Honey Pepper Chicken with Lo Mein and Steamed Rice

What’s this all about?

So I was craving takeout something fierce last week, but my wallet was giving me that judgmental empty stare. You know the one. I started rummaging through my fridge and found some chicken thighs that were about to hit their “maybe don’t eat this anymore” date. A little digging in the pantry unearthed some honey, soy sauce, and a ridiculous amount of black pepper (what can I say, I stock up when it’s on sale). Twenty minutes later, my kitchen smelled like the best Chinese restaurant you’ve ever been to, and this dish was born. The sweet-spicy chicken paired with slurpy lo mein noodles AND rice? Yeah, I’m doubling up on carbs and I’m not even sorry about it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Let me tell you why this is about to become your new go-to dinner:

• It’s ridiculously easy but tastes like you spent hours on it (your secret is safe with me)
• That sticky honey pepper sauce is literally drinkable (don’t actually drink it…or do, I’m not the boss of you)
• You can adjust the pepper to your heat tolerance, from “hint of spice” to “is my tongue on fire?”
• It’s faster than delivery and way cheaper
• The combo of lo mein AND rice means everyone’s happy (my partner’s a noodle person, I’m a rice girl)
• Leftovers taste even better the next day (if there are any, which, good luck with that)
• It uses ingredients you probably already have hanging around

The Good Stuff You’ll Need

For the Chicken:

• 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (for frying)

For that Killer Honey Pepper Sauce:

• 1/3 cup honey (the real stuff, not that bear-shaped imposter)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium if you’re watching that kind of thing)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper (YES, that much)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (or more, I don’t judge)
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated (the fresh stuff makes a difference)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (depending on your spice tolerance)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for thickening)

For the Lo Mein:

• 8 oz lo mein noodles (or spaghetti if that’s what you’ve got)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 3 green onions, chopped (separate white and green parts)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional but awesome)

For the Rice:

• 2 cups jasmine rice
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Garnishes:

• Sliced green onions (the green parts you saved)
• Sesame seeds
• Extra black pepper
• Chopped cilantro (if you’re not a soap-taster)

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Let’s Do This

First, Get the Rice Going (5 min prep, 20 min cook):

1. Rinse your rice until the water runs clear-ish. This gets rid of extra starch and makes it fluffier.
2. Throw the rice, water, and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn it down to the lowest simmer possible and put a lid on it. Set a timer for 18 minutes and DO NOT PEEK. Seriously. No peeking.
3. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat but leave the lid on for another 5-10 minutes. This is non-negotiable if you want perfect rice.

Prep the Chicken (10 min):

1. Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces and pat them dry with paper towels. Wet chicken = sad, non-crispy chicken.
2. Toss the chicken pieces with cornstarch and salt in a bowl until evenly coated. It should look like it’s been dusted with snow.

Make the Sauce (5 min):

1. In a bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, black pepper (yes, that much), minced garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.
2. In a separate small bowl, mix the cornstarch with water until smooth, then add it to the sauce mixture. Stir like you mean it.

Let’s Cook Some Chicken (10 min):

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering but not smoking.
2. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer (work in batches if needed). Don’t crowd the pan or they’ll steam instead of getting crispy. Cook until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
3. Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Leave about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan.

Make it Saucy (5 min):

1. Lower the heat to medium and add your sauce mixture to the same pan. It should start bubbling and thickening pretty quickly.
2. Toss the cooked chicken back in and stir to coat every piece in that glorious sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes until everything is sticky and amazing. Turn off heat and set aside.

Lo Mein Time (15 min):

1. While all that chicken magic is happening, cook your lo mein noodles according to the package directions, but take them out about 1 minute before they’re done. They’ll finish cooking in the sauce. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
2. In another large pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add the white parts of green onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Throw in your veggies (bell pepper, carrot, mushrooms) and stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes until they start to soften but still have some crunch.
5. Add the drained noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil, and oyster sauce. Toss everything together until the noodles are heated through and coated in sauce, about 2-3 minutes.

Bring It All Together:

1. Fluff your rice with a fork (it should be perfect if you followed the no-peek rule).
2. To serve, place a scoop of rice on one side of the plate, a portion of lo mein next to it, and top with the honey pepper chicken.
3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green parts of green onions, and extra black pepper. Add some cilantro if you’re into that.

Serving Suggestions

• Add a side of simple steamed broccoli for some green (and so you can tell yourself this is totally a balanced meal).
• A cold cucumber salad with rice vinegar and sesame oil makes an amazing contrast to the sweet-spicy chicken.
• If you’re feeling fancy, throw together some quick scallion pancakes (or buy frozen ones and I won’t tell anyone).
• Beer is the perfect drink with this – something light like a lager or pilsner. Or go for bubble tea if you’re avoiding alcohol.
• For dessert, keep with the theme and have some orange slices or mango. Or ignore my healthy suggestion and get ice cream. Life’s short.

Switch It Up

Got the basics down? Try these twists:

• Cashew Crunch: Throw in a handful of toasted cashews right at the end for amazing texture.
• Orange Honey Chicken: Add the zest and juice of one orange to the sauce for a citrusy kick.
• Veggie Loaded: Double the veggies in the lo mein and add snow peas, baby corn, and water chestnuts.
• Spicy Fiend Version: Double the red pepper flakes and add a tablespoon of chili oil to the sauce.
• Lazy Sunday Upgrade: Marinate the chicken in the sauce ingredients (minus the cornstarch slurry) for a few hours before cooking.
• No Carb Left Behind: Skip the lo mein and just do rice, but make it fried rice with an egg and peas.

Leftovers (If You Have Any)

• This stuff keeps amazingly well in the fridge for about 3 days. The flavors actually get better overnight.
• Store the chicken, lo mein, and rice in separate containers if possible. The rice tends to soak up all the sauce if stored together.
• Reheat in the microwave with a damp paper towel over the top to keep things from drying out.
• Or go cold leftovers! The chicken is actually pretty amazing straight from the fridge.
• Pro tip: Make extra sauce when cooking and save it. You can use it as a marinade for just about anything later in the week.

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Questions People Actually Ask

Q: Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
A: You can, but thighs have more flavor and stay juicier. If you use breasts, cook them for less time (about 4-5 minutes) to avoid drying them out.

Q: I’m not a fan of super spicy food. Can I reduce the black pepper?
A: Absolutely! Start with 1 tablespoon instead of 2, and skip the red pepper flakes. You’ll still get great flavor without setting your mouth on fire.

Q: Can I make this gluten-free?
A: Yep! Just use tamari instead of soy sauce and rice noodles instead of lo mein. Double-check your oyster sauce too.

Q: I don’t have a wok. Will a regular frying pan work?
A: Totally. A large frying pan works fine – just cook in batches if needed so you don’t crowd the pan.

Q: Can I prep any of this ahead of time?
A: The sauce can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. You can also cut all the veggies the night before. Rice can be made ahead and reheated with a splash of water.

Q: My sauce didn’t thicken. What went wrong?
A: Make sure to really dissolve that cornstarch in cold water before adding it to the sauce. If it’s still too thin, mix another teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and add it to the simmering sauce.

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