Sweet Spicy Sriracha Chicken (Print)

Tender chicken breasts coated in a sticky honey and sriracha glaze with a sweet and spicy kick.

# Components:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 pounds)
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch

→ Glaze

05 - 1/3 cup honey
06 - 2 to 3 tablespoons sriracha sauce
07 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
08 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (optional)
11 - 1 tablespoon lime juice

→ For Cooking

12 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
13 - 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
14 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)

# Directions:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides with salt and black pepper. Lightly coat each breast with cornstarch, shaking off excess.
02 - Whisk together honey, sriracha, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger if using, and lime juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sauté 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to plate and keep warm.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Pour glaze into skillet, simmer and stir occasionally until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Return chicken to skillet, turning to coat generously with glaze. Simmer 2 minutes until heated through.
06 - Remove from heat. Slice chicken, drizzle with extra glaze, and garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you really spent thirty minutes, which is the best kind of cooking magic.
  • The glaze clings to every piece of chicken in a way that makes people ask for seconds without thinking.
  • One jar of sriracha opens up possibilities for weeknight cooking that doesn't feel like a repeat.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry or it won't brown properly, it'll just release steam and sit there looking sad in its own moisture.
  • Once the glaze is in the pan, don't walk away expecting it to fix itself, you need to watch for that moment when it thickens and darkens slightly, which changes everything about how it tastes.
03 -
  • Make the glaze first and let it sit while you cook the chicken, it gives the flavors time to marry and tastes noticeably better than rushing it.
  • If your glaze seems too thin after simmering, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and stir it in while the pan is hot, it thickens immediately and clings to the chicken like you meant it to.
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