Crispy Chilli Chicken Recipe
How To Make Chinese Crispy Chilli Chicken
Make crispy chilli chicken with this Chinese takeaway recipe. It’s beautifully golden, easy to make and full of so much flavour.
Chinese crispy shredded chicken coated in a sweet and chilli sauce. Not only is this recipe a real crowd pleaser but it’s delicious and very simple to put together.
It’s the perfect meal to make when you’re feeling for a Chinese fakeaway at home. Pieces of chicken are marinated in a soy sauce mixture before being coated in cornflour and fried till crispy. It’s then tossed in a sweet chilli sauce which is the perfect glaze!
It’s quite similar to my chilli crispy beef and honey chilli chicken recipe.
If you’ve tried my crispy chilli beef, then you will love this crispy chilli chicken too! They’re both delicious and have similarities but this version is made with chicken. It’s also different enough to stand-alone.
What Does Cornflour Do To Chicken?
When chicken is coated in cornflour and fried, a crispy coating is formed which holds sauces better than flour. As cornflour is high in starch, it’s perfect for creating a crispy, crackling coating.
Using cornflour instead of flour makes this recipe naturally gluten-free!
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients needed to make this crispy chilli chicken recipe:
- Chicken: I used chicken breast which I cut into thin strips.
- Cornflour: This is what makes the shredded chicken really crispy.
- Spring Onions: For added flavour and colour.
- The Marinade: A mixture of dark soy sauce, garlic and ginger paste, sesame oil, sugar and white pepper are mixed to make the marinade.
- Stir-Fry Sauce: The crispy chicken is tossed in a glaze made from honey, sriracha, lemon juice and dark soy sauce.
How To Make Shredded Crispy Chilli Chicken
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make Chinese crispy chicken takeaway style. Full recipe instructions are on the recipe card at the bottom.
Step One:
Prepare your chicken breast by cutting it into thin strips. Then place the chicken into a large mixing bowl and add the marinade ingredients (dark soy sauce, garlic and ginger paste, sesame oil, sugar and white pepper). Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Step Two:
Whilst the chicken is resting, add the stir fry sauce (honey, lemon juice, dark soy sauce and sriracha) into a small mixing bowl and leave aside for later use.
Step Three:
Add an egg white into the chicken and mix well. Pour the cornflour into the chicken and mix thoroughly until each piece of chicken is coated in cornflour.
Step Four:
Heat oil in a wok or frying pan at 180°C and fry the pieces of chicken for 1 to 2 minutes. Once all pieces of chicken is fried, fry the chicken again for 2 to 3 minutes to get it really crispy.
Step Five:
In a clean pan add a tablespoon of oil and fry the garlic and ginger paste for 5 to 10 seconds. Add the stir fry sauce ingredients (honey, lemon juice, dark soy sauce and sriracha) and stir for 30 seconds or until thickened.
Step Six:
Add the crispy chicken and mix into the sweet chilli sauce until evenly distributed. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions and eat straightaway.
How To Store Shredded Crispy Chilli Chicken
To store, place the chicken in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
This recipe works best eaten straightaway. If you have any crispy chilli chicken leftover, the pieces of chicken will be less crispy when reheated.
Make sure the oil is hot before you start frying the chicken. If the oil is not hot, the chicken will absorb the oil and become soggy and greasy. Place a chop stick into the oil, if the oil starts bubbling then it’s ready.
Don’t skip double frying the chicken, it makes the outside coating really crispy!
The sauce mixture is just enough for coating the chicken, doubling the sauce ingredients will give you a generous amount of sauce.
The longer you marinade the chicken for the more flavours the chicken will absorb. Make sure to leave the chicken to marinate for at least 10 minutes or overnight for best results.
If when adding cornflour to the chicken, it starts to clump together. Separate the chicken pieces and coat them in cornflour individually.
Can I Bake The Chicken?
Yes, you can bake the shredded chicken but it won’t be as crispy as frying. If you want to bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 200°C and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Turn the chicken over halfway.
FAQs
Double Dredge
The best way to ensure the breading will stay on the chicken is to double down on the flour. This creates a super thick, extra crispy coating on your chicken. After dredging the chicken in seasoned flour, dip it into an egg wash and place it back into the flour.
What makes chicken skin more crispy? ›
To reap those benefits, simply combine one part baking powder with three to four parts kosher salt (about a teaspoon of baking powder per tablespoon of kosher salt will work), add some black pepper to taste, then sprinkle it evenly over the surface of the skin.
What makes chicken crispier flour or cornstarch? ›
Cornstarch Is the Secret to the Crispiest Fried Chicken
And, it's the secret ingredient for getting crispy coatings like tempura paper-thin.
Does salting chicken skin make it crispy? ›
Using about 1 TBSP of kosher salt, generously season entire bird, inside and out, front and back. Place salted chicken in the fridge uncovered for at least an hour, up to 24 hours. The longer it sits in the fridge with the salt brine on, the more the moisture is locked in and the crispier the skin becomes once cooked.
What do Chinese restaurants coat their chicken in? ›
Velvet chicken is a Chinese cooking technique where boneless, skinless chicken pieces are coated in a mixture of baking soda, cornstarch, wine, and seasoning, then briefly cooked resulting in tender, velvety chicken that easily absorbs sauces. In some methods, egg white is also included.
How do you make chicken skin super crispy? ›
Place a sheet of parchment paper over the chicken skin and a flat ceramic plate to keep the chicken skins flat (if you are ok with them curling up, you can omit this step). Air fry at 350F for 15 minutes or until the skin is crispy. Season with your favorite seasonings!
What do Chinese soak their chicken in? ›
To marinate chicken for stir fries, we use a simple mixture of water, oil, cornstarch, and a flavor agent like soy sauce or oyster sauce. Other ingredients, like Shaoxing wine or sesame oil, may also be layered in.
Is oil or butter better for crispy chicken skin? ›
So if you want to achieve crispy chicken skin, you'll need to pan-fry it in oil. Go for options with high smoke points, such as canola, sunflower, and peanut oil, but stay away from olive oil for this dish, as its lower smoke point generally means you won't want to use it for frying.
Does baking soda make chicken skin crispier? ›
Baking soda works similarly to salt, in that it helps draw moisture to the surface of the chicken. This then quickly evaporates, leading to a drier- thinner skin ― that's much more likely to crisp up. Baking soda and salt go great together in a dry brine because of the drying and crispifying (yep) effects they combine.
Why does flour make chicken crispy? ›
The flour and other dry ingredients seal in moisture to prevent the food from becoming tough. The coating helps to brown the food and provides a crunchy layer. The seasoning in the coating adds flavor to your food.
Cornstarch and high heat mean super-crispy chicken every time. Before cooking, toss the chicken in cornstarch until completely coated. When the cornstarch hits the hot oil, something magic happens and your chicken with gorgeously golden, crispy edges.
What starch makes the crispiest batter? ›
Use Cornstarch or Rice Flour
Michael says that cornstarch or rice flour in combo with flour will give you the crunchiest batter. Even cake four will cook up crunchier than all-purpose flour because it doesn't have a high gluten level.
Is baking powder or corn starch better for crispy? ›
Both can! Cornstarch creates a dry coating that crisps up beautifully when fried. Baking powder can also add some lift and a light crunch, especially when mixed with cornstarch.
What is the secret to keeping fried chicken crispy? ›
Proper cooling sets the crust and ensures that the chicken will have done all its carryover cooking. I like to cool any leftover chicken completely and then store in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the fridge. The paper towel absorbs condensation and keeps that chicken crisp for midnight snacking.
How does KFC get their chicken so crispy? ›
KFC deep fries its chicken for 15 minutes and then drains the oil off for another five minutes – 20 minutes in total. If you don't have a deep fryer, heat up plenty of oil in a large saucepan and do it that way.
Why can't I get my fried chicken crispy? ›
If your oil temp is too high, your fried chicken will be scorched on the outside with meat that is undercooked. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will be greasy and will lack the golden-brown crispy exterior you want.
