Chilli chicken step-by-step recipe with photos.
About this recipe
Chilli chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese dish of chicken from the Hakka Chinese heritage. There are two versions of this dish - dry and with gravy. It is the meaty counterpart of chilli paneer. Pieces of chicken marinated, deep-fried and tossed in capsicum, onion and sauces is a favourite dish for chicken lovers. Chilli chicken has a great balance of hot, sweet, tangy and salty flavours perfect for your tastebuds.
Like I have mentioned before, we don’t prefer eating Indo-Chinese dishes in restaurants because of the addition of MSG and additives. Why compromise on health when we can make these dishes at home without compromising on taste!
Follow my recipe and make the perfect restaurant-style dish at home. Serve the spicy, juicy, melt-in-mouth chilli chicken with veg fried rice or veg noodles for a totally satisfying meal.
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Step by step instructions
1. Grind ginger, garlic, and chilli into a smooth paste. Marinate chicken with ground paste, soya sauce, tomato sauce, and vinegar.
Add plain flour, cornflour and egg once the chicken is marinated.
Mix them together so that the chicken pieces are coated well.
Deep-fry chicken pieces until golden and crispy.
6. Saute ginger and garlic in oil. Add onion, capsicum, chilli and fry for a few minutes.
7. Add soya sauce, and vinegar and mix well. Add red chilli paste, salt, and pepper.
8. Add cornflour water mixture. Once it boils, add the chicken pieces.
9. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
Recipe card
Chilli chicken
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken thigh boneless
- Oil for frying chicken
FOR MARINATING CHICKEN:
- ½ inch ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2-3 green chilli or as per taste
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon soya sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
- 2-3 tablespoon cornflour
- 2 tablespoon plain flour
- Salt to taste
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 inch ginger finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 medium capsicum cut into cubes
- 1 medium onion cut into cubes
- 2-3 green chilli slit or as per taste (I have used mix of green and red chilli)
- 2 tablespoon soya sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper powder
- A few spring onion for garnish
- 1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon red chilli paste
Instructions
- The first step is to brine the chicken to make it soft and tender. For this, cut the chicken into 1-inch piece. Add salt and water to it and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. Once the chicken is rested, drain all the excess water from chicken and refresh in cold water
- Next, we need to marinate the chicken. Grind together ginger, garlic and green chilli into a smooth paste using very little water. Mix this paste along with soya sauce, vinegar and tomato sauce. Marinate the chicken in this mixture for at least 2-3 hours
- Add egg, cornflour and plain flour to the chicken and mix well
- Heat oil in a frypan. Deep fry the chicken pieces until they are golden and crispy. Drain on a kitchen towel and set aside
- In another frying pan, heat oil and saute ginger, garlic for few seconds
- Add onion, capsicum, green chilli and stir fry for 2-3 minutes on high flame
- Add vinegar, soya sauce, red chilli paste, salt and pepper. Mix well
- Add cornflour water mixture
- Add the fried chicken and stir for a minute till the sauce thickens
- Turn off the flame and garnish with spring onion
- Serve hot
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