Crispy Walnut Chicken

Quite a popular dish at almost every North American Chinese buffet, Crispy Walnut Chicken is prepared with moist and tender boneless and skinless chicken thighs. The chicken is coated and fried until crispy then tossed in a sweet sauce made with honey, soy, sesame, and of course, walnuts!

It’s no secret that I love sauce. Any dish prepared with sauce is always going to be a personal favourite of mine. And, I happen to love fried chicken too, so this Crispy Walnut Chicken was perfect for me! This is one of those recipes that I make just for myself. Whenever I find myself at home alone, especially at mealtime, I’ll make something just like this. My partner, John.e, is a vegetarian, so that’s one reason to prepare this dish when he’s away.

I still remember the first time I tried it. I was a bit nervous because pairing walnuts with chicken sounded a little weird. But then I remembered that it’s quite common at buffet-style restaurants, so why not? If you are not a fan of walnuts, you can leave them out or substitute them with cashews or peanuts too. I highly recommend that you toast the walnuts first. And, if you decide to use cashews or peanuts, toast those as well. Toasting deepens the flavour and increases the nuttiness. Don’t skip that part.

Now, I would be doing you an injustice if I didn’t highlight some of my other chicken recipes. All of these mimic the type you’d find at your favourite Chinese take-out restaurants. You have to try my Sweet Chili Chicken and my Lemon Chicken. And, don’t forget my Sesame Chicken or my Szechuan Popcorn Chicken.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. 

For the Chicken and Marinade:

• Chicken – For best results, use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Lay the chicken flat and cut it into thin strips against the grain.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch is the key to a light and crispy batter.
• Chili Powder – This adds a little warmth and some colour too.
• Seasonings – You will need onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and ground black pepper.
• Milk

For the Sauce Mixture:

• Water
• Cornstarch
• Honey – This will add sweetness and flavour.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce – If you only have regular soy sauce, use half and top it up with water otherwise the chicken may be too salty.
• Vinegar – Use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
• Sesame Oil
• Walnuts – I used whole walnut halves, but you can use chopped too. Toast them first!

Bringing the Meal Together:

• Sesame Seeds
• Green Onions

HOW TO TOAST WALNUTS

See the frying pan in this picture? That’s the exact one that I use all the time. I’m not suggesting you run out and buy this same cookware set, but I wanted you to see the pan – remember, do not use non-stick if possible. You’ll get better results with plain stainless steel.

So, unlike most cooking where you’re required to preheat first, you don’t want to apply that same rule to toasting seeds. Add the nuts to a cold pan. Place the pan on the burner and turn the heat on – no higher than medium and probably even less if using a gas burner.

Keep the nuts moving about. I use a rubber spatula. Once you start to smell that warm and toasty aromatic smell, pay close attention. The nuts will take on a slightly golden colour. Don’t let them get too dark. Once you’re satisfied, immediately remove them from the hot pan and transfer them to a dinner plate where they can be spread out to cool.

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY WALNUT CHICKEN

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken

This is the easiest step, but the most important step, because this step is where you will impart flavour deep into the chicken. So, once the chicken is cut into strips, pile it into a bowl and measure the rest of the marinade ingredients into the bowl as well. Toss the chicken so that it is well coated. Set aside 10 minutes. At this point, you can cover the bowl well and refrigerate the chicken for up to 12-18 hours.

Step 2: Fry the Chicken

Next, add enough vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot so that there are two inches of oil. Bring the temperature of the oil up to 350 degrees. Once the oil is hot enough, fry the chicken in batches until the chicken turns a golden brown colour. Once each batch of chicken is fried, remove it from the pot and place it onto a paper towel-lined plate.

Step 3: Prepare the Sauce

Measure the water and cornstarch into a large skillet and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Next, whisk in the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. Over medium heat, stir and cook the sauce until thickened. This should take about 3-5 minutes.

Step 4: Bring it all Together

Add the fried chicken and the toasted walnuts to the skillet. Toss well to coat and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the sauce has adhered to the chicken. Plate and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Enjoy!

WHICH CHOICE OF CHICKEN WORKS BEST?

For this Crispy Walnut Chicken recipe, I would highly recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I love working with chicken thighs. No matter what cooking method I throw at them, they always come out tender and moist. I’m also a fan of dark meat. I think it’s more flavourful. So, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the way to go in my opinion.

You can certainly use breast meat for this recipe too. Because breast meat tends to cook faster than dark meat, you’ll want to ensure that the breast meat is cut into larger strips. The breast meat can dry out rather quickly, especially if you’re planning to immerse it in hot oil. Using a larger piece of breast meat will ensure that it doesn’t become overdone and too dry. There’s nothing worse than dry breast meat!

Unlike chicken breast, you can cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into smaller strips. They don’t have to be perfectly even. My rule of thumb is as follows: fry the thigh meat until golden brown. It’s really that simple.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

When it comes to sides to pair well with Crispy Walnut Chicken, it is quite easy to come up with something, because just about everything works well with it. Just be sure to pair it with more muted sides, because it would be a shame to overshadow the flavour of that delicious chicken!

You cannot beat a simple side consisting of steamed white rice and maybe some steamed broccoli too. These two sides pair very well with something as flavourful as this chicken. Plus, the rice is so good with that sweet, nutty sauce!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!