Crisp edges, pillowy centers, and a sticky, tongue-tingling glaze – honey chilli potato recipes bring sweet and spicy potato heaven to your kitchen in under an hour.
These glazed potato bites sing with caramelized honey, bright chilli heat, and a whisper of garlic, giving you crunchy texture and saucy silk in each mouthful.
If you want a glazed potato recipe that balances sugar, acid, and spice with perfect crispness, this is the one you’ll make on repeat.
Honey Chilli Potato Recipes
Equipment
- Heavy skillet or wok – for quick, even high-heat tossing
- Deep frying pan or air fryer – to crisp the potatoes
- Wire rack or paper towels – to drain excess oil and keep crispness
Ingredients
- 900 g Russet potatoes
- 30 g cornflour
- 10 g kosher salt
- 60 ml honey
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 15 ml tomato ketchup
- 10 g garlic minced
- 5 g chilli flakes
- 30 ml neutral oil
- 10 g sesame seeds
Instructions
- Soak and par-cook: Place potato wedges in cold water for 20 minutes to remove excess starch, then pat dry. Boil in salted water for 5 minutes until just tender – you want a slight give, not falling apart.
- Dry and dust: Drain thoroughly and dry on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Toss with cornflour and a pinch of salt until evenly coated; the cornflour yields the signature crackle.
- Fry or air-fry crisp: Heat oil to 180 C / 350 F. Fry wedges in batches until golden and deeply crisp, about 6-8 minutes per batch, or air-fry at 200 C / 400 F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Rest to retain crunch: Transfer cooked wedges to a wire rack so steam escapes. This keeps the exterior from softening and preserves textural contrast.
- Make the glaze: In a skillet over medium heat, warm oil and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and ketchup. Stir until glossy and thickened – about 2 minutes; you’ll smell caramel notes and tangy steam.
- Finish with chilli: Add chilli flakes or sliced fresh chilli and toasted sesame seeds to the sauce. Toss off heat once the sauce clings to the spoon with a syrupy ribbon.
- Toss and serve hot: Place crisp wedges back in the skillet, toss gently until each piece is lightly glazed. Serve immediately so the contrast between crunchy shell and sticky glaze is at its peak.
Notes
- Soaking is key: Ice water removes excess starch to prevent gummy centers and up crispy potential.
- Double crisp: Frying or air-frying twice gives superior crunch; let them rest between cooks.
- Control sweetness: Adjust honey and vinegar ratio if you prefer more heat or tang.
The Magic of This Honey Chilli Potato Recipe
- Texture contrast: The combination of a starch-rinsing soak, light cornflour coating, and high-heat frying creates a crisp exterior and pillowy interior, essential for any glazed potato recipe.
- Sauce chemistry: Honey and soy deliver sugars and amino acids that caramelize quickly, while a splash of vinegar interrupts sweetness to reveal bright aromatics and prevent cloying coating.
- Surface adhesion: The thin cornflour crust and residual heat on potatoes form tiny pores that help the glaze cling, ensuring each piece gets an even, glossy coat.
- Layered flavor: Garlic, chilli, and toasted sesame add volatile aromatics and mouthfeel contrasts, turning a simple honey potato appetizer into a complex sensory bite.
The Bold Ingredients Behind Honey-Chilli Potatoes
- 900 g (2 lb) Russet potatoes: high starch, yields a dry interior that crisps well when fried.
- 30 g (2 tbsp) cornflour: absorbs surface moisture and creates a brittle, shattering crust.
- 10 g (2 tsp) kosher salt: ionic salt enhances perception of sweetness and balances flavors.
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) honey: fructose-rich syrup that caramelizes and produces a glossy glaze.
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce: provides umami via glutamates and deepens the sauce color.
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) rice vinegar: acetic acid brightens flavors and prevents a cloying mouthfeel.
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) tomato ketchup: pectin and sugar add body and a tangy base for the glaze.
- 10 g (2 cloves) garlic, minced: sulfur compounds release savory aroma under heat.
- 5 g (1 tsp) chilli flakes: capsaicin adds heat and amplifies salivation for perceived flavor intensity.
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral oil: high smoke point carrier for frying without off-flavors.
- 10 g (1 tbsp) sesame seeds: toasted for a nutty aroma and crunchy contrast.
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
- Heavy skillet or wok
- Deep frying pan or air fryer
- Wire rack and baking tray
- Tongs or a slotted spoon
Sizzle & Sauce: How to Build Irresistible Honey-Chilli Crunch?
- Prep the potatoes: Rinse and cut wedges in cold water until the rinse runs clear. Soak for 20 minutes to leach surface starch. Pat completely dry; wet potatoes steam and won’t crisp.
- Parboil gently: Bring salted water to a simmer and add wedges for 5 minutes. They should yield slightly to a fork but hold shape. This creates an internal texture that becomes fluffy after frying.
- Coat for crunch: While warm, toss wedges with cornflour and a light pinch of salt. You’ll see the slurry adhere as a fine dusting – that’s your future crackly shell.
- First fry or air-fry: Heat oil to 180 °C / 350°F. Fry in batches until golden brown and firm, about 6-8 minutes. If air-frying, use 200 °C / 400°F for 20 minutes, shaking halfway. The aroma will be nutty and toasty.
- Drain and rest: Move cooked wedges to a wire rack so hot steam doesn’t soften them. The crunch sets as they cool for a couple of minutes; interiors remain tender and steamy.
- Make the glaze: In a clean skillet, warm 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in honey, soy, rice vinegar, and ketchup. Stir steadily until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, forming a glossy ribbon.
- Toss to finish: Add chilli flakes and toasted sesame to the glaze. Return wedges to the skillet, toss quickly so the glaze clings without making them soggy. Serve immediately while the crust is crackly and the glaze is warm and sticky.
Chef’s Playbook: Little Tricks for Crackling, Glaze-Perfect Fries
Double fry for bulletproof crunch
Fry once until pale golden, let rest, then fry again at a slightly higher temperature for 1-2 minutes. The double cook creates a rigid outer shell that resists the glaze’s moisture.
Temperature matters
Use a thermometer when frying; fluctuating oil temperatures lead to greasy potatoes. Keep the oil between 170-180 °C for the best Maillard reaction and minimal oil uptake.
Drying and draining
Dry wedges thoroughly after soaking and drain on a wire rack, not paper towels, to avoid steaming. Rest on a rack after frying so trapped steam escapes and crispness holds.
Glaze timing
Make the glaze in a separate pan and keep it hot but not boiling. Toss in potatoes just before serving to preserve textural contrast between sticky sauce and crisp shell.
How to Store Honey Chilli Potato Recipes?
- Room temperature: Best eaten immediately; at room temp, they lose crispness within 30-60 minutes.
- Fridge: Store cooled, glazed potatoes in an airtight container for up to 2 days; re-crisp in a hot oven or air-fryer.
- Freezer: Freeze unglazed cooked wedges for up to 3 months; reheat and toss in fresh glaze when serving.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use sweet potatoes for a naturally sweeter glazed potato recipe with a deeper color.
- Swap honey for maple syrup for a different floral note in the honey chili potato starter.
- Replace cornflour with rice flour for an even lighter, extra-crisp coating.
- Add shredded spring onions and a squeeze of lime when serving for a fresh finishing acid.
Nutrition Information
A typical serving provides around 280 kcal with carbohydrates as the primary macro, moderate fat from frying, and small protein from potatoes and soy.
This recipe is gluten-free if you use tamari instead of soy sauce, and dairy-free. It is not keto-friendly due to potato carbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reduce honey by 25-50% and increase rice vinegar or add a splash of lime to balance sweetness while keeping the glaze glossy.
Yes, reduce chilli quantity or omit flakes for a milder, sweet and spicy potato that’s kid-friendly while keeping the honey glaze.
Absolutely, air-fry at 200 °C / 400°F for about 20 minutes, flipping once; then toss with the hot glaze for the same sticky finish.
Toss them briefly in the glaze and serve immediately. For parties, keep wedges unglazed and toss small batches as you serve to maintain crunch.
