Sticky Asian chicken bites are as addictive as they sound

There’s something super addictive about that glorious stickiness you can only seem to find in a Chinese takeout chicken dish. I’m not sure if it’s the crispy exterior, the sweetness or the finger-licking stickiness part that makes it so (it’s probably a combination of all of them), but when that craving hits, it’s really hard to not indulge it. Am I right?

What if I told you it can totally be satisfied with a super-easy at-home recipe?

Cue the fireworks.

The best part is that we’re baking the chicken too, so you don’t get that greasy knot in your stomach like you would with takeout, but the sauce is salty, sweet and sticky all the same. This could easily be a get-dinner-on-the-table-in-30-minutes kind of meal (served alongside some white rice) or a great appetizer to feed a crowd — just stick a bunch of toothpicks into the chicken, and watch them disappear.

Sticky Asian chicken bite recipe

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breasts or boneless thighs, cut into bite-size cubes
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
• Sesame seeds, for garnish
• Chopped cilantro or green onion, for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
3. Into another shallow bowl, pour the flour, and into a third bowl, pour the breadcrumbs.
4. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, then dip them in the egg, and coat them in the breadcrumbs. Place the chicken pieces on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
6. Meanwhile, in a small saucepot over medium heat, combine the canola oil and the garlic. Simmer for 1 minute, until fragrant — do not let the garlic burn.
7. Add the peanut butter and honey to the pot, and whisk until dissolved and smooth.
8. Add the soy sauce and Sriracha sauce, and continue whisking until thickened. Remove from the heat, and set aside.
9. Remove the chicken from the oven once cooked. Pour the sauce on top of the chicken pieces, and toss gently with a spatula until all the pieces are coated in the sauce.
10. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro or green onions.
11. Serve alongside rice for dinner or with toothpicks for an appetizer.

More chicken recipes

Spicy cola- and jalapeño-glazed chicken wings
Asian-style chicken with garlic rice
Asian-style chicken nuggets with lemon glaze