Easy 30-Minute Crispy Chilli Chicken
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This easy chilli chicken recipe is a fusion of vibrant Indo-Chinese flavours. A crispy, flavourful chicken recipe that will become a new family favourite. Whether you love a fiery kick or prefer a milder taste, this recipe is flexible and can be tailored to your preferences. Ready in only 30 minutes this recipe's best features include a crispy texture and a rich, flavorful sauce that everyone will love and anyone can make.
If you're interested in exploring more Asian-inspired recipes, don't miss our popular recipes for crispy chilli beef and 15-minute bang bang noodles. And if you love a sweet and spice mix, then our honey chilli chicken is just the recipe that you need.
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⭐️ Why You'll Love This Chilli Chicken
- Easy to Prepare: Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a special occasion.
- Customizable Spice Level: Adjust to your preferred level of heat.
- Versatile: Serve as an appetizer or main dish.
- Full of Flavour: The blend of spices and sauces creates a rich and tangy flavour that's irresistible.
🧾 Ingredients
- Chicken: The protein-packed main ingredient that can be grilled, deep-fried, or shallow-fried.
- Soya Sauce, Chili Sauce, Pepper: Marinating with these adds depth and tanginess.
- Cornflour and Plain Flour: Essential for coating the chicken and providing crispiness.
- Bell Peppers, Green Chilies, Spring Onion: Add a crunch and vibrant colour to the dish.
- Ginger, Garlic: These build the base flavour of the sauce.
- Vinegar, Sugar: For balancing the heat and adding a slight sweetness to the sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
- Vegetarian Alternatives: Easily replace chicken with paneer, mushroom, potato, or tofu.
- Gravy Version: Add cornstarch slurry and extra soya sauce for a saucier finish.
👩🏻🍳 Step By Step
- Preparation: Optionally brine the chicken or follow instructions with egg white. Cube vegetables, slice chicken, and prepare the flour mixture.
- Marinate the Chicken: With soya sauce, chilli sauce, and pepper. Add Cornflour and Plain Flour for coating. Use egg white as needed for binding.
- Fry the Chicken: Deep or shallow fry until golden; alternatively, you can grill in a preheated oven for a healthier option.
- Prepare the Sauce: Mix vinegar, sugar, water, oil, onion, garlic, bell pepper, green chillies, and spring onion. Saute well for best results.
- Season the Chilli Chicken: Sauté garlic and other ingredients, add sauce and fried chicken. Garnish and serve hot as an appetizer or with fried rice or noodles. Consider Kashmiri chilli powder, paprika, and Ching's Secret schezwan chutney for enhanced flavours.
Quick Tips:
- For extra crisp chicken, refry in hot oil.
- Adjust spice levels with different types of chilli powder.
💡 Top Tips to Make Perfect Chilli Chicken
- Keeping Ingredients Ready: Prep all ingredients beforehand to make the cooking process smooth.
- Adjusting Spice Level: Customize the heat by adjusting the amount and type of chili used.
- Cooking Method for Crispy Texture: Follow the frying instructions closely, or use an air fryer for the same crispy texture with less oil.
🍯 Storage
- Fridge
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer
- Best enjoyed fresh; can be frozen for up to a month. Maintain texture by reheating on the stovetop.
- Reheat
- Reheat in a pan or microwave until hot, taking care to retain the crispiness of the chicken.
❓FAQ
Yes, you can substitute chicken with other proteins like tofu, shrimp, or paneer. The cooking time may vary depending on the substitute.
For a healthier option, you can shallow fry, grill, or air fry the chicken. The texture will be slightly different, but it will still be delicious.
Absolutely! You can adjust the spice level by reducing the quantity of chili sauce or using a milder chili powder. Taste as you go to ensure it suits your preference.
Chilli Chicken pairs well with fried rice, noodles, or steamed jasmine rice. For a more complete meal, consider adding a side of steamed or sautéed vegetables.
More Asian Favourites
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Easy Crispy Chilli Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade
- 500 g (1 lb) chicken
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) corn starch
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) soy sauce
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) honey
- 3 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) Sriracha
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) soy sauce
- juice of 1 lime
For cooking the chicken
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) ginger
- 2 cloves (2 cloves) garlic
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) olive oil
For serving
- spring onions
- red chilli slices
- chopped coriander
- cashews
Instructions
Marinating the chicken
- In a medium bowl whisk 2 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Toss in the chicken and mix well to coat the chicken. Marinate for 20 minutes.
Makin the sauce
- To make the sauce: whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.
Cooking the chicken
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add, the chicken and cook, tossing 1-2 times, until it becomes crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and ginger, cook another 2-3 minutes. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in the, chopped cashews and green onions, cook another 2 minutes.
For serving
- Serve the chicken over bowls of rice. Top with additional green onions, cashews and chilli peppers.
Notes
- This chicken is perfect for leftovers.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can freeze this chicken with the rice as one dinner and defrost and/or microwave. These are perfect as a solo dinner.
- And these freezer containers are perfect!
- Nutritional info provided is for chicken only. Does not include rice or noodles.
What is the best alternative to using rice
Some noodles tossed with a splash of sesame oil are great if you need carbs, but if you'd like a no-carb option, then steamed broccoli or bok choi would be great options.
Hi is the soy sauce tablespoons or teaspoons. The ingredients are teaspoons and the instructions are tablespoons. Thanks
Hi Tracey. You need 2 tablespoons of soy sauce for the marinade, which gets discarded, then 2 teaspoons of soy sauce for the actual sauce. I've just broken down the headings in the recipe so hopefully, it's more clear. 🙂
This recipe was so quick and easy! Loved it! 🙂
Thanks so much, Melinda! So happy you loved it! 🙂
Great Food so easy to do +yummy to eat. Thank YOU xx
Thanks so much Val! Your comment and rating is so appreciated! 🙂
Love this chicken recipe. So simple and so good!
So happy you love this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It's very appreciated! 🙂
Excellent & very tasty. Fast, easy to do !! Ellen shared this recipe with me.
So happy you loved it, Carole! And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating!
I made this last night. Best chili chicken ever. so easy. Thanks
Ellen! You've made my day! So happy you loved it. And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. It's so appreciated!
Just made this and what can I say. Awesome!!. Everything about this recipe is to die for. Many thanks
So happy you loved it, Mark! And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. It's so appreciated!