Do you have a craving for Chinese food occasionally? I know I do! My only problem is that the deep fried food really kills my stomach after I eat it. In fact, before I go to a Chinese buffet, I always ask myself, “is it really worth it?” Most of the time, my answer is ‘no’ because I can make this Honey Teriyaki Chicken at home! It is fried food, but it never hurts my stomach.
Why could that be? If I were guessing (keep in mind, I have never worked fast food before), it’s because my oil is fresh, and my food is fresh..? I haven’t had to keep the oil hot for hours waiting to see what my guests will want for lunch or dinner.
That’s just a guess though. This is what I know for sure: I love Chinese food, and I’m thankful I came up with this recipe to use at home when I get the craving for it!
Prepare for Frying
A little warning up front: this is not a quick and easy recipe. Thus, I only pull it out when I have a craving or my husband really wants it. It is DELICIOUS, but it isn’t one of my 20-30 minute recipes. It takes me over an hour just to fry all the little chicken nuggets, but it’s well worth it. I say all that to say it’s a fun weekend recipe for busy moms 🙂
First, you’ll need at least 2 large chicken breasts (I like to use 2 and half of another). Cut them into strips, and then dice them so that they’re small “nugget” sized.
Next, crack open 1 egg, and add 3 tablespoons of milk. Stir with a fork or whisk to break up the egg yolk. Next, sprinkle seasoning salt on top, and add some of your nuggets to the mixture.
While the nuggets sit in the egg mixture, prepare another dish with flour. I usually use 1 cup of flour (sometimes 1 1/2 Cup). Next, pour some oil in a cast iron skillet or copper skillet. You want either the cast iron or the copper because it’ll help brown the breading on the chicken. The amount of oil you need will depend on the size of your skillet, but I pour enough to where there’s ALMOST an inch of oil because I have a lot of chicken to fry.
Turn on your burner, and let the oil start heating up.
Let’s Get Frying!
How do I know if my oil is ready for the chicken yet? What I like to do is take a pinch of the flour and sprinkle it on the oil. If it starts moving around in the pan right away, then the oil is hot enough. It’ll almost start “frying” the flour, so to speak. If it just sinks to the bottom of the pan, and that’s it, it’s probably not ready.
When the oil is heated, take a chicken nugget, roll it around in the egg mixture again (for good measure), and then place it in the flour. Quickly roll it in the flour with your fingers and make sure the flour is sticking. IF it is not for some reason, then there is too much milk in the mixture. Not a big deal! Just add another egg.
Once the chicken is well covered in the flour, place it in the skillet. Continue this until the skillet is full. Now, you have to wait. Wait until the nuggets are starting to brown. When the browning occurs, you can use a fork to start flipping the nuggets individually. After the nuggets have browned on both sides, remove them from the oil, and place them on a napkin on a plate. The napkin will absorb the extra oil while the chicken nuggets cool.
Repeat this process until all the nuggets are fried.
Making the Honey Teriyaki Sauce
Once the chicken nuggets are finished cooking, pour them into a mixing bowl. Get out your honey, and pour 1/3 cup of honey on the nuggets. Next, pour 1/4 cup of Teriyaki sauce over the nuggets. Use a mixing spoon and stir the chicken nuggets around in the sauce until they are all well covered.
That’s it! You now have Honey Teriyaki Chicken!
What Sides Should I Serve?
Because of the sweetness of the honey, I like to serve this with white rice and vegetables. I grill the vegetables in the teriyaki sauce and sesame seed oil. I prepare the white rice as described on the label. Want to add more flavor? Try using my Teriyaki Fried Rice Recipe!
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Honey Teriyaki Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Skillet OR Copper Skillet these help "brown" the crust on the chicken
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 Lg Chicken Breasts
- 1/2-1 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Cup Flour
- 1 Lg Egg
- 3 tbsp Milk
- 1 Dash Seasoning Salt
- 1/3 Cup Honey
- 1/4 Cup Teriyaki Sauce I use P.F. Changs
Instructions
- Cut chicken breast into strips, and then dice them into "nugget" sized portions.
- In a bowl, add the egg, milk, and seasoning salt. Mix well with a whisk or fork.
- In a second bowl, add the flour, and set aside.
- Pour some of the "nuggets" into the egg mixture for them to sit.
- In the skillet, add your oil, and turn on the heat. Once the oil is hot, take of the chicken nuggets, roll it around in the flour, and then add it to the hot oil. While it fries, continue this process until the skillet is full of chicken nuggets.
- Once nuggets are brown, use a fork to flip them over in the skillet to cook on the other side.
- After nuggets are cooked on both sides, remove them from the oil, and place them on a napkin on a plate.
- Add more nuggets to the egg mixture, and start the process again. Continue until all nuggets are cooked.
- After the nuggets are finished frying, put them in a mixing bowl. Add the honey and teriyaki sauce. Use a mixing spoon to stir them around in the mixture until they are all well covered.
- Serve hot over some rice and vegetables!