Honey Black Pepper Chicken Thighs
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Skip the takeout and make this Honey Black Pepper Chicken at home! Juicy, tender chicken thighs are coated in a rich, sticky sauce that’s the perfect balance of sweet honey and bold black pepper heat. It’s quick, easy, and so delicious, that you’ll wonder why you ever order delivery!
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Not only is this Honey Black Pepper Chicken packed with bold flavor, but it’s also easy to make gluten-free! Simply swap out the soy sauce for tamari, and you’ve got a dish that’s just as rich and satisfying without the wheat. Plus, the crispy coating on the chicken is made without traditional flour, so you still get that irresistible crispy texture without any gluten.
This dish also makes fantastic leftovers, perfect for a quick and delicious meal the next day. Personally, I always find Asian dishes just as good if not better as leftovers!
You can also easily adjust the spice level in this dish by reducing the black pepper or skipping the pinch of cayenne. Whether you like it mild or extra fiery, this dish is a guaranteed family-pleaser! Served alongside this Carrot Ribbon Salad makes the perfect family dinner.
3 Tips To Make the Best Honey Black Pepper Chicken
- Chicken Thighs – I like to use chicken thighs for this honey pepper chicken recipe because they are more tender than the white meat of a chicken. I find that when chicken thighs are deboned they are thinner and cook more quickly than thicker chicken breast chunks. However, you can use the white meat if you prefer or that is what you have in your fridge. You will also want to check out my Honey Sriracha Chicken Thighs and the Indonesian Chicken Satay recipe if you enjoy Asian-style chicken.
- Vegetable Oil – Fries up the chicken to perfectly crispy. If you don’t have vegetable oil look for oil that has a low smoke point such as canola, sunflower, and grapeseed. Even peanut oil will work fine. Avoid olive oil or other low-smoke point oils as they are not the best for frying.
- Rice Wine Vinegar – Balances out the sweetness of the honey and adds a little zing! If you don’t have rice wine vinegar, regular vinegar or even lemon juice will do the trick.
How to Make Honey Black Pepper Chicken
- Start by chopping up the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. About 1″ cubes should do. Then add the chicken pieces to a large bowl.
- Crack the egg into the bowl of chicken pieces. Give the chicken a good mix with a spoon to evenly coat.
- Add a 1/2 cup of cornstarch to the bowl and once mix the chicken and cornstarch to coat. Don’t over-mix. You want the chicken to be coated with the cornstarch but you will also have small clumps of batter form. These are the great bits that get nice and crunchy. Set the chicken aside.
I used to think that dipping the chicken in an egg wash first and then dusting the chicken with the cornstarch was the way to go. But mixing the egg, cornstarch and chicken all up in one bowl definitely makes the texture so much better!
- Add the honey, soy sauce, water, vinegar, black pepper, minced garlic, and a pinch of cayenne to a medium-sized bowl. Mix it well with a spoon, stirring until the honey dissolves into the rest of the liquid. You will feel the honey stuck to the bottom of the bowl so when it is no longer there, that is good enough. When done set the bowl aside. It’s time to start cooking the chicken!
- Next, add the vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. The oil is hot and ready for frying when it sizzles when you toss in a small pinch of the cornstarch. Work in batches, adding about 1/3 of the chicken pieces, more or less, to the hot oil.
You want there to be enough space between the pieces in the pan so that they are not touching. Fry for about 2 minutes on one side and then carefully use tongs to turn them over to fry the other side until golden brown and the chicken is fully cooked through.
The chicken will be cooked when the inside is no longer pink when cut in half or reaches a temperature of 165°F.
It will be hard to really test the temperature so I like to take the fattest piece and cut it in half to check to make sure there is no pink and the juice runs clear.
- When the first batch of chicken is completely cooked and golden remove the chicken pieces from the hot oil to a large bowl with tongs and set aside. Continue to fry the remaining chicken in batches until it is all cooked.
The oil tends to get angry and spit while the chicken is cooking so don’t wear your good shirt while making this or make sure you have an apron on and stand back!
Look at all those crispy, rough edges. I like the crispy bits that fall off almost more than I like the chicken!
- When the chicken is done cooking your pan will still be filled with about half of the oil. Turn the heat off and carefully drain the pan by pouring the hot oil into a heat-resistant cup or bowl. Be very careful because the oil is hot!
- Then add the chicken back to the pan over medium-high heat. Give the sauce another stir and then pour it over the chicken in the pan. Give it a good mix.
- Make a slurry of cornstarch by adding two tablespoons of cornstarch to a 1/4 cup of water. Whisk with a fork to completely dissolve the cornstarch.
- When the sauce begins to bubble in the pan, pour the cornstarch slurry around the edges of the pan to ensure the cornstarch goes into the starch and not over the chicken.
- Then, stir the sauce and chicken together. Let simmer for about 2 more minutes. The sauce should have thickened enough so that it coats the chicken in a thick sticky coating. Not like tar but more like a BBQ sauce thickness.
Serving Suggestions
I usually eat this honey pepper chicken recipe over:
- White or brown rice.
- Noodles. Ramen or Udon noodles seem to hold up to the sauce best.
- Sprinkle the top of the dish with some chopped green onion.
What To Do With The Leftovers
This recipe makes enough for a family of 4 but if you have leftovers store them in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 1 minute before serving if you want it hot.
I personally love this recipe cold right out of the fridge though just as much.
I do not recommend freezing.
More Chicken Recipes I Think You’ll Love
- Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
- Lemon Parmesan Ground Chicken Burgers
- Whole Roasted Chicken with Dijon Herb Butter
- Keto Chicken Parmesan
- Spicy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Honey Black Pepper Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Chicken Preparation
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup vegetable oil, for frying
Honey Black Pepper Sauce
- ¾ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water; divided
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces; about 1" cubes and add to a large bowl.
- Crack the egg into the bowl of chicken and use a spoon to mix the chicken and egg well to coat.
- Add 1/2 cup of cornstarch to the bowl and mix again to coat the chicken with the cornstarch. The coating will become lumpy in places, which is ok and actually what forms the crispy bits. Set the bowl aside.
- In a medium bowl add 3/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of water, 2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, 1 finely minced garlic clove, 1 tbsp ground black pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix well with a spoon until the honey has dissolved. Set aside.
- Add a 1/2 cup of vegetable oil to a large pan to heat at medium-high temperature. Work in batches and add pieces of the chicken spread apart so they are not touching. Fry for about 2 minutes per side. The chicken is done when it is golden in colour, no longer pink in the centre and the juices run clear. Remove the cooked chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.
- When the chicken is cooked carefully drain the hot oil remaining into a heat-resistant cup until it cools and can be disposed of.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and pour the sauce over top. Mix well to combine. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- In a small cup add a 1/4 cup of cold water and 2 tbsp of cornstarch. Whisk with a fork until the cornstarch is completely dissolved in the water.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan, aiming for where the sauce is and not over the chicken. Mix well to combine. Let simmer for another about two minutes or until the sauce has thickened to the texture of sweet barbecue sauce. The sauce should be sticking and coat the chicken well.
- Serve over rice or noodles and top with chopped green onions.
Nutrition
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
