Description
Salt and Chilli Chicken is a spicy, crispy Chinese-inspired dish featuring seasoned, marinated chicken thighs that are deep-fried to golden perfection and tossed with sautéed peppers, onions, garlic, and fiery chillies. Finished with a hit of Chinese 5 spice and flaky sea salt, this takeaway classic is guaranteed to be an addictive, flavor-packed crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Chicken
- 600g / 1.3lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into large bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
- 1 tsp White Pepper
- 1 tsp Fine/Table Salt
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely grated into a paste
- 160g / 2 packed cups Cornflour/Cornstarch, plus more if needed
- 1 medium Egg, beaten
- 360ml / 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil, or as needed (for frying)
For the Stir Fry
- 1 small/medium White Onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 Red Pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 Green Pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely diced
- 2 Red Birds Eye Chillies, thinly sliced
- 2 Spring Onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp Flaky Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
- 1/8 tsp White Pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the diced chicken thighs with the sesame oil, garlic paste, Chinese 5 spice, fine salt, and white pepper. Mix well so each piece is coated, then cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to infuse flavor and tenderize the chicken.
- Prepare the Coating: Place the cornflour/cornstarch into a large shallow dish. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of the cornflour to the chicken and mix thoroughly by hand. Let this mixture sit for a few minutes so the cornflour absorbs into the chicken, which will make it a bit sticky, perfect for a crispy coating later.
- Batter the Chicken: Pour the beaten egg over the chicken mixture and mix until evenly coated. Working piece by piece, coat each chunk of chicken in the cornflour, pressing firmly to ensure every crevice is coated and creating lots of tiny flaky bits. Lightly shake off the excess and place each piece onto a baking tray. Add more cornflour as needed.
- Fry the Chicken: In a heavy-based or cast-iron pan, pour in enough oil to reach about 3/4” deep or to cover over half the size of your chicken pieces. Heat the oil over medium-high until it reaches 190°C/375°F. Fry the chicken in 2-3 batches, cooking for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the pieces are golden, crisp, and cooked through. Remove chicken to a wire rack set over kitchen paper to drain excess oil, and bring the oil back up to temperature between batches.
- Stir Fry the Vegetables: Transfer 2 tablespoons of the frying oil to a wok or deep pan set over high heat. Once very hot, add the sliced onion, red and green peppers, diced garlic, and sliced chillies. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until vegetables start to soften and become aromatic.
- Toss Everything Together: Add the fried chicken, spring onions, Chinese 5 spice, flaky sea salt, and white pepper to the wok. Toss everything together vigorously over high heat until the chicken is well-coated and mixed with the aromatic vegetables and spices.
- Serve: Serve immediately while hot and crispy. Enjoy as is, or with your favorite dipping sauce or curry sauce for extra flavor!
Notes
- Chicken: Use only boneless, skinless chicken thighs—breast meat won’t stay juicy during frying.
- Chillies: This produces a fairly spicy dish; adjust the number of Bird’s Eye chillies to taste.
- Salt: Regular fine salt is essential in the marinade for even coating; finish with flaky sea salt for bursts of flavor. Adjust to preference.
- Serving: Dry dish—delicious served with a simple curry sauce on the side.
- Calories: Nutrition values are based on a recipe yielding 4 servings, not including any additional sauces or sides.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 1163mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 178mg
