Pin It I discovered these honey-Sriracha chicken bites by accident on a rainy Tuesday when I had guests arriving in an hour and nothing appetizing in the fridge except chicken breasts and a bottle of Sriracha someone left behind. The combination seemed risky at first—sweet honey with spicy heat—but when I tasted that first golden piece, the sticky glaze coating the crispy exterior, I understood why people obsess over these. Now they're my go-to when I need something that looks impressive but doesn't require fussing.
Last month I made a double batch for my partner's work friends, and one of them asked for the recipe immediately after eating three pieces in a row without stopping. That's when I realized these weren't just a quick appetizer fix—they're the kind of dish people actually remember and ask about later.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: One and a half pounds cut into bite-sized cubes—the smaller pieces cook faster and absorb the glaze better.
- Buttermilk: This tenderizes the chicken and helps the marinade cling to every surface, so don't skip it even if you have regular milk.
- Garlic and onion powder: They add savory depth that keeps the sweetness from becoming cloying.
- Flour and cornstarch blend: The cornstarch gives you that extra crispy shell that stays crispy even after saucing.
- Paprika and cayenne: These build heat into the breading itself, so the spice isn't just in the glaze.
- Vegetable oil: Use neutral oil with a high smoke point—peanut or canola work perfectly.
- Honey: Real honey makes a difference here; it caramelizes slightly and adds complexity you don't get from corn syrup.
- Sriracha sauce: The backbone of this whole thing; choose a good quality brand because it's the star.
- Soy sauce and rice vinegar: Together they balance the sweetness and add an umami backbone.
- Fresh garlic: Minced fresh garlic in the sauce tastes miles better than powder alone.
- Sesame seeds and chives: Not optional if you're serving these to people; they add color and a finishing touch that makes everything feel intentional.
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken:
- Combine your chicken cubes with buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. The buttermilk should coat every piece, and fifteen minutes is your minimum, but even thirty minutes makes them noticeably more tender.
- Build your breading station:
- Mix flour, cornstarch, paprika, cayenne, and salt in a shallow dish. This mixture is doing serious work—the cornstarch is what creates that shatteringly crispy exterior you're after.
- Heat the oil:
- Get your oil to exactly 350°F in a deep skillet. Too cool and you'll get greasy pieces; too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks through.
- Coat each piece:
- Pull chicken from the marinade and dredge thoroughly in the flour mixture, making sure every crevice gets covered. This is the step that determines how crispy they'll be.
- Fry in batches:
- Work in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan—that drops the oil temperature and ruins the texture. Four to five minutes per batch, turning occasionally, until they're deep golden and cooked through inside.
- Make the glaze:
- While the chicken drains, combine honey, Sriracha, soy sauce, butter, rice vinegar, and minced garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly and let it simmer for two to three minutes until the butter melts and the sauce thickens just slightly.
- Toss and serve:
- While the chicken is still hot, toss it with the honey-Sriracha glaze until every piece is coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chives right before serving.
Pin It I made these for the first time at a game night and ended up watching people completely abandon their conversation to focus on eating them. There's something satisfying about food that's so good it silences the room.
Mastering the Spice Level
The beauty of this recipe is how customizable the heat is. If you're cooking for people who avoid spice, reduce the Sriracha in the glaze to one tablespoon and pull back the cayenne in the breading to a quarter teaspoon. For heat lovers, increase the Sriracha to three tablespoons and add a pinch more cayenne to the coating. The honey is there to buffer the heat, so as long as you keep that balance, you can dial the spice exactly where you want it.
Texture Is Everything Here
The cornstarch-flour ratio is what separates these from ordinary breaded chicken. Cornstarch crisps up faster and stays crispy longer, while all-purpose flour alone gives you a tougher, denser coating. Keep them in a 200°F oven on a wire rack if you need to hold them for a few minutes before serving—never cover them or they'll steam and lose that crispness you worked for.
What to Serve Alongside
These are versatile enough to work anywhere from a party platter to a quick dinner bowl over rice. Ranch or blue cheese provides a cool counterpoint to the spicy glaze, while steamed rice turns them into a meal. I've even thrown them into a grain bowl with greens and cucumber, and they shine just as bright as they do on their own.
- Cold dips like ranch, blue cheese, or even Greek yogurt mixed with herbs all work beautifully against the heat.
- Serve them with sticky rice or jasmine rice to build a light Asian-fusion dinner.
- Leftover chicken bites make excellent lunch the next day—just reheat gently in a 350°F oven to restore the crispness.
Pin It These bites have become my secret weapon for last-minute guests, easy weeknight dinners, or whenever I need something that tastes like I put in real effort. Once you make them once, you'll understand why they keep showing up on the table.
Your Questions Answered
- → How do you get the chicken bites extra crispy?
For extra crunch, double-dip the chicken by dipping it again in buttermilk and then coating with the flour mixture before frying a second time.
- → Can I adjust the spiciness of the glaze?
Yes, simply reduce or increase the amount of Sriracha sauce to suit your preferred spice level.
- → What oil is best for frying these bites?
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point such as vegetable oil to achieve a crispy exterior without burning.
- → Are there any allergen considerations?
This dish contains wheat and soy from the flour and soy sauce, and dairy from buttermilk and butter. Use gluten-free flour and tamari as substitutions if needed.
- → What garnishes enhance the flavor?
Sprinkling sesame seeds and chopped fresh chives or green onions adds texture and a fresh herbal note to balance the glaze.