chinese chilli chicken at home in 3 easy steps
Fried chicken: Start by frying bite sized pieces of chicken in a batter made with all purpose flour, corn flour and some seasoning. This batter should be thick so that it coats the chicken well. I like using boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they have more flavor and remain juicy once they are deep fried. But I have also successfully used chicken breast. Chicken breasts make for thicker pieces. The chicken is fried on high heat (approx 300-350F), for approx 7-8 minutes till the outer coating is a deep golden brown on both sides.
Sauce and Mise en place: While the chicken is frying, keep the sauce and mise en place ready. This basically means that you should prepare and cut the ginger, garlic, onions, capsicum etc that you need so that during the final step of stir frying, there is no delay. This ensures that the ingredients stay crisp and don’t get soggy while stir frying.
Stir Frying Chilli Chicken: Once the chicken is fried and all the ingredients are ready, the final step is to stir fry the chilli chicken. I recommend using a wok or kadhai because it has a wide surface area and allows quick movement while stir frying. The veggies are cooked on high heat for a minute or two and the chicken is stir fried with the sauce for only a few minutes till it’s coated well