded with crispy fried chicken glazed with sweet and savoury honey butter sauce. One of the most popular Korean fried chicken recipes, and it is great for party finger food or a savoury snack! All the kids and adults are going to love it!

Honey Butter Fried Chicken - Khin's Kitchen (1)

Do you love crispy fried chicken? If you are a fried chicken lover like me, this is one of the must-try recipes for you! It’s so easy, a simplified recipe, and better than takeout!

I am a big fan of K-drama and love to cook recipes from Korean series. Spicy Korean Fried Chicken Wing is my all-time favourite fried chicken and Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowl is my go-to quick dinner recipe that you will also love!

You’ll love this easy honey butter chicken!

If you are trying this dish for the first time, it’s crunchy fried chicken pieces tossed with garlicky, buttery, sweet honey sauce. Before I haven’t tried it I wondered how fried chicken and honey butter could be a great combination.

They really are a perfect match and so addictive! That’s the reason it’s so popular in Korea!

In this recipe, I’m sharing how to make the perfect crispy chicken coating texture that stays crispy even after you toss it with the butter sauce. And also my tips to achieve the best honey butter glaze with simple cupboard-friendly ingredients!

Now let’s get cooking!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Honey Butter Fried Chicken - Khin's Kitchen (2)

The following is a quick guide with photos. Please scroll down to see the detailed measurements and printable recipe on the recipe card.

Ingredients for the Chicken and Coating

Boneless chicken breast or thigh
White pepper or black pepper
Soy sauce
Egg
Cornstarch or potato starch

For Honey Butter Sauce

Garlic
Honey
Butter
Brown Sugar
Soy Sauce
Sesame oil
Cornstarch slurry ( cornstarch + water )
Dried crushed chilli ( optional )

Other Ingredients

Neutral oil for frying
Toasted sesame seeds
Spring onions

How to Make Honey Butter Fried Chicken?

1. Prepare Chicken Coating

First, cut the chicken into bite-size cubes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Season the chicken pieces with soy sauce and white pepper powder. Break one egg inside and mix it well.

Then add the cornstarch and coat the chicken piece well with the cornstarch.

2. Double-fry the Chicken Pieces

Heat the oil over medium-high heat, about 350°F (180 °C). Add the coated chicken pieces and fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the oil and let it cool for a few minutes.

3. Make Honey Butter Sauce

Heat the large wok or pan to medium heat, add butter and let it melt for a few seconds. Then add minced garlic and saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Reduce the heat to low and add soy sauce, honey, sugar, more butter, sesame oil, cornstarch slurry, and crushed chillies. Stir continuously until the sauce is starting to get thick and glossy.

4. Coat Fried Chicken with Honey Butter Sauce

Now, add the fried chicken pieces and toss them well with the sauce. Make sure each chicken piece is coated well. Turn off the heat and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, and spring onions. Serve immediately!

Khin’s Top Tips

Do not fry the chicken only 1 time. Double fry the chicken pieces for the best crunchy coating without drying out the inside meat.
It’s also important to fry over medium-high heat to prevent the chicken from being overcooked.
Fry the chicken in batches and do not overload the frying oil to maintain the temperature.
For a kick of heat, I love adding a bit of dried crushed chilli. If you don’t like it spicy or prefer mild honey butter sauce, you can omit the crushed chilli.
Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds for an extra nutty flavour and texture. You can also add pumpkin seeds, toasted walnuts, or roasted crushed peanuts.

Honey Butter Fried Chicken - Khin's Kitchen (3)

Most Asked Questions and Answers

Can I use chicken wings to make honey butter fried chicken?

Yes! You can definitely use chicken wings or bone-in chicken pieces. You may need to adjust the frying time according to the size of the chicken pieces, as large chicken pieces need longer to be cooked.

What type of butter to use?

Natural unsalted butter is ideal for this recipe. If you are using salted butter you might need to reduce the soy sauce as it can be a bit saltier than unsalted butter.

I don’t want to deep fry it. Can I air fry or bake the chicken pieces?

If you don’t like frying with oil, you can simply air-fry or bake them in the oven. Air-frying is the second best option that I recommend. You need to spray cooking oil over the coated chicken pieces and air-fry them in the pre-heated 400F ( 200 C ) air fryer for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.

More Crispy Fried Chicken Recipes

If you enjoyed this honey butter chicken recipe, here are some more recipe ideas for you to experiment with.

Tori Karaage ( Popular Japanese-style crispy fried chicken )
Taiwanese Fried Chicken ( Taiwanese street-food fried chicken with basil flavour )
Crispy Panko Chicken ( Air-fried panko breadcrumbs coated crispy chicken )
Crispy Honey Chilli Chicken ( Crispy fried shredded chicken with spicy sweet honey sauce )
Crispy Orange Chicken ( Chinese takeout-style fried chicken with savoury tangy orange sauce )

If you've tried out this fried honey butter chicken recipe, please do share your feedback in the comments and give me star 🌟 ratings!

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Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 470kcal

Author: Khin

Ingredients

▢ 400 grams Chicken breast Boneless chicken breast or thigh ( About 0.88lb )
▢ ¼ tsp White pepper
▢ 1 tbsp Regular soy sauce
▢ 1 Egg
▢ 1 cup Cornstarch
▢ 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds
▢ Spring onions
▢ Neutral oil for frying

Honey Butter Sauce

▢ 2-3 cloves Garlic
▢ 4 tbsp Honey
▢ 4 tbsp Butter
▢ 1 tbsp Brown sugar
▢ 2 tbsp Soy sauce Light soy or regular soy sauce
▢ 1 tbsp Sesame oil
▢ 2½ tbsp Cornstarch slurry ( Mix ½ tsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water )
▢ 1 tsp Crushed chilli ( Optional )

Instructions

Cut chicken into bite-size cubes and place them in a bowl. Add one egg, soy sauce, and white pepper. Mix it well with the chicken pieces. Add cornstarch and coat the chicken pieces well.
Fry the chicken pieces in the hot oil 350°F (180 °C) for 1-2 minutes. Set it aside and let it cool down for a few minute. Then double fry it again in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes or until crispy golden brown.
Heat the pan to medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter and saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Reduce the heat to low, then add soy sauce, honey, sugar, more butter, sesame oil, cornstarch slurry and crushed chillies. Stir until the sauce is thick and glossy.
Add the fried chicken to the sauce and coat each chicken piece with the sauce. Toss it well and sprinkle sesame seeds and spring onions. Enjoy!

Notes

Do not fry the chicken only 1 time. Double fry the chicken pieces for the best crunchy coating without drying out the inside meat.
It’s also important to fry over medium-high heat to prevent the chicken from being overcooked. Fry the chicken in batches and do not overload the frying oil to maintain the temperature.
For a kick of heat, I added a bit of dried crushed chili. If you don’t like it spicy or prefer mild honey butter sauce, you can omit the crushed chili.
Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds for an extra nutty flavour and texture. You can also add pumpkin seeds, toasted walnuts, or roasted crushed peanuts.

Nutrition

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FAQs

How to make fried chicken stay crispy? ›

Proper cooling sets the crust and ensures that the chicken will have done all its carryover cooking. I like to cool any leftover chicken completely and then store in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the fridge. The paper towel absorbs condensation and keeps that chicken crisp for midnight snacking.

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Does double frying chicken make it crispy? ›

Double frying helps with that evaporation process. By letting the chicken rest and cool between the dips in the oil, additional water evaporates from the skin. When you put it back in to finish frying, the rest of the water evaporates, which allows the skin to brown and crisp quickly before the meat overcooks.

How to tenderize chicken for frying? ›

Acidic buttermilk tenderizes the chicken without making it too tough. Also, it helps the flour mixture stick to the chicken. All-purpose flour gives the buttermilk and seasonings something to stick to, while ensuring a wonderfully crispy crust.

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Is flour or cornstarch better for fried chicken? ›

Ingredient Tips

My not-so-secret tip to the best fried chicken is a combination of FLOUR, CORNSTARCH, and BAKING POWDER. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.)

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How to keep the breading from falling off chicken fried chicken? ›

Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.

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Is cornstarch or potato starch better for air frying? ›

Most of the time, we use potato starch or cornstarch. Potato starch can be hard to find (although Amazon is now a thing, and Bob's Red Mill is carried everywhere) but produces the best, lightest, crispiest results. Cornstarch comes in a close second and you can get it everywhere.

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Why is my deep fried chicken not crispy? ›

If your oil temp is too high, your fried chicken will be scorched on the outside with meat that is undercooked. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will be greasy and will lack the golden-brown crispy exterior you want.

How do chefs get chicken so tender? ›

Low and slow cooking methods like braising, stewing, or smoking are most effective when trying to create tender, succulent chicken.