Honey Butter Chicken (Print Version)

Twice-fried crunchy chicken strips smothered in sweet-salty honey butter coating for a tasty Korean-style treat.

# Ingredients:

→ Chicken Coating

01 - 1 pound chicken tenders (roughly 8-10 pieces)
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - ½ tsp black pepper
04 - ½ tsp white pepper
05 - ½ tsp powdered garlic
06 - ½ tsp powdered onion
07 - ½ tsp powdered ginger
08 - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

→ Flour Mixture

09 - 2 cups plain flour
10 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt
11 - 1 tablespoon white pepper
12 - 1 tsp black pepper
13 - 1 tsp garlic powder
14 - 1 tsp onion powder

→ Liquid Batter

15 - ½ cup plain flour
16 - 1 large egg
17 - 1 cup sparkling water, freshly chilled

→ Sweet Butter Glaze

18 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
19 - 2 tbsp honey
20 - 2 tbsp sugar
21 - 2 tbsp soy sauce

→ Needed for Frying

22 - 1 cup plain flour (for tossing)
23 - Oil for frying (vegetable, peanut, or canola works)

# Steps:

01 - Toss chicken tenders with kosher salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, and cayenne in a medium-sized bowl. Coat fully, then refrigerate 30 minutes or leave overnight to pack in flavor.
02 - Set up 3 bowls: first with plain flour, second with a wet mix made by whisking flour, egg, and chilled sparkling water, and the last one with seasoned flour containing the flavors of salt, white pepper, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
03 - Drizzle 1 tablespoon of sparkling water into the seasoned flour. Mix gently with your hands until it forms crumbly clumps. This step adds crispiness when you fry.
04 - Start by tossing each chicken tender lightly in plain flour. Dip it well into the wet batter and press it firmly into the seasoned flour mix. Put aside on a tray and do the same for every piece.
05 - Leave the coated tenders for 10 minutes to sit. This helps the coating stick better when fried.
06 - In a pot, heat a couple inches of cooking oil to 350°F. Work in batches of 3 or 4 tenders and fry them light gold for 4-5 minutes. Place them on a wire rack to drain excess oil.
07 - Fry the tenders one more time at 350°F for 1-2 minutes until they get deeply golden and extra crunchy. Sprinkle a bit of salt on them while warm.
08 - In a pan on medium, melt butter. Add honey, sugar, and soy sauce, stirring often until the mix thickens and sugar dissolves completely.
09 - Either brush the glaze over the tenders or quickly toss them in the sauce so they don’t lose their crisp. Serve hot and enjoy right away.

# Notes:

01 - Double frying makes the coating crispier.
02 - Cold sparkling water makes the batter airy and light.
03 - For more spice, add extra cayenne or mix gochujang into the glaze.

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