Fast and flavorful spicy sriracha honey chicken stir-fry is the answer to your weekday food slump. Tender pieces of chicken tossed in a savory-sweet sauce.
Cantonese cooking is all about the sauce, typically a yummy savory and sweet sauce to toss with any protein or vegetable. I recently began my obsession with Sriracha, the spicy ruby red thick chili sauce that people use on just about anything! I’ve discovered that it’s even more incredible in a big bowl of steaming hot sriracha honey chicken stir-fry, nom nom nom!
This is a great base sauce that you can tweak once you’ve made it a few times and want to infuse more or fewer flavors. It starts with soy sauce, honey, water, chili sauce, chopped fresh garlic, and dried red chili flakes, that’s it!
You can cut back on the heat or add more if you are sassy, but if you remove the sriracha completely you have a teriyaki sauce base that is also yummy! The key to thickening this sauce is adding a little bit of cornstarch “slurry.”
Large chunks of chicken breast are stir-fried in a large roomy wok or a large saute pan. The chicken cooks up very quickly in the super-hot pan, so you have to keep the meat moving to evenly cook each piece. Don’t cook too long, as chicken breast can get dried out pretty quickly if you let it.
Tender and saucy, you can’t get better than this! I like to make sure I have my own little cup of sauce on the side so I can dip, pour and enjoy. I don’t like to share unless I have to, hehe.
I try to make a balanced meal of protein, vegetables, and carbs at dinner time. Things can get hectic at work for Jason and me, and we don’t always get the chance to have a healthy meal. I made some brown jasmine rice and steamed some fresh broccoli, carrots, and zucchini for about five minutes to serve with this irresistible Sriracha honey chicken stir-fry.
There was not one piece of chicken left in the wok, I even gave a nibble to baby James, and he enjoyed it! Weekday meals don’t have to be complicated and hectic. I love breaking out my wok and tossing together a quick, healthy meal for my family.
Chinese stir-fry recipe you might also like
- Stir-Fried Garlic Noodles with Chicken
- One-Pan Orange Chicken
- Stir-Fry with Broccolini and Mushrooms
How do you quickly thicken the Sriracha Honey Sauce?
A cornstarch slurry is a very common thickener in Chinese cuisine, added in small amounts near the end of cooking to nearly boiling liquid. For this recipe, the mixture of water, soy sauce, and honey was bubbling first, and then an equal mixture of cold water and cornstarch whisked together was added, stirred and thickened within minutes. You must keep the sauce hot for the starches to gelatinize and swell. Don’t skip the step of whisking together the cornstarch and cold water, if you add the cornstarch directly to hot liquid, it will clump and give a not so pretty thick sauce.
Sriracha Honey Chicken
Ingredients
Sriracha Honey Sauce
Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for stir-frying
- kosher salt, as needed for seasoning
- black pepper, freshly ground, as needed for seasoning
- ¼ cup green onion, sliced for garnish
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water, sriracha, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and red chili flakes, stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
- Add to the saucepan and stir until thickened.
- Reduce heat to low, and begin making the chicken.
- Add cubed chicken and 2 tablespoons cornstarch to a large resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake to coat.
- Add vegetable oil to a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, carefully add the chicken and saute until browned, and cooked through.
- Add the sauce and toss to coat the chicken pieces.
- Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve with rice and vegetables, garnish with green onions.
Equipment
Notes
- Serving Size: 6 ounces of chicken plus sauce.
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John W says
Very yummy! I added mushrooms and spiraled zucchini noodles for a low carb dinner. I also substituted half sugar free maple syrup for the honey to lower the sugar content since I’m diabetic. My wife loved it also. Note: the sauce was almost too spicy when I tasted it out of the saucepan. But once it was added to the chicken and veggies, it was perfect.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much John! I like how you added the extra vegetables for a low carb and healthy boost, I’ll have to try it! Nice sub for with the sugar-free maple syrup. I’m so happy that you both enjoyed the chick stir-fry 🙂