Tempura Chicken Bites Dinner is my go-to when I want crispy little chicken pieces and a sticky sweet-savory glaze without turning dinner into a big project. It has that light tempura crunch, but it still feels like a comforting rice-bowl kind of meal.
The glaze is the part I care about most here: sweet chili, a little honey, soy, vinegar, and lots of garlic and ginger. I like that it’s glossy and punchy, and you can either toss the chicken or drizzle it on so the coating stays extra crisp.
I usually serve this with jasmine rice and steamed broccoli because it keeps things simple and actually feels like dinner. A squeeze of lemon at the end is optional, but I think it really wakes everything up.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Weeknight Friendly: It’s fast enough to pull off on a regular night, especially if you cook the rice while you prep the chicken and sauce.
Real Tempura Crunch: The cold batter gives you that light, crisp coating that stays airy instead of bready.
That Sticky Glaze: Sweet chili + honey + soy is an easy combo, and it hits the salty-sweet thing I always want with fried chicken.
Choose Your Crisp: Toss it in sauce for full coverage, or drizzle the glaze over the top if you want the coating to stay crunchier.
Easy Dinner Bowl: Rice and broccoli make it feel complete, and the leftovers are great as a quick lunch bowl.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken and seasoning
- Chicken breast: I like boneless skinless breast here because it cooks fast and stays in neat bite-size pieces. Chicken thighs work too if you want a juicier bite.
- Kosher salt: Seasoning the chicken early makes a big difference since the batter doesn’t carry a lot of salt on its own.
- Black pepper: Just enough to keep the flavor from tasting flat.
- Soy sauce: This gives the chicken a little savory base before it ever hits the batter. Tamari is fine if you need gluten free.
- Cornstarch: A light coating helps the batter cling to the chicken instead of sliding off.
Tempura batter
- All-purpose flour: I use regular flour here. No need for anything fancy.
- Cornstarch: This is what keeps the batter light and crisp instead of turning into a thick fried shell.
- Baking powder: Helps the coating puff a little and stay airy.
- Kosher salt: A little salt in the batter keeps the coating from tasting bland.
- Egg: Just one egg helps the batter hold together without making it heavy.
- Ice-cold water: Cold liquid is key for tempura-style texture. I use water straight from the fridge.
- Ice cubes: I keep a bowl of ice nearby so the batter stays cold while I fry in batches.
Frying
- Neutral oil: Use something like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil. You want a higher smoke point and a clean flavor.
Glaze sauce
- Sweet chili sauce: The jarred kind is perfect here, and it’s the main flavor of the glaze.
- Soy sauce: This is what makes the glaze taste like dinner, not just sweet sauce.
- Honey: Adds a little extra sticky shine and rounds out the heat from the sweet chili.
- Rice vinegar: Don’t skip it. The splash of acidity keeps the glaze from tasting heavy.
- Garlic: Fresh grated is best here because it melts right into the sauce.
- Ginger: Grated ginger gives that clean, warm bite that goes so well with fried chicken.
- Toasted sesame oil: A small amount goes a long way, so I add it right into the glaze for that nutty finish.
- Water: Just enough to mix with cornstarch so the sauce thickens smoothly.
- Cornstarch: This is what makes the glaze glossy and clingy instead of runny.
For serving
- Jasmine rice: Fluffy jasmine rice is my favorite with this glaze, but any rice you like will work.
- Broccoli: Steamed broccoli keeps it simple and gives you something fresh next to the fried chicken.
- Green onions: I like the little pop of sharpness on top.
- Sesame seeds: Mostly for crunch and a little nuttiness. Toasted sesame seeds are great if you have them.
- Lemon wedges: Optional, but I really like a squeeze of lemon over the chicken and broccoli right before eating.
Recipe Instructions
- Season the chicken: Pat the chicken dry, then toss it with kosher salt, black pepper, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Let it sit for about 10 minutes while you get everything else ready.
- Make the glaze: Whisk the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, grated garlic, grated ginger, and toasted sesame oil in a small saucepan.
- Thicken the glaze: Mix the water and cornstarch in a small bowl, then whisk it into the saucepan. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce turns glossy and slightly thicker, then keep it warm on low.
- Heat the oil: Pour the neutral oil into a deep pot and heat to 350°F. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan for draining.
- Mix the batter: Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the egg and ice-cold water just until combined, leaving small lumps, then set the bowl over ice to keep it cold.
- Batter the chicken: Dip the chicken pieces in the batter and let the excess drip off for a second so you don’t drag too much batter into the oil.
- Fry the chicken: Fry in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Move the pieces to the rack and bring the oil back to temperature before the next batch.
- Refry if you want: For extra crisp chicken, refry the batches for 60 to 90 seconds, then drain again on the rack.
- Sauce and serve: Toss the hot chicken with the warm glaze until coated, or drizzle the sauce over the chicken for maximum crisp. Serve with jasmine rice and steamed broccoli, then top with green onions, sesame seeds, and lemon wedges if you like.
Some of my tips!
This is the part that really makes a difference. If you only read one section, make it this one because this is where I share the little trick that helps the recipe turn out so well.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Keep the batter cold. Cold batter is what gives you that lighter tempura-style coating. I keep the mixing bowl sitting in another bowl of ice while I fry.
Don’t overmix the batter. Stop when you still see a few small lumps. A smooth batter tends to fry up heavier.
Fry in small batches. If you crowd the pot, the oil temp drops fast and the coating can turn greasy. A couple handfuls at a time is usually right.
Use a rack, not paper towels. Draining on a rack keeps the bottom from steaming and getting soft. Paper towels are fine in a pinch, but the rack really helps.
Choose toss or drizzle. Tossing gives you full glaze coverage, but the coating softens quicker. If you care most about crunch, drizzle the glaze right before serving.
Make some touches!
There are plenty of easy ways to serve this depending on the occasion. Keep it simple, or add a few small touches to make it feel a little more special.
Serving Suggestions
- Rice bowls: I like this over jasmine rice with broccoli on the side, then I spoon a little extra sauce over the rice. It’s simple and filling.
- More vegetables: Add steamed edamame, sautéed snap peas, or a quick cucumber salad. Something fresh is nice next to fried chicken.
- Extra garnish: Green onions and sesame seeds are great, and I’ll sometimes add thin-sliced jalapeño if I want a little more heat. A lemon wedge on the side is always welcome.
- Different rice: This is also good with brown rice or cauliflower rice if that’s what you keep around. The glaze is strong enough to carry it.
Save it for later
This section covers how to store leftovers and what parts of the recipe you can prepare ahead of time.
Storage and Make Ahead
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the chicken separate from the rice and broccoli if you can, and store any extra glaze in its own container.
For reheating, I like using the oven or toaster oven so the coating gets some crunch back. The microwave works too, but the batter will soften more.
You can prep a few parts ahead to make dinner faster: cook the rice, steam the broccoli, and mix the glaze earlier in the day. I’d still fry the chicken right before eating for the best texture.
If you want to freeze it, freeze the fried chicken bites on a tray first, then move to a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven, then sauce right before serving.
A few quick answers
This section covers a few extra details that may help before you head to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?
Yes. Boneless skinless thighs work really well and stay a little juicier. Just cut them into similar-size pieces so they fry evenly.
How do I keep tempura batter crispy?
The big things are keeping the batter very cold, not overmixing, and frying in small batches so the oil stays at temperature. Draining on a rack instead of paper towels helps too.
Should I toss the chicken in the glaze or drizzle it on?
Tossing coats everything and tastes great, but the coating softens faster. If I’m serving right away, I usually toss; if I’m trying to keep it crisp for longer, I drizzle the glaze over each bowl.
Can I make this gluten free?
Yes. Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the batter and swap soy sauce for tamari. The texture will be slightly different depending on the flour blend, but it still fries up nicely.
What oil is best for frying these bites?
I use a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil. Peanut oil also works if you like it and don’t have allergy concerns.
You might also like
Before you go, take a look at a few other recipes below the recipe card. They use similar ingredients in a different way and are worth saving too.
MORE DINNER RECIPES TO TRY
Tempura Chicken Bites Dinner
INGREDIENTS
Chicken and seasoning
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch.
Tempura batter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup ice cold water
- 1 cup ice cubes as needed to keep batter cold.
Frying
- 4 cups neutral oil for frying.
Glaze sauce
- ½ cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp grated garlic
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cornstarch.
For serving
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 2 cups steamed broccoli
- 2 tbsp sliced green onions
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- lemon wedges optional.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep and sauce
- pat chicken dry then toss with salt pepper soy sauce and 1 tbsp cornstarch and rest 10 minutes
- whisk sweet chili soy honey vinegar garlic ginger and sesame oil in a small saucepan
- mix 1 tbsp water with 1 tsp cornstarch then whisk into sauce and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until glossy then keep warm.
Batter and fry
- heat oil to 350 F in a deep pot
- whisk flour cornstarch baking powder and salt then whisk in egg and ice cold water just until combined leaving small lumps and keep bowl over ice
- dip chicken pieces in batter letting excess drip off then fry in batches 3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked through
- drain on a rack and repeat then refry 60 to 90 seconds for extra crisp if desired.
Finish and serve
- toss hot chicken with warm glaze until coated or drizzle sauce over for maximum crisp
- serve with rice and broccoli and garnish with green onions sesame seeds and lemon wedges.
