Honey Butter Chicken Bites

Crispy, glossy, and incredibly moreish.

by Samantha Tulett

Published Jan 8, 2026

RECIPE ↓

35 MINS

MODERATE

SERVES 4- 6

About the Recipe

These honey butter chicken bites are everything you want from great takeaway. Ultra-crispy chicken, a glossy sweet-savoury sauce and just enough salt to keep you reaching back for another piece. They hit that perfect balance of indulgent and crowd-pleasing, without feeling heavy or fussy.

This is the kind of dish that belongs in the middle of the table. Think shared plates, cold drinks and everyone fighting over the last bite. Serve them as part of a bigger spread or let them steal the show on their own. Either way, they disappear fast.

RECIPE

Honey Butter Chicken Bites

by Samantha Tulett | City Slicker

COOK TIME

20 MINS

TOTAL TIME

35 MINS

COURSE

MAIN

SERVES

4-6

PREP TIME

15 MINS

INGREDIENTS

Chicken

450 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 3.5 cm bite-sized pieces

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Crispy Coating

6 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp white pepper

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp onion powder

⅛ tsp sweet paprika

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Honey Butter Sauce

¼ cup honey

1½ tsp soy sauce or tamari

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp salt

3 tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter, cold

To Finish

Sea salt flakes

2 spring onions, finely sliced

Chives, finely sliced

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

METHOD

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towel. Season lightly with the salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the crispy coating ingredients. Add the chicken and toss until evenly coated. Shake off any excess coating and place the chicken on a wire rack to rest. This helps the coating adhere and crisp up beautifully when fried.

Fill a wok about one third full with vegetable oil and heat to 180°C. Fry the chicken in batches for 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Do not overcrowd the wok, as this will lower the oil temperature and affect the crunch. Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack to drain while you continue with the remaining batches.

Once all the chicken has been fried and rested for at least 5 minutes, return it to the hot oil and fry for a further 1 minute. This second fry is what gives you that extra crisp finish. Transfer back to the wire rack.

Carefully drain the oil from the wok. I pour mine into a large saucepan to avoid any spills. Wipe the wok out thoroughly with paper towel, then return it to the stove.

Place the wok over medium-high heat. Add all of the honey butter sauce ingredients except the butter. Whisk to combine and allow the sauce to bubble and reduce for 4 to 6 minutes, until thick and syrupy. The sauce will foam quite a lot, which is exactly what you want.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cold butter. Whisk until melted and glossy, cooking for a further 30 seconds. You should be left with a thick, silky honey butter sauce.

Add the fried chicken to the wok and toss until every piece is evenly coated. If tossing feels uncomfortable, a wooden spoon works just as well. The key is full coverage.

Transfer to a serving dish and finish with flaky sea salt, spring onions, chives and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately while hot and crisp.

Tips

Pat the chicken dry before seasoning. Removing surface moisture helps the coating stick properly and crisp up in the oil.

Shake off excess coating and rest the chicken briefly before frying. This gives you an even, light crunch rather than a heavy batter.

Don’t skip the second fry. Letting the chicken rest, then frying it again for one minute is what makes these bites properly crisp and takeaway-level good.