Are you in need of easy party appetizer ideas for the busy fall and holiday season? This crispy and sticky garlic chicken recipe is just what you’re looking for!
Who loves a good appetizer?! I most definitely do. Here, I’m breading nuggets of chicken breast to fry in a skillet. Then I’m covering them in a sweet Asian inspired glaze with garlic, honey and soy sauce – so, so good!
Also, just as an aside… I say appetizer, but really? They work just as well for dinner over rice!
Tips and tricks
- make sure to bread the chicken exactly as outlined in the recipe below – this is the BEST way for a crispy coating that actually sticks.
- if you’d rather bake the chicken, feel free to follow the steps in my baked chicken nuggets (click here for the recipe). Then, coat the baked nuggets in the sauce from this recipe!
- if you’re put off by fish sauce, just skip it! You can also use a little bit of Worcestershire sauce in its place, if you want.
Serving suggestions
If you serve these as a party appetizer, you don’t need much with them! Sprinkle them with chopped cilantro or chopped green onion if you like.
For dinner, we enjoy these with a big salad and rice. Click here for my Coleslaw recipe, or here for my cucumber salad.
More appetizers
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!
Crispy Garlic Chicken
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
- ½ cup flour
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- Oil for frying
Instructions
To Make the Sauce
- Add all sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until starting to thicken. Set aside until all the chicken is done.
To Make the Chicken
- Pat the chicken dry. To a shallow dish add the flour. Whisk the eggs together in a second dish and put the breadcrumbs into a third. To bread the chicken coat it first with flour, then with eggs and finally with breadcrumbs. (For a more thorough tutorial on how to correctly bread chicken to give it a nice crispy coating check out this post.
- Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Add oil and cook the chicken in batches for 6-8 minutes or until golden and crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside.
To Assemble
- Add all the cooked chicken into the pan and pour the sauce over it. Toss until everything is coated and the sauce has thickened to a syrupy consistency.
Chris says
If you did not give this five stars, you made it wrong.
Chris says
I think that this is the first time I have ever cooked anything where it came out tasting as good as it does from a restaurant. This was the best. we just finished it, and I wish I could make it again, now. Thank you
Nora Rusev says
I’m so, so happy to hear this, Chris! Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.
Rose says
hello, would it make it dfferent if I put dark soy sauce instead of soy sauce. and I don’t have wine vinegar, can i just put a normal vinegar?
Nora Rusev says
Hi Rose, I haven’t tried it with dark soy sauce, but I’m sure it would taste just fine. I would probably just skip the vinegar! Hope that helps.
Angela Nunes says
Can someone send me the instructions? I cannot see them for some reason 🙁
Nora says
I’m incredibly sorry, Angela. There have been technical issues with the program I use to make sure the recipes can be printed. It deleted the instructions from random recipes 🙁 I fixed them here, I’m SO sorry for the inconvenience!
Patricia says
Hi Nora,
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Will try tonight.
But sweet or salty soy sauce? (Why is it never mentioned in recipes?)
Thanks so far,
Kind regards, Patricia
Nora says
Hi Patricia, we don’t get sweet or salty soy sauce here. I didn’t know there’s a sweet version, actually! I’m pretty sure you’ll need the salty one. Hope that helps – let me know how the chicken turns out for you! – Nora
Patricia says
Hello Nora,
Thanks for your quick reply. Maybe order online?
I have found a wiki link just as a ‘fyi’. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_soy_sauce
And I will definitely let you know the outcome in the kitchen. Have a nice Sunday.
KR, Patricia
Nora says
Hi Patricia,
thank you for that link! Now I know what you mean – sweet soy sauce is sold as kecap manis here. That’s why I never thought about differentiating in a recipe. Thank you for letting me know, I’m always happy to learn something new.
Hope you have a lovely Sunday,
Nora
Patricia says
Hello Nora,
I realy enjoyed the garlic chicken. But as I am not a honey eater it was a bit too honey. I hoped the other ingredients would have overtaken the taste. So I twisted the recipe today (2nd time I cooked this one).
Lot less honey, added palmsugar (2 tablespoons) and some grated fresh ginger (about 2 teaspoons).
Thanks again for sharing.
Tasty regards, Patricia
amanda says
I’m in the process right now! The sauce smells amazing and my chicken is sizzling… I’m excited!
Nora says
Yay, hope you enjoyed the chicken, Amanda! – Nora x
Barbara Karr says
On the way to the kitchen to pull chicken breasts out of the freezer! Your photo has me hungry! Barb
Nora says
Mission accomplished 😉 Hope you enjoy the chicken, Barb!
Jennifer Shugart says
Oh my gosh, I wish I could make and eat this right now!!!
KIm says
Is seafood sauce the same as fish sauce?
Nora says
Sorry, I have never seen anything called seafood sauce before! You could just leave it out if you don’t have any fish sauce on hand!
Tammy says
Is the garlic supposed to be put in as whole cloves for the sauce?
Nora says
Sorry Tammy, what an oversight in my recipe writing! It’s minced, but you can add it in whole cloves and then remove them later if you’re not a fan of garlic bits. Hope that helps!
Abi says
This sounds delicious, gonna try right away. But, do you recommend marinating chicken a night beforehand?
Nora says
Hi Abi, you certainly can if you feel like it, but it’s not necessary!
Abi says
Thanks for the quick revert, Nora. Will let you know how the crispy garlic chicken tastes.
Hannah hartzell says
Hi! Looks amazing but can I substitute the fish oil? Thank you!
Nora says
Hi Hannah! Sure, just use an extra teaspoon soy sauce 🙂 Hope that helps!
Jessica says
Hi Nora,
This recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!! I don’t do much frying though – how much oil and what kind would you recommend I use? Thanks in advance!
Nora says
Hi Jessica! Since it’s just shallow-frying and not deep frying you’ll be fine with generously coating the bottom of the pan – half a finger of oil will be plenty! Hope that helps 🙂
Maureen says
Can this be made ahead for an appetizer? I have to take something to a friends house and don’t want to cook there…
Nora says
Hi Maureen, I would recommend making the sauce and chicken at home. I would wait to combine both until you’re with your friends though, because otherwise it might get soggy. You can also try serving the sauce as a dip instead of coating the chicken 🙂 Hope that helps!
Evelyn Almeida says
Nora your garlic chicken bites look n sound yum sure they will taste as good definitely going to try them soon…
Evelyn
Nora says
Thank you so much, Evelyn! I hope you will enjoy them!
Kim says
I came across this recipe on Pinterest and thought I’d try it tonight. While making the sauce I had second thoughts (bbq sauce, really?)….but oh my goodness…these crispy garlic chicken bites are fantastic!!! You have a new fan.
Nora says
I’m so glad you loved the chicken in the end, Kim! Sometimes I have second thoughts while cooking as well, I’m glad it didn’t turn out as a failure for you 🙂
Cheyanne says
Nora, these look fantasitc! I have no idea why I am just finding these on your blog (thank you pinterest! ). definitely going to be making these 🙂 Cheers chickie!
Nora says
The power of Pinterest, ha! I’d send some over… In exchange for some Lobster Truffle Mac and Cheese WHICH IS HAUNTING ME AT NIGHT! 🙂
PT says
What can I use in place of white wine vinegar? I have rice wine vingar and apple cidar vinegar. Please let me know. Thanks.
Nora says
You can just leave the vinegar out or use apple cider vinegar if you like the tangy taste!
Sarah Marchant says
Looks simple enough to make and very tasty!
Nora says
Thank you Sarah!
Olivia @ Olivia's Cuisine says
Nora, I can’t stop looking at your pictures! They are amazing. I love your photography style.
Also, I need this chicken right now! YUM!
Nora says
Thank you so much Olivia! 🙂
Annie @Maebells says
How fantastic!! This chicken looks amazing! I love good “saucy” recipes like this! Delish!
Nora says
Thank you Annie!
fareseason says
Nora, this chicken looks great. Making me hungry!
Nora says
Thanks Nicole! Now I’ve made two people hungry, time to retire 😉
Annie @ ciaochowbambina says
Whenever I see the words crispy and garlic in the same sentence, I must check it out! This looks incredible!
Nora says
Thank you Annie! I can totally relate, I’m just the same… 🙂
Liz @ Tip Top Shape says
This is actually the first garlic chicken recipe I’ve seen. I must be reading the wrong blogs! Anyhoo, this looks DELICIOUS!!!!
Nora says
Huh, maybe I’m not so late after all 😉 Thank you Liz!
Flick @TheyCalledItTheDiamondBlog says
Ok you’ve made me hungry and your photos are fabulous…how is this blog only 3 months old!!
Nora says
Ha! Making people hungry is my number one goal in life! 😉 And thank you SO much! Such compliments mean a lot to me!