Healthy Hot Honey Chicken 

Skip the takeout and make this Healthy Hot Honey Chicken instead! It has the perfect balance of sweetness and heat and is LOADED with veggies! Easy to make with a hot, sweet, and savory stir-fry sauce. Perfect for lunch or dinner with rice or cauliflower rice.

If you like a bit of “sweet” with your heat, my healthy hot honey chicken stir-fry is going to be your new favorite chicken dinner. 

My healthy Hot Honey Chicken combines two of nature's most special flavors: honey and chili peppers. If you are a fan of Chinese sweet and sticky chicken sitr-fries, this one is for you!

You will love the balance of sweetness and heat in this healthified hot honey chicken! The restaurant-style version is made with batter-fried chunks of boneless chicken covered in sugary sauce. We don't bread and deep-fry! It's all cooked up in one pan using the classic stir-frying method but don't you worry, the flavors are there! An easy stir-fry sauce with honey and chili sauce adds a perfect kick to an otherwise simple Chinese Chicken Stir-fry, without overwhelming with spiciness or sweetness.

It's not too mild but not too spicy either so you can taste the full flavor of all the ingredients, not just the fire of chili.

Now, hot honey can be made by infusing honey with fresh or dried chilies but we take a simple shortcut because infusing anything takes time. We want a quick dinner for weeknights that comes together in a cinch. Right, team? Enter an easy stir-fry sauce made with honey, hot sauce, soy sauce, broth and sesame oil.

As for the veggies, I use broccoli, bell pepper and spring onions but snap peas, asparagus, leek, chickpeas, cauliflower or squash would all be amazing.

How to Make Healthy Hot Honey Chicken:

Prep your chicken and vegetables. Mince garlic.

Prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot sauce, chicken broth, honey, sesame oil, and soy sauce. In another small bowl mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water. Set aside. 

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes, then add the bell pepper and spring onion and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan.

Wipe the pan with a paper towel and turn the heat to high. Add one tablespoon of oil.

Season the chicken pieces liberally with pinches of salt and white pepper and add them to the pan. Work in batches, only adding ½ -  ⅓ of the chicken at a time if you are using a wok.

For a big pan, it will work in 2 batches. Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes until browned and barely cooked through. We will heat it up again so don’t overdo it. For beautifully browned bites, resist the urge to stir the chicken pieces too much in the pan. Remove from the pan. 

Add another teaspoon of oil. Add garlic and fry for a few seconds, then add the veggies back to the pan and cook for 30 seconds, just to bring it all together. 

Give the sauce and the cornstarch a good stir. Pour the sauce mixture into the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and bring everything to a boil. Add in the chicken and gathered juices. Cook on high for at least one more minute or until sauce has thickened. Heat it up well - cornstarch needs to be brought up to 90C to thicken and lose the starchiness.

Serve immediately over a bed of rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Tips

• As for the veggies, I use broccoli, bell pepper, and spring onions but snap peas, asparagus, leek, chickpeas, cauliflower or squash would all be amazing.
• If you can, use raw honey
• Check the spice level of your hot sauce. Frank's is pretty mild compared to other brands so consider adding less.
• You can use low-sodium soy sauce if you're watching your sodium intake

5 from 5 votes

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Healthy Hot Honey Chicken

Skip the takeout and make this Healthy Hot Honey Chicken instead! It has the perfect balance of sweetness and heat and is LOADED with veggies! Easy to make with a hot, sweet, and savory stir-fry sauce. Perfect for lunch or dinner with rice or cauliflower rice.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword hot honey chicken

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 654 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 tsp refined coconut oil or avocado oil + 1 tablespoon
• 2 cups broccoli cut into small florets
• 1 red bell pepper sliced
• 2 spring onions sliced diagonally
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2-3 tbsp hot sauce I used Franks
• ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• salt and white pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prep your chicken and vegetables. Mince garlic.Prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot sauce, chicken broth, honey, sesame oil, and soy sauce. In another small bowl mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water. Set aside. 

2. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes, then add the bell pepper and spring onion and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan.

3. Wipe the pan with a paper towel and turn the heat to high. Add one tablespoon of oil.Season the chicken pieces liberally with pinches of salt and white pepper and add them to the pan. Work in batches, only adding ½ -  ⅓ of the chicken at a time if you are using a wok. For a big sautee pan, it will work in 2 batches. Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes until browned and barely cooked through. We will heat it up again so don’t overdo it. For beautifully browned bites, resist the urge to stir the chicken pieces too much in the pan. Remove from the pan. 

4. Add another teaspoon of oil. Add garlic and fry for a few seconds, then add the veggies back to the pan and cook for 30 seconds, just to bring it all together. Give the sauce and the cornstarch a good stir. Pour the sauce mixture into the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and bring everything to a boil. Add in the chicken and gathered juices. Cook on high for at least one more minute or until sauce has thickened. Heat it up well - cornstarch needs to be brought up to 90C to thicken and lose the starchiness. 

5. Serve immediately over a bed of rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• As for the veggies, I use broccoli, bell pepper, and spring onions but snap peas, asparagus, leek, chickpeas, cauliflower or squash would all be amazing.
• If you can, use raw honey
• Check the spice level of your hot sauce. Frank's is pretty mild compared to other brands so consider adding less.
• You can use low-sodium soy sauce if you're watching your sodium intake.
• Heat it up well - cornstarch needs to be brought up to 90C to thicken and lose the starchiness. 

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Hot Honey Chicken

Amount Per Serving (1 /2)

Calories 654 Calories from Fat 243

% Daily Value*

Fat 27g42%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 145mg48%

Sodium 2272mg99%

Potassium 1432mg41%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 40g44%

Protein 56g112%

Vitamin A 2639IU53%

Vitamin C 172mg208%

Calcium 117mg12%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this Hot Honey Chicken Stir Fry Recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

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