? Chilli Chicken is a very popular cultural dish that originates from Szechuan in China. It also has popularity in India, which entails a number of dry chicken preparations. It has a distinct taste and is great on its own or with some rice to balance the flavor.
Crispy honey chilli chicken is a super easy, delicious and lip-smacking dish. The crisp and crunchy exterior is a result of the use of corn flour or cornstarch. You can make this dish either in a clay or regular oven.
The dish begins with an amazingly crisp coating on the chicken that perfectly complements the tender, juicy meat that is within. The marinade imparts incredible flavor and then the sweet and hot honey chilli sauce coats every bite to create a uniquely savory experience. It’s easy to recreate this at home with only a few ingredients and a bit of patience.
Is it healthy?
Crispy honey chilli chicken can be made in a healthy manner. By baking it in the oven instead of deep-frying it, you’re already taking the healthier route. And, if you opt for dark meat chicken, you can use a marinade with less sodium. If you’re watching your weight, you can use breast meat, but be aware that this will impart a different texture.
As for the other ingredients, you can strive to use low-sodium soy sauce, honey, and swap out simple carbs for whole grains.
However, for a dish like this, it wouldn’t hurt to make it authentically. As they say – everything in moderation. If you are taking the time to prepare crispy honey chilli chicken, I recommend following the recipe as closely as you can! It isn’t every day that you get to experience a dish as culturally significant and delicious.
What can I pair it with?
Crispy honey chilli chicken goes well with virtually any side dish. If you’re watching your carb intake, consider brown rice or whole wheat pasta. If you want it to be authentic, serve with traditional rice.
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For the rice, I recommend something like basmati rice. This rice is long and slender, which will help to soak up the delicious sauce. When it comes to noodles, I like to use soba. This noodle is made from buckwheat and is made without eggs. It has a unique texture that I find compliments the chicken.
If you have a salad in mind, try an Asian slaw. It’s simple and fresh, and is sure to brighten up your plate. Of course, if you want to make a full-on Asian feast, some edamame or fried wonton chips would be a great addition.
Storage and Reheating
Crispy honey chilli chicken stores well in the refrigerator. Once you’ve finished eating it, simply add it to a container. If you’re planning to store it for more than a couple days, add a thin layer of water to your container. The chicken will taste just as good, and will stay fresh for longer. If you want the chicken to keep for more than 5 days, we recommend storing it in the freezer. It will retain its flavor for up to 2 months.
When you reheat crispy honey chilli chicken, transfer the rice and chicken to a baking sheet. You can also opt to warm the sauce separately, or reheat the chicken right on the stove.
You can serve a few slices of chicken on lettuce as a wrap. You can also use the rice for rice bowls or fried rice. Make sure to reheat the rice with the sauce to keep the flavor intact.
Variations of crispy honey chilli chicken
There are a number of similar dishes that have been derived from the flavors of crispy honey chilli chicken. The concept of honey chilli sauce is quite versatile and you can use it to make other variations of crispy chicken.
A popular dish that is very similar to crispy honey chilli chicken is crispy honey sesame chicken. The only difference is that the honey chilli sauce is replaced with the popular Japanese sesame sauce. Boneless chicken is coated in egg white, cornstarch and a mix of sweet and hot sauce before being fried and served with a honey sesame sauce. The result is a very tasty dish.
Another popular variation is crispy honey sesame chicken wings. Since wings are smaller than the breasts, they are easier to cook and crispier.
3 crispy honey chilli chicken recipes
Below 3 recipes for you to try.
Note: All of our recipes are created by our in house nutritionist.
Recipes:
