Chile Chicken Recipe
This is a home version of the Indo-Chinese restaurant staple. The process involves two main parts: first, frying chicken that has a specific cornstarch-based coating to make it crispy, and second, creating a sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce to toss it in. Frying in batches is the most important step for getting the chicken right; if you crowd the pan, the chicken will steam and get soggy.
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Marinade
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp chili-garlic sauce (like Sambal Oelek)
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp water
- Peanut oil, for frying
For the Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
For the Stir-Fry
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
- 1 large scallion, whites and greens separated, both minced
- 2-3 dried red chilies, snapped in half
- 1/2 medium onion, cut into 1-inch squares
- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
Coat the Chicken
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken chunks with soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, salt, and pepper.
In a small, separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, and water to create a thick slurry. Pour this over the chicken and mix until every piece is evenly and thickly coated. The consistency should be like a heavy batter. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Make the Sauce and Fry the Chicken
While the chicken marinates, whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until the tomato paste and sugar are fully dissolved. Set it aside.
Heat about 1/2 inch of peanut oil in a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. You know the oil is ready when a drop of the batter sizzles immediately.
Carefully add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, one by one, ensuring they don’t touch. Fry in 2-3 batches. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until the coating is a deep golden brown and crispy. Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack to drain.
Finish the Dish
Carefully wipe out the hot pan and add 1 tablespoon of fresh peanut oil. Heat over high heat until it shimmers.
Add the garlic-ginger paste, the minced scallion whites, and the snapped dried red chilies. Stir-fry constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the onion and red bell pepper squares and continue to stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes. You want them to get slightly charred at the edges but remain crisp.
Pour in the prepared sauce. It will bubble and thicken almost immediately. Add all the fried chicken back to the pan and toss everything quickly to coat.
Serve at once, garnished with the minced scallion greens. This needs to be eaten while the chicken is still crunchy.
Chile Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Marinade
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp chili-garlic sauce like Sambal Oelek
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp water
- Peanut oil for frying
For the Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
For the Stir-Fry
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
- 1 large scallion whites and greens separated, both minced
- 2-3 dried red chilies snapped in half
- 1/2 medium onion cut into 1-inch squares
- 1/2 red bell pepper cut into 1-inch squares
Method
- Mix chicken chunks with soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk cornstarch, flour, and water to make slurry. Pour over chicken, coat evenly.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Combine all sauce ingredients in bowl, set aside.
- Heat 1/2 inch peanut oil in wok over medium-high heat.
- Fry chicken in 2-3 batches for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Drain on wire rack.
- Wipe wok clean, heat 1 tbsp fresh oil over high heat.
- Stir-fry garlic-ginger paste, scallion whites, dried chilies for 30 seconds.
- Add onion and bell pepper, stir-fry 1-2 minutes until edges char.
- Pour in sauce, add fried chicken, toss to coat.
- Top with scallion greens and serve immediately.
