Honey Butter Chicken

Any recipe prepared with butter has the potential to be quite delicious and in the case of this Honey Butter Chicken, that statement stands true! The combination of honey and butter in the sauce creates a thick and shiny glaze that coats and sticks to the crispy fried chicken. This is one quick and easy chicken recipe you do not want to miss out on!

I’ve known the combination of butter and chicken to be a good one since 2016. That was when I first shared my Cajun Butter Chicken Wings recipe right here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen. Of course, the joining of those two ingredients has long been associated with each other long before that – I believe India’s Butter Chicken recipe was invented in the 1970s. Honey Butter Chicken is indeed quite different from that recipe, but it’s delicious nonetheless and so easy to make too!

It’s no secret that I love sauce. Any dish prepared with sauce is always going to be a personal favourite of mine. And, I happen to love fried chicken too, so this recipe was perfect for me! This is one of those recipes that I make just for myself. Whenever I find myself at home alone, especially at mealtime, I’ll make something just like this. My partner, John.e, is a vegetarian, so that’s one reason to prepare this dish when he’s away.

I still remember the first time I tried it. I was a bit nervous because six tablespoons of butter is quite a bit and I thought for sure that the chicken would be greasy. But, it’s not at all! The honey and the butter combine quite well to create a savoury, sweet sauce that’s glossy and delicious. Now, I know that everyone likes to change a recipe based on likes and dislikes, but there is one thing that I’m begging of you not to change here. Whatever you do, please be sure to enjoy this chicken with green onions. The mild onion flavour is so good with the sweet, stickiness of the honey butter sauce!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. 

For the Chicken and Marinade:

• Chicken – For best results, use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Lay the chicken flat and cut it into 1-inch pieces.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch is the key to a light and crispy batter.
• Seasonings – You will need onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and ground black pepper.
• Milk

For the Sauce Mixture:

• Butter – Use salted butter if possible. If not, you might need to add salt to season to your liking once the sauce has been prepared.
• Honey – This will add sweetness and flavour.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce – If you only have regular soy sauce, use half and top it up with water otherwise the chicken may be too salty.
• Vinegar – Use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Green Onions – Don’t skip the green onions! They are so important to getting the flavour profile of this chicken just right.

HOW TO MAKE HONEY BUTTER CHICKEN

Measure the cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper, salt, and milk into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the chicken and toss well to coat.

Next, add enough vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot so that there are two inches of oil. Bring the temperature of the oil up to 350 degrees. Once the oil is hot enough, fry the chicken in batches until the chicken turns a golden brown colour. Once each batch of chicken is fried, remove it from the pot and place it onto a paper towel-lined plate.

To prepare the sauce, measure all of the sauce ingredients into a large skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and becomes syrupy. Add the fried chicken and toss well to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has adhered to the chicken. Plate and garnish. Enjoy!

WHICH CHOICE OF CHICKEN WORKS BEST?

For this Honey Butter Chicken recipe, I would highly recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I love working with chicken thighs. No matter what cooking method I throw at them, they always come out tender and moist. I’m also a fan of dark meat. I think it’s more flavourful. So, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the way to go in my opinion.

You can certainly use breast meat for this recipe too. Because breast meat tends to cook faster than dark meat, you’ll want to ensure that the breast meat is cut into larger strips. The breast meat can dry out rather quickly, especially if you’re planning to immerse it in hot oil. Using a larger piece of breast meat will ensure that it doesn’t become overdone and too dry. There’s nothing worse than dry breast meat!

Unlike chicken breast, you can cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into smaller strips. They don’t have to be perfectly even. My rule of thumb is as follows: fry the thigh meat until golden brown. It’s really that simple.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

When it comes to sides to pair well with Honey Butter Chicken, it is quite easy to come up with something, because just about everything works well with it. Just be sure to pair it with more muted sides, because it would be a shame to overshadow the flavour of that delicious chicken!

You cannot beat a simple side consisting of steamed white rice and maybe some steamed broccoli too. These two sides pair very well with something as flavourful as this chicken. Plus, the rice is so good with that sweet, buttery sauce!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!