Thai Sticky Chicken Fingers (Printable)
Crispy chicken strips glazed in a sweet, tangy Thai chili sauce. A crowd-pleasing appetizer or main.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into strips
02 - 1/2 tsp salt
03 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
04 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
07 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying or baking)
→ Sticky Thai Sauce
08 - 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
09 - 1/4 cup honey
10 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
11 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
12 - 1 tbsp Sriracha
13 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
14 - 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
15 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
16 - 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (plus extra for garnish)
17 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds (for garnish)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F or set air fryer to 390°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil it, or set a wire rack on top.
02 - Prepare three shallow bowls: one with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, one with beaten eggs, and one with panko breadcrumbs.
03 - Dredge each chicken strip first in the seasoned flour, then dip into the beaten eggs, and finally coat with panko breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Drizzle or spray the chicken strips with oil. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (or air fry for 15 minutes), flipping halfway through, until golden and cooked through. Alternatively, pan-fry in batches until crispy.
05 - While the chicken cooks, whisk together sweet chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil in a saucepan. Heat over medium and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro.
06 - Toss the cooked chicken fingers in the warm sticky Thai sauce until evenly coated.
07 - Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with additional cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
# Expert Hacks:
01 -
- The sauce clings to every ridge of the panko crust like it was always meant to be there, creating that addictive sweet and spicy bite you usually only find at restaurants.
- You can bake, air fry, or pan fry these which means they work no matter what your kitchen situation looks like on any given night.
02 -
- Do not let the sauce boil hard or it will burn and turn bitter, a gentle simmer is all it needs to thicken perfectly.
- Toss the chicken in sauce right before serving because even the best panko crust will soften if it sits too long in the glaze.
03 -
- One hand for dry ingredients and one hand for wet during breading saves you from the dreaded dough fingers that haunt every home cook at least once.
- Toasting your sesame seeds in a dry pan for thirty seconds before garnishing doubles their flavor with almost zero extra effort.