Even though it’s not often, when I walk by the food court at the mall I always happily oblige if I’m offered a piece of sticky chicken as a free sample. I mean, who can resist! My homemade copycat version of Asian sticky chicken is made in one skillet and ready in 30 minutes making it perfect for busy weeknights or any time that you’re tempted to call for takeout. Now you can make copycat-worthy sticky chicken at home. The chicken is so juicy without being deep fried, the crisp-tender broccoli adds the perfect amount of crunch, and the sticky sauce is ridiculously good. The recipe is actually a spinoff of this reader favorite, Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken recipe, but with the addition of broccoli. I love how the sauce soaks into every nook and cranny of the broccoli florets!
Ingredients Needed
To make this easy sticky chicken and broccoli recipe, you’ll need:
Honey Ketchup Apple cider vinegar (or rice wine vinegar) Low sodium soy sauce Brown sugar Granulated sugar Chili garlic sauce Egg All-purpose flour Cornstarch Chicken breasts Olive oil Broccoli florets Sesame seeds, optional for garnishing Green onions or scallions, optional for garnishing Salt and pepper, optional to taste
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken
The honey, ketchup, and sugars create sweetness which is just sweet enough and is balanced with the tang of the vinegar and the chili garlic sauce adds a bit of spiciness. If you like this flavor profile, check out my Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken that I used as as jumping off place for this recipe, as well as 15-Minute Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe. When you boil and reduce the sauce down in the presence of corn starch, it becomes thicker and stickier. It’s so so good!
Flavor Variations to Try
Make it Orange: This scrumptious and very saucy chicken reminds me a lot of Panda Express Orange Chicken due to the texture of the chicken + the sauce, minus the orange flavor. That’s easy to incorporate though – just add 1 tablespoon of orange zest to the sauce, and voila you’ll have sticky orange chicken. Orange Chicken Fans? I also have a couple recipes for orange chicken including Slow Cooker Orange Chicken and Healthier Skillet Orange Chicken. Make it With More Veggies: If you want to add more vegetables, feel free! Some easy wins include adding not just the broccoli I used, but add sugar snap peas, snow peas, shelled edamame, sliced carrots, bamboo shoots, green beans, small mushrooms, zucchini, or whatever you love in your stir fry recipes. Make it Sesame: You can use a tablespoon or two of sesame oil as a substitute for some of the olive oil. I love the flavor of sesame oil and it definitely adds a noteworthy flavor that’s very telltale Asian-inspired! You may also use vegetable oil or avocado oil instead of olive oil.
Tips for Cooking with Cornstarch
My biggest tip is really about cornstarch. Cornstarch thickens any liquids or sauces it comes into contact with. In this recipe it’s used twice: Cornstarch is a kitchen magician in many regards, but there are some pitfalls. If you’re not careful you can have a gloppy mess in a hurry. My tips for avoiding that include:
Cook over medium heat to medium-high heat, but not high. Stir the pan sauce nearly constantly until you get the sauce consistency just to your liking. Sauces that have cornstarch in them tend to tighten up a bit more as they cool so plan accordingly. If in doubt, stop cooking or simmering the sauce, sooner rather than later so it doesn’t get overly thick.
More Skillet Asian Chicken Recipes:
Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken — Stop calling for takeout or going to the mall food court and make this AMAZING sticky chicken at home in 15 minutes!! So EASY with the perfect balance of sweet and spicy with plenty of sticky sauce!! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Better-Than-Takeout Cashew Chicken – Juicy chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and crunchy cashews coated with the best garlicky soy sauce!! Skip takeout and make your own restaurant-quality meal that’s easy, ready in 20 minutes, and healthier!! Easy Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice – One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you’ll never want takeout again after tasting how good homemade is! Way more flavor, not greasy, and loads of juicy chicken! Chicken Stir-Fry with Noodles — Skip takeout and make this EASY stir fry that’s ready in 15 minutes! Loaded with juicy chicken, crisp-tender veggies, comforting noodles, and Asian-inspired flavors! Perfect for busy weeknights!! 15-Minute Spicy Orange Chili Chicken and Broccoli – The orange chili sauce is spicy, tangy, and sweet all in one!! The PERFECT sauce to jazz up chicken and broccoli! A FAST and EASY dinner with great Asian FLAVOR!! Kung Pao Chicken – An easy BETTER-THAN-TAKEOUT recipe with juicy chicken and such a flavorful sauce!! Don’t call for takeout when you can make this HEALTHIER version at home in 20 minutes! So AUTHENTIC tasting!! Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken — This sweet and sour chicken recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and tastes way better than takeout. Perfect for a weeknight dinner! 15-Minute Skillet Sesame Chicken with Broccoli – Healthier sesame chicken that isn’t breaded or fried! You won’t miss the fat or calories in this fast and easy version that’s loaded with Asian-inspired flavors! You can happily skip takeout now! 15-Minute Spicy Korean Chicken — Fast, EASY, perfectly SPICY chicken that’s so tender and juicy! Who needs takeout or a restaurant when you can make this AWESOME chicken at home in 15 minutes?
