Sticky honey-soy chicken stir-fry

Honey soy chicken recipe

Sweet, juicy chicken with a savoury kick is a guaranteed hit for any family dinner, so it’s no wonder honey soy chicken recipes are hugely popular. Once you make a batch of the tasty marinade (a combination of honey, soy sauce, garlic and vinegar), you can use any cut of chicken - from thigh fillets and drumsticks, to wings and breast pieces. The use of honey in Chinese cooking is believed to have begun in Hong Kong where a lot of Western influences helped to create Chinese-Western fusion dishes. For this recipe the chicken thigh fillets are marinated and stir-fried in a hot wok with plenty of veggies, making it a quick and easy dinner that’s a delicious addition to your weeknight repertoire.

Ingredients for easy honey chicken recipe

One of the key ingredients is, of course, honey - you’ll need ⅓ cup (80ml). The savoury flavour comes from 2 tbs of light soy sauce, and to cut through the sweet and savoury, we’re going to add 1 tbs of rice wine vinegar. You’ll also need 3 garlic cloves to add to the marinade. We’re using 500g of good-quality chicken thigh fillets, chopped. Thigh fillets are a tasty cut and retain their moisture, resulting in a juicy dish. Sesame oil is used to cook the dish, giving it a nutty aroma and flavour. The veggies in this recipe include 1 brown onion, cut into thin wedges, 1 thinly sliced carrot, 1 bunch of buk choy, coarsely chopped, and leaves and stems separated, and 1 chopped red capsicum. For stir-fries, it’s best to have the  veggies thinly sliced or chopped as they will cook quickly in the pan or wok. To thicken the sauce, you’ll need 3 tsp of cornflour. To serve, use ½ cup (75g) toasted and chopped cashews and spring onion curls.

Learn how to make the best honey soy chicken stir fry recipe

This recipe is done and dusted in just 30 minutes, which helps with busy weeknights. Make the marinade first by combining the honey, soy sauce, garlic and vinegar in a small jug. Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour over half the honey mixture. Toss to combine and set aside for 5 minutes to develop the flavours.

Then it’s time to cook the chicken - heat ½ tbs of sesame oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over high heat. Having your pan or wok on high heat ensures the chicken is seared, locking in all the flavours. You’ll need to cook the chicken in 3 batches to avoid crowding the pan, which cools it down and results in the chicken sticking to the pan instead of browning it.

Cook the first batch of chicken, stirring, for 4 minutes or until browned and just cooked through. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

To cook the veggies, wipe the pan or wok clean. Then heat another ½ tbs of sesame oil in the pan or wok over high heat. The veggies will cook quite quickly so it’s best to have them prepared ahead of time. Add the onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the carrot, buk choy stems and capsicum and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until the veggies are just tender. 

Then return the chicken to the pan or work and add the remaining honey mixture. To thicken the sauce, combine the corn flour and 1 tbs of water in a bowl. Add the cornflour mixture to the chicken mixture and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add the cashew and buk choy leaves and stir until the leaves just wilt. To serve, sprinkle with spring onion curls. Serve with steamed rice.

Now get cooking

If you can’t get enough of the honey-soy flavours in this dish, try it in on one of our sticky sweet-savoury recipes, such as these lunchtime heroes - honey-soy chicken rolls. Make sure you make a big batch of these honey-and-ginger chicken wings because the family will want seconds. Get the slow cooker ready - it’s time for the ultimate dinner in this honey-soy pork belly with Asian greens. And give this sticky sesame chicken with mixed bean fried rice a go for a quick-and-easy family dinner.