Chilli Chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese dish a perfect mixture of juicy pieces of chicken coated in a spicy, tangy sauce, this dish basically includes ingredients like bell peppers, onions, garlic, and green chilies, giving it a flavorful and aromatic profile.
The boneless chicken is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, ginger-garlic paste, and spices before being fried until crispy. Then it’s tossed in a sauce made from soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chili sauce, and vinegar, along with sauteed vegetables.
Chilli Chicken is known for its bold flavors and versatile nature. It can be served as an appetizer, a side dish, or even as a main course with steamed rice or noodles, Naan, roti, it’s a favorite in both Indian and Chinese cuisine, loved for its spicy kick and savory taste.
Ingredients:
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 500g boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon corn flour (cornstarch)
- 1 egg
- Salt to taste
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 2-3 green chilies, slit lengthwise
- 1 onion, thinly sliced or cube size
- 1 capsicum (bell pepper), thinly sliced or cube size
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon corn flour (cornstarch) dissolved in 1/4 cup water
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 spring onions, chopped (for garnish)
For Garnish:
- Spring onions, chopped
- Coriander leaves, chopped
Instructions:
1. Marinate the Chicken:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the boneless chicken pieces(cut the chicken into bite size) with ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, corn flour, egg, salt, you can add food color to give a fresh look and then mix well till the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade.
- By using a lid cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator or in normal temperature. The more you let the chicken to marinate, will enhance the taste and flavor.
2. Fry the Chicken:
To fry chicken I’ll tell you the a new process, but you can also check Fried chicken, Korean fried chicken, Chicken 65, Parsi fried chicken,
- Firstly heat oil for shallow frying in a pan over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken pieces one by one in to the oil, by ensuring they are not overcrowded in the pan, which can gives us raw chicken from inside .
- Fry the chicken pieces till they turn golden brown and crispy on the outside and cooked properly from inside.
- Once frying is done, strain the fried chicken pieces from the pan by a sieve and place them on a plate with paper towels or kitchen towel to drain excess oil. Keep them aside.
3. Prepare the Sauce:
- In the same pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
- Now add finely chopped garlic, ginger, and slit green chilies to the hot oil, and saute everything for a minute till they become start leaves their fragrances.
- Add thinly sliced onions to the pan and saute until they turn translucent or you can cut the onions into cube size.
- Next, add thinly or cube size sliced Capsicum (bell pepper) to the pan, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes with the onions till the capsicum is slightly softened and crisp from outside.
- Take a small bowl, mix soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chili sauce, vinegar, corn flour dissolved in water, salt, and black pepper powder together to make the smooth chilli chicken sauce.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the pan with the sauteed vegetables (capsicum and onions) and stir everything well to combine.
- Let the sauce to cook for some more minutes till the sauce got thickens and coats the vegetables evenly.
4. Combine Chicken with Sauce:
- Once the sauce reaches to the desired thickness at that time add the fried chicken pieces to the pan and toss the chicken gently in the sauce till each chicken pieces is coated perfectly.
- Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, to let the flavors meld together and the chicken to absorb the sauce from inside and cooked well.
5. Serve:
- When the Chilli Chicken is ready and cooked perfectly, turn off the heat and transfer the Chilli Chicken to a serving dish.
- Garnish with chopped spring onions and coriander leaves to give a fresh flavor, freshness, and vibrant color to the Chilli Chicken.
- Serve hot as a main course dish with steamed rice or noodles or you can serve it with Roti, Naan.
Tips:
- Adjust the spiciness by the quantity of green chilies and chili sauce according to your spice preference.
- You can bake the marinated chicken instead of frying, for a healthier option.
- Before adding the chicken make sure the oil is hot sufficiently, which gives the chicken crispy texture.
- You can add other vegetables like carrots, broccoli, or baby corn to the dish for added flavor and nutrition but as per your taste.
FAQ for Chilli Chicken:
What is Chilli Chicken?
Chilli Chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese dish which made with crispy chicken pieces coated in a spicy, tangy sauce, which gives us a perfect mouthwatering dish.
How is Chilli Chicken different from regular chicken dishes?
Chilli Chicken is specified by its unique combination of Indian and Chinese flavors, it features a spicy sauce made with soy sauce, chili sauce, and vinegar, to giving it a tangy taste which makes it apart from other chicken dishes.
What is chilli chicken made of?
The main ingredients for Chilli Chicken include boneless chicken, soy sauce, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, corn flour, egg for the marinade, garlic, ginger, green chilies, onions, capsicum (bell pepper), soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chili sauce, vinegar, and corn flour (for the sauce).
Is Chilli Chicken a healthy dish?
While Chilli Chicken is delicious, it is not a healthiest option due to deep fried process and the sauces contains high sodium content. You can make it healthy by shallow frying instead of deep frying, by using small amount of sauce, add more vegetables can make it a healthy option.
Can I adjust the spiciness of Chilli Chicken?
Yes, you can adjust the spiciness of Chilli Chicken by adding or reducing the amount of red chili powder, green chilies, and chili sauce as per your taste preferences.
Conclusion:
Chilli Chicken is a delicious and flavorful dish which anyone can make it easily at home, with its spicy and tangy sauce, chicken and taste, it’s can be a perfect party dish or main course, you can make at your own kitchen. Follow this recipe step by step to create restaurant-style Chilli Chicken at home.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 serving (assuming recipe serves 4)
- Servings Per Recipe: 4
Nutrient | Amount per Serving (%) |
---|---|
Calories | 100 |
Carbohydrates | 10g (4%) |
Protein | 2g (8%) |
Saturated Fat | 1g (5%) |
Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g |
Monounsaturated Fat | 2g |
Trans Fat | 0g |
Cholesterol | 0mg |
Sodium | 700mg (30%) |
Potassium | 250mg (6%) |
Fiber | 2g (8%) |
Sugar | 5g |
Vitamin A | 800 IU (16%) |
Vitamin C | 60mg (100%) |
Calcium | 40mg (4%) |
Iron | 1.5mg (8%) |