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Crispy Honey Pepper Chicken Bites

Crispy honey pepper chicken bites are coated in a crunchy flour-and-cornstarch crust, fried until golden, and tossed in a buttery honey pepper sauce. Marinating the chicken in buttermilk keeps the bites tender beneath their crisp coating.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Marinating and resting 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 680
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the chicken
  • 1.5 lb chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt kosher
For the coating
  • 1 cup flour all-purpose
  • 0.5 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp paprika
For frying
  • 6 cup canola oil
For the honey pepper sauce
  • 2 tbsp butter unsalted
  • 0.33 cup honey
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes crushed

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, buttermilk, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
Coat and fry
  1. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, and paprika in a wide, shallow dish.
  2. Pour the oil into a 5-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F, using a deep-fry thermometer to check the temperature.
  3. Lift the chicken from the buttermilk and let the excess drip off.
  4. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture, pressing the coating onto the chicken.
  5. Set the coated pieces on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
  6. Fry the chicken in 3 batches for 3 to 4 minutes per batch, turning the pieces as needed, until crisp and golden and the thickest pieces reach 165°F.
  7. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches, and transfer cooked chicken to the rack.
Make the sauce and serve
  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
  2. Stir in the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
  3. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and just beginning to bubble.
  4. Toss the hot chicken with the sauce and serve immediately.

Notes

For the crispest coating, let each dredged piece rest on the rack for the full 10 minutes before frying. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; freezing is possible, though the coating may lose crispness. For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free all-purpose flour and tamari in place of the flour and soy sauce.