Crunchy Honey Chicken

While I'm always looking for fast recipes out there, that's not the only thing about this recipe that caught my attention.  What really did catch my attention is the title -- I love crunchy. I love honey. I love chicken.  How could it not be delicious?

And delicious it was!  The honey wasn't overpowering but added a light sweetness.  Like most stirfrys, this is a quick meal to make, especially if you have everything prepped beforehand.  But even taking that additional 10 minutes to prep the vegetables and chicken beforehand, this still was a 30 minute meal from start to finish.

My only complaint of the original recipe? 1 clove of garlic. Try four cloves and then come talk to me (well, just don't talk too close to me).   I even added in a freshly minced clove at the very end as well -- this definitely isn't for the faint of heart but if you really love garlic, we thought it was a delicious addition! I also added freshly minced ginger during the cooking as I thought it would play off the sweetness of the honey and bring a little extra spice.  We served this with brown rice for a delicious weeknight meal.


Crunchy Honey Chicken
Taken from: How Sweet It Is

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup cornstarch or flour
• 1-2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced (optional; I omitted)
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup honey plus more for serving
• sesame seeds, for serving
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Prep all veggies (feel free to add or take out whatever you like or have on hand). 
2. In one shallow bowl, lightly beat egg.  In a second shallow bowl, add the cornstarch or flour (the cornstarch will yield a “crispier” chicken). 
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add veggies, 3-4 cloves of minced garlic and minced ginger to skillet (I added the broccoli first and let it cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the rest of the veggies since I think broccoli takes longer).  Season with salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened  Add in soy sauce and stir so veggies are coated, about 60 seconds. Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl.
4. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken pieces in egg whites and then lightly dredge in cornstarch.  
5. Heat the same skillet (or you can use a different one, one just cleanup easier) over medium-high heat and add remaining oil.  Add chicken to the skillet (I had to cook the chicken in 2 separate batches) and let brown for 2-3 minutes, then flip. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until fully cooked through.  Continue with remaining chicken pieces in batches if needed.
6. Once chicken is cooked, add veggies back in the skillet. Add honey and thoroughly mix to combine. If you really like garlic, add a freshly minced clove here.  Taste and season with salt, pepper, additional honey or soy sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with rice.