Thai Sticky Chicken Fingers (Printable Version)
Crispy chicken strips glazed with a sweet and tangy Thai-inspired sticky sauce, ready in under an hour.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.3 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders or chicken breast cut into strips
→ Marinade
02 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
04 - 1 tbsp fish sauce
05 - 1 clove garlic, finely minced
06 - 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
→ Coating
07 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
10 - 1/2 tsp salt
11 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
→ Thai Sticky Sauce
12 - 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
13 - 2 tbsp honey
14 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
15 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
16 - 1 tbsp sriracha (optional, for heat)
17 - 1/2 tsp sesame oil
→ Garnish
18 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds
19 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
20 - Lime wedges
# Directions:
01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Add the chicken strips and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
02 - Arrange three shallow bowls: one with the flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the panko breadcrumbs mixed with salt and black pepper.
03 - Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for shallow frying.
04 - Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge each piece in the flour, shake off the excess, dip into the beaten egg, then press firmly into the panko mixture, coating all sides evenly.
05 - Arrange the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and cooked through. Alternatively, shallow fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and crisp.
06 - While the chicken cooks, combine the sweet chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, and sesame oil in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the sauce is warmed through and slightly thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
07 - Transfer the cooked chicken fingers to a large bowl and gently toss with the warm sticky sauce until every piece is evenly coated.
08 - Arrange the glazed chicken fingers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges alongside.
# Quick Tips:
01 -
- The sauce walks this perfect line between sweet, salty, and tangy that makes it impossible to stop eating.
- Everything cooks in under 30 minutes, which means you can pull this off on a weeknight without breaking a sweat.
02 -
- Double coating the chicken by repeating the egg and panko step makes a dramatic difference in crunch retention under the sauce.
- Let the sauce cool for just a minute before tossing because if the chicken goes in piping hot the coating can slide right off.
03 -
- Panko breadcrumbs from an Asian grocery store tend to be lighter and flakier than the standard supermarket kind, which translates to a noticeably better crunch.
- Letting the coated chicken rest for five minutes before cooking helps the breading adhere so you lose less of it in the pan or on the tray.