Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bao Buns

Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bao Buns — The best restaurant-style chicken bao buns you can make at home! After making this many times, I discovered the trick to crispy buns and juicy chicken. Jump to the recipe card or keep reading for my best tips. If you love recipes like this, you’ll also enjoy Easy Overnight Oats with Kiwi and Chia Seeds Recipe and Refreshing Strawberry Mint Lemonade Recipe for Summer.

What You'll Need for Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bao Buns

Choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference, but this recipe is forgiving enough to work with what you have.

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bao buns
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• Optional: Green onions, sliced
• Optional: Sesame seeds
• Optional: Sriracha or chili garlic sauce (optional)

How to Make Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bao Buns

1. Step 1: Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt, pepper, and sesame oil.
2. Step 2: Mix honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.
3. Step 3: Cook chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside.
4. Step 4: Add honey garlic sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil. Add cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water and stir until thickened.
5. Step 5: Return chicken to the skillet and coat in the sauce. Serve on bao buns with desired toppings.

Storing & Reheating Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bao Buns

Short-Term Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make-ahead tip: The chicken and sauce can be made ahead of time. Assemble the buns just before serving.

Freezing Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bao Buns

Not recommended for freezing.

How to Reheat Without Drying It Out

Oven: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes. Microwave: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Recipe Notes

• Chef tip: For a spicy kick, add some Sriracha or chili garlic sauce to the honey garlic sauce.
• Best substitution: You can use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for even more flavor.
• Make-ahead: The chicken and sauce can be made ahead of time. Assemble the buns just before serving.
• Scaling: This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to serve a crowd.
• Troubleshooting: If your sauce is too thick, thin it out with a little water or chicken broth.

Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bao Buns

⏱

Prep

15 mins

🍳

Cook

20 mins

⏳

Total

35 mins

🍽

Serves

4 servings

🥗

Diet

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bao buns

Seasonings

• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Optional Toppings

• Green onions, sliced
• Sesame seeds
• Sriracha or chili garlic sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Step 1: Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt, pepper, and sesame oil.
2. Step 2: Mix honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.
3. Step 3: Cook chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside.
4. Step 4: Add honey garlic sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil. Add cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water and stir until thickened.
5. Step 5: Return chicken to the skillet and coat in the sauce. Serve on bao buns with desired toppings.

Notes

• Chef tip: For a spicy kick, add some Sriracha or chili garlic sauce to the honey garlic sauce.
• Best substitution: You can use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for even more flavor.
• Make-ahead: The chicken and sauce can be made ahead of time. Assemble the buns just before serving.
• Scaling: This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to serve a crowd.
• Troubleshooting: If your sauce is too thick, thin it out with a little water or chicken broth.

Storage

• Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Not recommended for freezing.
• Oven reheat: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes.
• Microwave reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
• Make ahead: The chicken and sauce can be made ahead of time. Assemble the buns just before serving.

Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 450
• Protein: 35g
• Fat: 10g
• Carbs: 50g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 22g
• Sodium: 1500mg
• Cholesterol: 95mg
• Sat. Fat: 2g

Nutritional values are estimates only. Actual values may vary by brand and portion size.

Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bao Buns FAQs

A Warm Final Note

I can’t wait for you to try Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bao Buns and see how effortlessly it comes together. When you make it, pop back here and leave a rating or share how it turned out — I love hearing from you!