If crispy chicken tenders glazed in a sweet, sticky sauce that is a little garlicky, a little tangy, salty and addictively flavorful then this recipe is definitely for you!
With asian inspired flavors and the best textures, this sweet and sticky chicken is a delicious way to make dinner just a little more exciting.
Let’s get started…
Today, I am using boneless skinless chicken tender strips, but you can use any cuts of chicken, bone-in or out and even skin on chicken breasts or thighs. This glaze will stick onto anything that you can coat and crisped up, so have fun with it!
Make the glaze by combining 1/3 cup of ketsup, 1/3 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 teaspoon of garlic, crushed, 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk until everything is fully combined and then it aside.
Now for the chicken…
Begin by combining 2/3 cup of all purpose flour, 1/3 cup of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of chili powder and a big pinch of salt and black pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip each tender in this mixture and set them aside for now.
In another shallow bowl, whisk 2 large eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk and season this mixture with salt and black pepper.
To coat the chicken, dip each lightly floured tender in the egg mixture and then return it back into the flour mixture. Press the breading into each tender to ensure that the entire surface a generously coated.
Once the chicken is coated, set them onto a plate and set them aside while you heat the oil.
Add about an inch of a neutral oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Let the oil warm until a small piece of flour will sizzle as soon as it is dropped in (about 350 degrees) and then begin frying your tenders.
Fry 5-6 tenders at a time to avoid over crowding the skillet. Average size tenders will take 8-10 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees and larger pieces will take longer. The easiest way to ensure your chicken is cooked through is by checking the temperature with a meat thermometer.
Transfer the fried tenders onto a cooling rack while you fry the next batch and as soon as all of the chicken is fried up, carefully dispose of the hot oil. My favorite way of doing this is by pouring the hot oil into a heat proof dish and placing it into the refrigerator until it solidifies. Then you can simple dump it into the trash! Easy, right?
Place the skillet back over medium heat and add the sauce you mixed up earlier. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir until it thickens slightly. This should only take a minute or two.
As soon as the sauce is nice and sticky, remove the skillet from the heat and toss the tenders in that sticky goodness.
Use a fork to turn the tenders in the sauce and then return them to the cooling rack.
Garnish the tenders with thinly sliced green onions and a sprinkle of white sesame seeds and then dig in!
Ahhh these sweet and sticky tenders are one of my all time favs. That sauce is the best! It has just the right amount of sweetness, great tanginess and loads of umami. I love serving it with a creamy slaw or crispy potatoes.
The next time you are looking for a fun twist on an average chicken dinner, make yourself a batch of these sweet and sticky chicken tenders. You’ll be so glad that you did…
Sweet & Sticky Chicken
Ingredients
Crispy Chicken Tenders
- 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken tenders
- 2/3 cup of all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup of cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- salt and black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons of milk
Sweet & Sticky Sauce
- 1/2 cup of ketsup
- 1/2 cup of hoisin
- 1/3 cup of honey
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lime juice
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek (chili paste)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Assembly
- a neutral oil
- green onions, thinly sliced (garnish)
- white sesame seeds (garnish)
Instructions
- Combine 1/2 cup of ketsup, 1/3 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 cup of hoisin, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice, 3 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside
- Whisk 2/3 cup of all purpose flour with 1/3 cup of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of chili powder and big pinch of salt and black pepper in a shallow bowl
- Whisk 2 large eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk in a separate shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper
- Dip each piece of chicken into the flour mixture first, then the whisked eggs and finally back into the flour mixture
- Once each piece of chicken is coated, transfer it onto a plate and set it aside for now
- Add about 1 inch of a neutral oil into a large skillet and place over medium heat
- Once the oil sizzles as soon as a bit of flour is dropped in, begin frying the coated tenders 5-6 at a time
- Fry the tenders for 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and then transfer the fried tenders onto a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining tenders
- Dispose of the hot oil and return the skillet to medium heat
- Add the sauce into the skillet and bring to a simmer
- As soon as the sauce begins to slightly thicken, remove it from the heat and toss the fried tenders in the sauce
- Serve garnished with thinly sliced green onions and white sesame seeds
