Description
Salt and Chilli Chicken is a deliciously crispy and flavorful Chinese-inspired dish featuring succulent boneless chicken thighs marinated in aromatic spices, coated in cornflour for a perfect crunch, then stir-fried with vibrant peppers, garlic, chillies, and spring onions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 600g / 1.3lb boneless skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
- 1 tsp White Pepper
- 1 tsp Fine/Table Salt
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 2 cloves of 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
- 1 small/medium White Onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 Red Pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 Green Pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of 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
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the diced chicken with sesame oil, grated garlic paste, Chinese 5 spice, salt, and white pepper. Mix well to ensure the chicken is evenly coated. Cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Place the cornflour in a large shallow dish. Take 2 1/2 tablespoons of cornflour from the dish and mix it thoroughly into the marinated chicken using your hands. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes so the cornflour absorbs the moisture and becomes sticky.
- Mix the beaten egg into the sticky chicken mixture until evenly combined. One by one, take each piece of chicken and thoroughly coat it in the remaining cornflour on the dish, pressing the cornflour into every crevice to ensure a crispy texture. Shake off any excess cornflour and place the coated pieces on a baking tray. Add more cornflour if needed to coat all pieces well.
- Pour vegetable oil into a heavy-based or cast-iron pan to a depth of about 3/4 inch, enough to cover just over half the size of the chicken pieces. Heat the oil on medium-high until it reaches 190°C / 375°F. Working in 2-3 batches, fry the chicken pieces until golden brown and crisp on the outside and fully cooked inside, about 3 minutes per side. Use a wire rack lined with kitchen paper to drain excess oil after frying each batch, and bring the oil back to temperature before starting the next batch.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the leftover frying oil and heat it in a wok or deep pan over high heat. Once very hot, add the sliced onion, red and green peppers, diced garlic, and sliced red chilli. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables soften slightly and release their aroma.
- Add the fried chicken, sliced spring onions, flaky sea salt, Chinese 5 spice, and white pepper to the wok. Toss everything together thoroughly to ensure the chicken is coated evenly with the seasoning and mixed well with the vegetables.
- Once everything is well combined and heated through, serve the salt and chilli chicken immediately for the best crispy texture and vibrant flavors. Enjoy!
Notes
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir-fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 486
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 18.84 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15.34 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.04 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32.44 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg