Chinese Honey Chicken with Jaca

By Jaca Kitchen · · Updated

This sugar-free Chinese honey chicken swaps the honey and brown sugar in the classic glaze for Jaca allulose, so you get the same glossy, sticky coating and shatter-crisp fried chicken with zero added sugar. It tastes just like your favorite takeout — golden nuggets of juicy chicken tossed in a glossy honey-style sauce — but every bit of the sweetness comes from Jaca allulose instead of sugar.

This is a Jaca-adjusted, healthier version of Chinese honey chicken: the honey and brown sugar are replaced with Jaca (allulose) at double the amount to rebuild the sticky glaze, completely sugar-free.

Prep time: 20 minutes  |  Cook time: 20 minutes  |  Total: 40 minutes  |  Servings: 4

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

  • 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 large egg white
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • Neutral oil, for frying (about 3 cups)

For the Jaca honey glaze:

  • ⅔ cup Jaca (allulose)
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

To garnish:

  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions:

  1. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, egg white, and white pepper. Let it marinate for 15 minutes.
  2. Combine the flour and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Add the marinated chicken and toss, pressing the coating on to build a craggy crust, then shake off any excess.
  3. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a wok or deep pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken in batches for 3–4 minutes, until deep golden and cooked through (165°F internal). Drain on a wire rack.
  4. Pour off the frying oil and wipe the wok clean. Over medium heat, sauté the garlic for about 15 seconds, until fragrant.
  5. Add the Jaca, chicken stock, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, until the Jaca fully dissolves and the sauce bubbles.
  6. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the glaze turns glossy and syrupy.
  7. Add the fried chicken and toss quickly to coat every piece in the sticky glaze.
  8. Transfer to a plate, scatter with green onion and toasted sesame seeds, and serve right away over steamed rice.

Why Jaca? Allulose caramelizes and thickens just like sugar, so it delivers the same glossy, sticky honey-glaze texture without the sugar spike — and it measures cup-for-cup (at 2x) across all your favorite takeout recipes.