Pat the chicken dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper (and optional paprika/garlic powder).
Dredge each piece of chicken in flour or corn‑starch until evenly coated; shake off excess.
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet (medium‑high heat). When oil is hot and shimmering, add chicken pieces in a single layer (do not overcrowd; cook in batches if needed).
Fry chicken ~3‑4 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until golden brown and internal temperature reaches ~165 °F/74 °C (or no pink in center). Remove to wire rack or paper‑towel lined plate to drain.
In the same skillet (wipe out any burnt bits, but keep flavor) reduce heat to medium. Melt butter (if using) and sauté minced garlic for ~30‑60 seconds until fragrant (but not browned).
Add honey, soy sauce, and vinegar (if using). Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
If you want a thicker sauce, whisk the corn‑starch + cold water slurry and slowly pour in while stirring until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove sauce from heat and return chicken to skillet; toss to coat each piece thoroughly. Let sit 1‑2 minutes so sauce clings.
Garnish with sesame seeds, green onion, red pepper flakes as desired.
Serve immediately over rice and vegetables, pouring any extra sauce over rice for maximum flavour.
Final Thoughts
This Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken recipe hits the sweet‑savory‑crispy trifecta. By making sure you get the coating right (dry chicken, good dredge, hot oil, avoid overcrowding) you’ll get that satisfying crisp. Then pairing it with a sticky honey‑garlic glaze gives the flavour kick. Serve it with rice and veggies and you’ve got a meal that feels both comforting and elevated.
If you like, I can pull together 5 complementary side‑recipes (e.g., a vegetable stir‑fry, simple rice pilaf, asian cucumber salad) and provide printable card version of this recipe (with metric conversions) — would you like me to do that?
