How to Prepare Chilli Chicken
Rinse the chicken., Cut the chicken into pieces., Combine the marinade ingredients., Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes., Heat 4 Tbsp (60 ml) of oil., Mix the batter., Transfer the chicken from the marinade to the batter., Drop the chicken into the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Rinse the chicken.
Rinse the chicken with cool, running water and pat it dry with clean paper towels.
To experience the most authentic flavor, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs when preparing this dish.
Note that other boneless cuts, including chicken breasts and tenderloins, can be used instead if preferred. -
Step 2: Cut the chicken into pieces.
Use a serrated knife to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
The exact size can be between 1 and 2 inches (2.5 and 5 cm), but try to keep the entire batch as evenly sized as possible to promote consistent cooking.
To make the chicken easier to cut, consider freezing the chicken beforehand and using it while it's mostly thawed yet still partially frozen.
The meat will be firmer and easier to slice through at this stage, and it can continue thawing during the marinating stage. , In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, minced garlic, chopped ginger, minced green chilli, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper.
Continue mixing until the ingredients seem well-combined.The egg should coat the outside of the chicken, making it easier for the batter to adhere to the surface in later steps.
While using the whole egg is best, you may opt to use only the egg white if you wish to do so for health reasons. , Place the chopped chicken into a large resealable plastic bag.
Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and turn the bag so that the marinade evenly coats the pieces of poultry.
Allow this mixture to rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
If you do not have a large plastic bag, you can toss the marinade and chicken together in a large bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil before letting it sit.
To prevent harmful bacteria from growing, marinate the chicken in the refrigerator instead of letting it sit out at room temperature.
Marinating the chicken causes it to become moister, more tender, and more flavorful.
You should let it sit in the marinade for at least 15 minutes, but marinating the chicken for 30 to 60 minutes would be ideal. , Pour 4 Tbsp (60 ml) of vegetable oil into a large wok or frying pan.
Set the pan on the stove over medium-high heat., While the oil heats up, whisk together the cornstarch, all-purpose flour, and water in a medium to large bowl.
Continue mixing until a smooth, medium-thin batter forms.
To prevent lumps in the batter, consider sifting the cornstarch and flour together first using a fine-mesh sieve.
Gradually whisk in the water, scraping the sides of the bowl as you continue to fully incorporate all three ingredients together. , Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces from the bag of marinade and drop them directly into the bowl of batter.
Toss the chicken gently to coat all sides.
When removing the chicken from the marinade, pause above the bag or over a sink so that any excess marinade can drip off.
After draining the excess, you can toss the chicken into batter.
Note that it might be easiest to coat the chicken in batter if working in batches.
If you choose to do this, you should also cook the chicken in batches so that all of the chicken in the pan at any given time can cook at the same pace. , Lift the chicken from the bowl of batter, letting the excess drain off and back down into the bowl.
Toss the chicken into the pan of oil and reduce the heat to medium.
Use the slotted spoon the help break apart the chicken after dropping it into the oil.
If you do not do this, the chicken may stick and cook together. , Stir-fry the chicken in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the pieces are lightly browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.Do not overcook the chicken.
You'll need to expose the chicken to additional heat during a later step, and too much overall heat can cause the chicken to become dry and unsavory. , Using the slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the hot oil and transfer the pieces to a plate lined with paper towels.Similarly, you can line the plate with clean paper bag material, parchment paper, or any other food-safe absorbent paper.
Any of these materials should help wick away the excess oil from the chicken.
Set the plate of chicken aside for now, but keep it warm , Remove the pan from the stove, then pour the remaining 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of vegetable oil into it.
Return the pan to the stove, turning the heat back up to medium-high.
Note that you may need to allow the pan to sit off the heat for several minutes before adding the oil.
If you add oil to an already hot pan, you'll increase the amount of splatter it produces.
It's a good idea to use medium-high heat instead of high heat while cooking the vegetables.
The intense heat should sear the vegetables while allowing them to stay crisp.
Lower heat, on the other hand, is more likely to increase the cooking time and make the vegetables soggy. , In a small bowl, whisk together the chilli sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, white vinegar, and sesame seed oil until evenly combined.
Set the sauce aside.
To increase or decrease the amount of heat in this recipe, simply increase or decrease the amount of chilli sauce used during this step.
Increase the chilli sauce to 2 Tbsp (30 ml) for a very spicy dish or omit the chilli sauce completely for a mildly spicy dish; the spice in the chicken marinade and the chillies used in the stir-fry will still add some heat to the dish overall, even if you do not add any chilli sauce to the combined stir-fry sauce. , Toss the sliced onion into the hot oil.
Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onions turn translucent.During this time, the onions should also become more aromatic and slightly wilted.
Do not allow the onions to start browning, however. , Add the minced garlic, sliced bell pepper, and chopped chillies to the pan of onions.
Continue cooking the entire mixture for another 2 or 3 minutes.
Ideally, this blend of vegetables should be cooked until the garlic is lightly toasted and peppers and chillies are just barely tender-crisp. , Pour the prepared sauce into the pan.
Toss it together with the vegetables until the vegetables seem thoroughly coated. , Place the cooked chicken back in the pan.
Toss it with the vegetables and the sauce, continuing until the sauce coats everything and the chicken has been heated through.
This step should only take another 1 or 2 minutes.
As soon as everything is warm, remove the pan from the stove. , Transfer the finished dish to a large serving platter.
Garnish the chilli chicken with chopped green onion, and enjoy it while it's still hot.
Chilli chicken is conventionally served alongside fried rice, steamed rice, or plain Chinese-style egg noodles.
You can serve the chicken dish directly on top of the side, but the chilli chicken and starch side are usually served in two separate bowls. -
Step 3: Combine the marinade ingredients.
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Step 4: Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.
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Step 5: Heat 4 Tbsp (60 ml) of oil.
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Step 6: Mix the batter.
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Step 7: Transfer the chicken from the marinade to the batter.
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Step 8: Drop the chicken into the oil.
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Step 9: Cook through.
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Step 10: Drain the chicken on paper towels.
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Step 11: Heat the remaining oil.
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Step 12: Mix the sauce.
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Step 13: Stir-fry the onions.
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Step 14: Stir-fry the garlic
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Step 15: peppers
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Step 16: and chillies.
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Step 17: Add the sauce to the pan.
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Step 18: Return the chicken to the pan.
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Step 19: Serve the finished dish immediately.
Detailed Guide
Rinse the chicken with cool, running water and pat it dry with clean paper towels.
To experience the most authentic flavor, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs when preparing this dish.
Note that other boneless cuts, including chicken breasts and tenderloins, can be used instead if preferred.
Use a serrated knife to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
The exact size can be between 1 and 2 inches (2.5 and 5 cm), but try to keep the entire batch as evenly sized as possible to promote consistent cooking.
To make the chicken easier to cut, consider freezing the chicken beforehand and using it while it's mostly thawed yet still partially frozen.
The meat will be firmer and easier to slice through at this stage, and it can continue thawing during the marinating stage. , In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, minced garlic, chopped ginger, minced green chilli, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper.
Continue mixing until the ingredients seem well-combined.The egg should coat the outside of the chicken, making it easier for the batter to adhere to the surface in later steps.
While using the whole egg is best, you may opt to use only the egg white if you wish to do so for health reasons. , Place the chopped chicken into a large resealable plastic bag.
Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and turn the bag so that the marinade evenly coats the pieces of poultry.
Allow this mixture to rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
If you do not have a large plastic bag, you can toss the marinade and chicken together in a large bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil before letting it sit.
To prevent harmful bacteria from growing, marinate the chicken in the refrigerator instead of letting it sit out at room temperature.
Marinating the chicken causes it to become moister, more tender, and more flavorful.
You should let it sit in the marinade for at least 15 minutes, but marinating the chicken for 30 to 60 minutes would be ideal. , Pour 4 Tbsp (60 ml) of vegetable oil into a large wok or frying pan.
Set the pan on the stove over medium-high heat., While the oil heats up, whisk together the cornstarch, all-purpose flour, and water in a medium to large bowl.
Continue mixing until a smooth, medium-thin batter forms.
To prevent lumps in the batter, consider sifting the cornstarch and flour together first using a fine-mesh sieve.
Gradually whisk in the water, scraping the sides of the bowl as you continue to fully incorporate all three ingredients together. , Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces from the bag of marinade and drop them directly into the bowl of batter.
Toss the chicken gently to coat all sides.
When removing the chicken from the marinade, pause above the bag or over a sink so that any excess marinade can drip off.
After draining the excess, you can toss the chicken into batter.
Note that it might be easiest to coat the chicken in batter if working in batches.
If you choose to do this, you should also cook the chicken in batches so that all of the chicken in the pan at any given time can cook at the same pace. , Lift the chicken from the bowl of batter, letting the excess drain off and back down into the bowl.
Toss the chicken into the pan of oil and reduce the heat to medium.
Use the slotted spoon the help break apart the chicken after dropping it into the oil.
If you do not do this, the chicken may stick and cook together. , Stir-fry the chicken in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the pieces are lightly browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.Do not overcook the chicken.
You'll need to expose the chicken to additional heat during a later step, and too much overall heat can cause the chicken to become dry and unsavory. , Using the slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the hot oil and transfer the pieces to a plate lined with paper towels.Similarly, you can line the plate with clean paper bag material, parchment paper, or any other food-safe absorbent paper.
Any of these materials should help wick away the excess oil from the chicken.
Set the plate of chicken aside for now, but keep it warm , Remove the pan from the stove, then pour the remaining 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of vegetable oil into it.
Return the pan to the stove, turning the heat back up to medium-high.
Note that you may need to allow the pan to sit off the heat for several minutes before adding the oil.
If you add oil to an already hot pan, you'll increase the amount of splatter it produces.
It's a good idea to use medium-high heat instead of high heat while cooking the vegetables.
The intense heat should sear the vegetables while allowing them to stay crisp.
Lower heat, on the other hand, is more likely to increase the cooking time and make the vegetables soggy. , In a small bowl, whisk together the chilli sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, white vinegar, and sesame seed oil until evenly combined.
Set the sauce aside.
To increase or decrease the amount of heat in this recipe, simply increase or decrease the amount of chilli sauce used during this step.
Increase the chilli sauce to 2 Tbsp (30 ml) for a very spicy dish or omit the chilli sauce completely for a mildly spicy dish; the spice in the chicken marinade and the chillies used in the stir-fry will still add some heat to the dish overall, even if you do not add any chilli sauce to the combined stir-fry sauce. , Toss the sliced onion into the hot oil.
Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onions turn translucent.During this time, the onions should also become more aromatic and slightly wilted.
Do not allow the onions to start browning, however. , Add the minced garlic, sliced bell pepper, and chopped chillies to the pan of onions.
Continue cooking the entire mixture for another 2 or 3 minutes.
Ideally, this blend of vegetables should be cooked until the garlic is lightly toasted and peppers and chillies are just barely tender-crisp. , Pour the prepared sauce into the pan.
Toss it together with the vegetables until the vegetables seem thoroughly coated. , Place the cooked chicken back in the pan.
Toss it with the vegetables and the sauce, continuing until the sauce coats everything and the chicken has been heated through.
This step should only take another 1 or 2 minutes.
As soon as everything is warm, remove the pan from the stove. , Transfer the finished dish to a large serving platter.
Garnish the chilli chicken with chopped green onion, and enjoy it while it's still hot.
Chilli chicken is conventionally served alongside fried rice, steamed rice, or plain Chinese-style egg noodles.
You can serve the chicken dish directly on top of the side, but the chilli chicken and starch side are usually served in two separate bowls.
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Teresa Hart
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