Air-Fryer Sticky Chicken Bites
Chicken thigh chunks dredged in seasoned cornflour, air-fried until crisp, then tossed in a sticky honey-soy-garlic glaze with sesame seeds and spring onions. The Chinese-takeaway sticky chicken, cleaner and faster at home.
The "sticky chicken" Chinese-takeaway dish — chunks of crispy fried chicken glazed in a sweet-savoury sauce — is one of the most universally ordered things on every British and Australian Chinese menu. The home version is genuinely easy: chicken thigh chunks dredged in cornflour for the crisp coating, air-fried at 200°C until golden, then tossed in a quick honey-soy-garlic glaze.
The glaze is the soul: honey for sweetness, both soy sauces for salt and colour, rice vinegar for acidity, garlic and ginger for aromatic depth, and a cornflour slurry to thicken into a proper lacquer. Made in 4 minutes in a small saucepan while the chicken cooks.
The photo shows the chicken piled in a small parchment-lined bowl: deeply glazed in glossy dark amber sauce, sesame seeds scattered across, fresh green spring onion rings on top. Eat with chopsticks directly from the bowl.
Method
ii.-
01
Coat the chicken
Mix cornflour, five-spice, salt, and white pepper in a bowl. Toss
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02
Air fry
Heat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Cook chicken in a single layer
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03
Make the glaze
In a small saucepan: whisk honey, both soy sauces, vinegar, sesame
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04
Toss
Transfer crisp chicken to a bowl. Pour over the glaze and toss
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05
Serve
Plate over steamed rice. Scatter sesame seeds and spring onions.