Sticky Basil Chicken
User Reviews
4.6
Sticky Basil Chicken
Description
This recipe begins by lightly dredging chicken pieces in egg, flour, and cornstarch before pan-frying them to a golden, crispy exterior. The sauce, combining honey, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and chili garlic sauce, simmers with the cooked chicken, reducing and thickening to create a sticky glaze. Fresh basil leaves are mixed in near the end to add aromatic freshness and a hint of herbaceous flavor.
The final dish shows a contrast between the crispy chicken outside and tender inside, smothered with a slightly thick sauce that balances sweetness, acidity, soy savoriness, and chili heat. The garnish of basil leaves adds a fresh contrast and brightens the overall flavor.
Sticky Basil Chicken serves well with rice to soak up the rich sauce and can be garnished with sesame seeds if desired. It makes an appealing main course with a complex, layered flavor profile that is approachable to prepare. The sauce's heat level can be adjusted by modifying the chili garlic sauce amount.
Leftover sticky chicken stores well for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 4 months without notable loss in quality.
Ingredients
Sauce
- ⅓ to ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or regular or rice vinegar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce lite or lower-sodium
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed (light or dark)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 to 4 tablespoons Chili garlic sauce to taste (I used 3 heaping tablespoons and there was a nice kick; reduce to 1 tablespoon or less if you're very sensitive to spicy foods)
Chicken
- 1 egg lightly beaten, large
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup corn starch for dredging
- 1.75 pounds chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces, boneless, skinless
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil plus more if necessary
- 1 basil torn into large pieces, or as desired; plus more for garnishing optionally, big handful fresh leaves
- sesame seeds optional for garnishing
Instructions
Sauce:
- To a medium bowl, add all the ingredients, and whisk to combine; set aside.
Chicken:
- Add the egg to a small bowl, the flour to a separate shallow bowl, and the corn starch to another shallow bowl.
- Add the chicken to the egg bowl (I add it all at once and smoosh it around with my fingers), pick it up and transfer it to the flour bowl and coat it with flour (doesn't have to be 100% completely and perfectly coated), pick it up and transfer it to the corn starch bowl and coat it with corn starch.
- To a large skillet, add the oil, the chicken, and cook over medium to medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken is seared, lightly browned or golden on the outside, and cooked through; slip intermittently to ensure even cooking.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the sauce to the skillet, and stir to combine. Stir the sauce nearly continuously for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened up and likely it will have reduced and absorbed into or clung to the chicken and there won't be much excess.
- Turn the heat off, add the handful of torn basil, and stir to incorporate and until wilted.
- Optionally, garnish with additional basil and/or sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Notes
- Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
- Adjust chili garlic sauce quantity to control the spiciness to your preference.
- Adding sesame seeds as a garnish provides extra texture and visual appeal but is optional.
- Ensure chicken pieces are evenly coated and cooked through for best texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 711 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 711kcal | 36% |
| Carbohydrates | 51g | 17% |
| Protein | 67g | 134% |
| Fat | 26g | 40% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 19g | 112% |
| Cholesterol | 215mg | 72% |
| Sodium | 806mg | 34% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 24g | 48% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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