Chicken breasts instead of thighs?

I recommend boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you use chicken. Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces, as directed in the recipe. Chicken thighs have more fat and are less likely than chicken breasts to become dry when fried. I like chicken thighs better for those reasons.

How do I stop glaze from burning?

Preheat the skillet to medium-low heat and add butter and honey. Honey can burn quickly. To avoid burned honey, I do not leave the glaze sitting in the hot cast-iron skillet after it has reduced. I remove the skillet from the heat right after coating the chicken with the glaze.

What makes the glaze amber?

Honey and butter are mixed with soy sauce and form a brown glaze during cooking and reduction.

Why is my coating falling off?

If breading is falling off, apply dry ingredients in the same way. Press cornstarch and flour onto chicken pieces and shake off excess. Let breaded chicken rest for 5 minutes before frying. This will help cornstarch and flour stick to chicken pieces. I suggest this approach even when frying under pressure. Flip chicken pieces in hot oil only after the first side has set. Flipping chicken pieces too soon can lead to breading falling off and exposed chicken when glazing.

How do I store and reheat it?

Cool the cooked chicken in an airtight glass container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat chicken pieces, bake them on a sheet of parchment paper in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not use a microwave.

Crispy Honey Butter Chicken Skillet with Sesame and Parsley

By Felix GrantOct 28, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Servings

Level

Medium

Jump to recipe

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the best option for fried chicken, and I cut the thighs into 1-inch pieces to help them cook evenly in hot oil. Fried chicken thighs are tender and have crispy skin (I like crispy skin). I pair them with a sweet and savory honey butter sauce that coats other fried chicken pieces.

Crispy Honey Butter Chicken Skillet with Sesame and Parsley

I use a dark-colored cast-iron skillet and a wire rack on a baking sheet. Preheat the oil to 350°F (175°C) before frying chicken in the skillet in small batches to ensure the oil stays hot. Excess chicken in the pan will cool the oil and create a soggy breading. Press breading onto dry chicken pieces and tap off any excess breading.

To make the glaze: I drain off the frying oil and lower the heat, then stir in honey butter and soy sauce. Cook the glaze for 2 to 3 minutes to achieve a deep amber, spoon-coating glaze and remove the chicken from heat after it's coated; honey browns rapidly.

I garnish my dish in the pan with toasted white sesame seeds and chopped parsley before serving. Honey butter chicken is good with jasmine rice and quinoa. Other roasted vegetables can be served with more garlic hot honey. Toasted sesame seeds will stick to food served right from the pan. Chopped parsley will add visual appeal to the dish (I like the contrast).

Reasons to make this

Chicken thighs contain fat that helps them stay juicy when fried. Chicken thighs have darker meat than other parts of the bird and pair well with a sweet sauce.
Equal amounts of cornstarch and flour in the breading give the dish an uneven, rough surface that helps it hold the sauce.
Plain honey and low-sodium soy sauce can be used to create an amber-colored glaze while cooking in a skillet, without needing a second pan.
Toasted white sesame seeds can be used as a contrasting topping instead of a sweet one, and chopped parsley can provide a touch of green color to the skillet meal.
One pound of chicken serves four people for dinner. Possible side dishes include rice and quinoa. These foods soak up the sauce.

Instructions

Cut the chicken thighs into uniform 1-inch pieces.

Whisk the cornstarch, flour, kosher salt, and black pepper in a wide, shallow bowl.

Toss the chicken pieces in the dry mixture, pressing the coating firmly onto the meat.

Shake off the excess powder.

Let the dredged chicken sit for 5 minutes.

Heat the neutral oil in a dark cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to 350°F (175°C).

Lower the chicken into the skillet in batches without crowding the pan.

Fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden-brown.

Transfer the fried chicken to a stainless steel wire rack set over a baking sheet.

Wipe the excess oil from the skillet, leaving a thin sheen on the bottom.

Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Melt the unsalted butter until it begins to foam.

Add the honey and soy sauce, whisking continuously.

Simmer the glaze for 2-3 minutes until it is thick, glossy, and amber-colored.

Return the fried chicken to the skillet.

Gently toss the chicken in the simmering glaze.

Remove the skillet from the heat immediately.

Garnish with toasted white sesame seeds and finely chopped fresh green parsley.

Serve hot directly from the pan.

FAQ

You can cook the coated foods in an air fryer at 390°F (200°C) for 12-14 minutes, spraying with cooking oil throughout cooking, and then glaze the cooked foods. Cooking oil spray rather than skillet frying oil is used in this recipe in place of deep-frying oil.

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Dinner Chicken Asian Stovetop

Crispy Honey Butter Chicken Skillet with Sesame and Parsley

Name: Crispy Honey Butter Chicken Skillet with Sesame and Parsley
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch chunks); 1/2 cup cornstarch; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/2 cup neutral frying oil (vegetable or canola oil); 1/4 cup unsalted butter; 1/3 cup pure honey; 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce; 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds (for garnish); 2 tbsp fresh green parsley (finely chopped, for garnish)

By Felix GrantOct 28, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Servings

Level

Medium

Jump to recipe

Reasons to make this

Chicken thighs contain fat that helps them stay juicy when fried. Chicken thighs have darker meat than other parts of the bird and pair well with a sweet sauce.
Equal amounts of cornstarch and flour in the breading give the dish an uneven, rough surface that helps it hold the sauce.
Plain honey and low-sodium soy sauce can be used to create an amber-colored glaze while cooking in a skillet, without needing a second pan.
Toasted white sesame seeds can be used as a contrasting topping instead of a sweet one, and chopped parsley can provide a touch of green color to the skillet meal.
One pound of chicken serves four people for dinner. Possible side dishes include rice and quinoa. These foods soak up the sauce.

Ingredients

Servings4

•1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch chunks)
•½ cup cornstarch
•½ cup all-purpose flour
•1 tsp kosher salt
•½ tsp black pepper
•½ cup neutral frying oil (vegetable or canola oil)
•¼ cup unsalted butter
•⅓ cup pure honey
•1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
•1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds (for garnish)
•2 tbsp fresh green parsley (finely chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1
Cut the chicken thighs into uniform 1-inch pieces.
2
Whisk the cornstarch, flour, kosher salt, and black pepper in a wide, shallow bowl.
3
Toss the chicken pieces in the dry mixture, pressing the coating firmly onto the meat.
4
Shake off the excess powder.
5
Let the dredged chicken sit for 5 minutes.
6
Heat the neutral oil in a dark cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to 350°F (175°C).
7
Lower the chicken into the skillet in batches without crowding the pan.
8
Fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden-brown.
9
Transfer the fried chicken to a stainless steel wire rack set over a baking sheet.
10
Wipe the excess oil from the skillet, leaving a thin sheen on the bottom.
11
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
12
Melt the unsalted butter until it begins to foam.
13
Add the honey and soy sauce, whisking continuously.
14
Simmer the glaze for 2-3 minutes until it is thick, glossy, and amber-colored.
15
Return the fried chicken to the skillet.
16
Gently toss the chicken in the simmering glaze.
17
Remove the skillet from the heat immediately.
18
Garnish with toasted white sesame seeds and finely chopped fresh green parsley.
19
Serve hot directly from the pan.