Chinese Crispy Chicken with Honey Garlic Sauce

Step 1

Place the chicken in a bowl or large ziplock bag. Add the buttermilk, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Mix together, cover (if in a bowl) and place in the refrigerator to marinade for 3-6 hours.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to a low heat (to keep cooked tenders warm). Heat a large pan filled with no more than one third of vegetable oil (or preheat your deep fat fryer) until hot (you can test by dropping a small cube of bread in there, if it rises immediately to the top and starts to bubble rapidly, it’s hot enough). You’ll need at least 4 cups of oil.

Step 3

Mix together the crispy coating ingredients in a small bowl.

Step 4

Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and dredge each piece through the crispy coating mixture – ensuring it’s fully covered. Place on a tray in a single layer ready for frying.

Step 5

Once the oil is hot enough, add in 4 or 5 of the chicken tenders. You can add more or less depending on the size of your pan, just be sure not to overcrowd the chicken.

Step 6

Cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked in the center. You can check this by cutting open a piece of chicken, if it’s no longer pink in the middle, it’s cooked. Place on a tray in the oven to keep warm whilst you cook the rest of the chicken.

Step 7

When the chicken is 5 minutes away from being cooked, make the honey garlic sauce.

Step 8

Heat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) on a medium heat.

Step 9

Add the ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass paste. Stir and heat through for 30 seconds,

Step 10

Then add in the soy sauce, followed by the honey, brown sugar and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium-high, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat slightly and allow to bubble gently for 5 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened.

Step 11

Add the chicken and stir to coat.

Step 12

Serve the chicken with boiled rice and top with strips of spring onion, sesame seeds and chilli flakes. Serve with green veg too if you like.