Yes, it IS very sweet (after all it is called "Sweet and Sticky Chicken"), but it is a real crowd pleaser and any leftovers are excellent for lunch on day two!!
You can use white or dark meat chicken, but we LOVE it made with boneless and skinless chicken thighs (and we don't usually eat dark chicken), but the thigh meat in this recipe stays very moist and flavorful (and some times, chicken breast meat, cooked like this, can be a little dry.
Cut 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs into 1" cubes. Marinate the cubes in the following mixture:
2 tablespoons cooking sherry (see substitution note below)
1 teaspoon powdered chicken bullion (or one cube crushed)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Toss cubed chicken in the above mixture and chill for about an hour.
Now, to bread the chicken:
In bowl #1, put:
1 cup flour
In bowl #2, mix
2 large eggs
In bowl #3, put
1 cup cornstarch
Toss the cubed and marinated chicken in bowl #1. Toss them around until well covered.
Shake off all excess flour mixture and put the meat into bowl #2. Stir them around until well moistened, then but them into the cornstarch in bowl #3, toss to coat well.
Shake off excess cornstarch and fry in 1" vegetable oil (I use my electric skillet for this step). Fry until lightly golden and well done. Drain on paper towels.
While the chicken is frying....make the sauce:
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sweet chili sauce (see note below)
Put the sauce ingredients into a saucepan and simmer GENTLY for about a minute or two (don't boil hard or it will turn into candy).
Drizzle the sweet sauce over the cooked chicken. Toss to coat well. Keep hot till serving time.
We like this served over rice.
NOTE: We are very shy when it comes to spicy foods, so I use one tablespoon of Sun Luck brand sweet chili sauce in this recipe and the final sauce has next to NO heat, but its a great addition to the flavor. If you like spicy, then I'd suggest you use something with more heat.
NOTE: I never seem to have cooking sherry around, so in this recipe I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla + enough water to make 2 tablespoons. Sounds weird I know, but trust me, it works well in this recipe.