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.

My Top Tips

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.