Soy Caramel Chicken

These crispy bites of chicken are glazed with a sweet and salty soy caramel sauce. Caramel chicken is a great game-day snack or meal.

Chicken is fried and then coated in a sticky sweet and salty glaze, inspired by Korean-style fried chicken. (Hopefully, the soy caramel sauce didn’t make you think of a coffee drink.)

I didn’t realize how close we were getting to the end of football season (I usually only watch the Super Bowl) until I stepped off the plane last Sunday and could barely make my way through the enormous crowd gathered at the bar and blocking all the walk paths while people watched the Colts v. Broncos game.

So that got me thinking of game-day snacks because let’s face it, that’s the best part of watching the Super Bowl right? This is why I found myself in the kitchen testing out this soy caramel chicken recipe.

I love how these turned out. The flavor is great and I Iove the deep amber color of the sauce. All you need to do is stick a couple of toothpicks in ’em and they are ready to be devoured with eyes glued to the tv.

Ingredients

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
• Cornstarch – this is used for the chicken coating and you will need some to thicken the sauce
• Large egg white
• Vodka – I like to add this to the coating because it helps make it really crispy.
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Low sodium soy sauce- I like low sodium because regular soy sauce will make the dish too salty. It also makes the sauce too dark.
• Fish sauce
• Caramel sauce
• Minced garlic cloves
• Sesame oil
• Red pepper flakes or sriracha – you can adjust the amounts to lessen the spicy flavor.

Korean fried chicken is typically twice-fried. For these, I kept it simple and only fried them once, using vodka and cornstarch to make them extra crunchy. Then I glazed the chicken with this addicting sauce. These smell and taste great!

Recipe Steps

You can use a wok, pot, Dutch oven, or large deep skillet to fry the chicken. Add one inch of oil in the pan and then heat it over medium-high heat.

In a small bowl, whisk the vodka and egg white. Place the cornstarch in a separate small bowl. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg whites first and then coat them in the cornstarch.

Working in small batches, fry the coated chicken until they are lightly golden brown and cooked through. Place the fried pieces on paper towels to drain.

To make the sauce, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, caramel, garlic, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes (or sriracha) in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. You don’t want it at a high boil, so adjust the heat to medium heat, if needed, to maintain a simmer.

Once the sauce starts to reduce and thicken, mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Add it to the sauce and stir until it’s completely dissolved. Keep simmering the sauce until it’s thickened. This will only take a couple of minutes.

Brush chicken pieces with the thickened caramel glaze and then it’s ready to serve.

Serving Tips

I like to garnish the dish with sliced scallions or green onions. Cilantro is also a garnish you can try.

I think it’s a great appetizer or snack. I just serve it with toothpicks so it’s easy for everyone to grab a piece.

Or you can serve it as a main dish with cooked rice and a vegetable like broccoli or bok choy.

More Recipes to Try

• Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
• Thai Noodles with Peanuts
• Black Pepper Beef
• Crispy Golden Pork Belly

Soy Caramel Chicken

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Inspired by Korean fried chicken, these crispy bites of chicken are glazed with a sweet and salty soy caramel sauce. They are a great game day snack or meal.

Korean fried chicken is typically twice fried. For these, I kept it simple and only fried them once because the vodka and cornstarch make them extra crunchy. 

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• egg white of 1 extra large egg
• 2 tbsp vodka
• vegetable oil for frying

for the sauce:

• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (see note)
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes or sriracha
• 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water

Instructions

• Heat oil in wok or other pot being used for frying to medium high heat. Make sure you have at least 1 inch of oil in your pot. Whisk vodka and egg white in a small bowl. Place cornstarch in a separate small bowl. Dip chicken pieces in egg white and then coat in cornstarch. Gently place into heated oil and fry until pale golden brown. Work in small batches until all of the chicken is fried. Place finished chicken pieces on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil.
• In a small saucepan, heat all sauce ingredient except cornstarch and water and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly with a large wooden spoon. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken and the flavors of all the ingredients have come through, about 2 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Pour into boiling mixture and stir until sauce boils and thickens more. Brush chicken pieces with glaze. Garnish with fresh scallions if desired. Serve with toothpicks if being used as a game day snack.

Notes

I recommend low sodium soy sauce because regular soy sauce will make the caramel sauce quite salty and dark.

 

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!