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Takeaway-Style Salt And Chilli Chicken
Pieces of chicken are lightly battered and fried until crispy, then tossed with chillies and finished with a tasty Chinese salt and chilli spice mix. Let’s get cooking…
You asked for it, and here it is! My delicious salt and chilli chicken recipe, it’s a Chinese takeaway classic and one of my favourite fakeaway meals. I often make this for dinner and serve it in a wrap or with rice.
However you choose to eat this, one things for sure, you’re definitely in for a treat. This recipe is both addictive and moreish, and trust me, once you’ve started eating this it’s hard to stop!
I find salt and chilli chicken to have the perfect blend of textures and flavours such as garlic, salt, Chinese 5 spice and more. Plus, not only is it tasty, but it’s also so easy to make. My friends and family are always shocked when I tell them how I make it.
After making salt and pepper chicken, I realised that making salt and chilli chicken is very very very similar. The main difference is that an egg is used in this recipe to coat the chicken before being dunked into cornflour, which provides the crispy coating.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are so many reasons why I think you’ll fall in love with this recipe, the taste is just one! I’ve listed a few more reasons below:
- It’s a dish that suits many occasions (from parties to dinner)
- The chicken is juicy and tender, and the coating is light and crispy
- It takes me only 35 minutes to make, including prep time!
- It’s a reliable crowd-pleasing dish.
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients I used, the number of chillies and spices you use is completely up to your preference:
- Chicken Breast: I used chicken breast diced into medium bite-sized chunks (some pieces were a little bigger), though you can cut the chicken into strips if you like. I like to use chicken breasts for these types of recipes, but chicken thighs are also a great alternative.
- Chicken Marinade: I make a marinade mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. Then I coat the chicken in a whisked egg.
- Cornflour & Eggs: Coating the chicken in cornflour is what makes the texture really crispy.
- Vegetables: Garlic, spring onions, green bell peppers, red chillies and an onion are the vegetables I used in this dish.
- Salt And Chilli Seasoning Mix: I mix together black pepper, Chinese 5 spice and salt to create the iconic salt and chilli spice mix. I also use this mix to make salt and pepper chips. FYI, some Chinese restaurants add a little bit of sugar for sweetness.
If you don’t have Chinese 5 spice, check out this list of Chinese 5 Spice Substitutes.
How To Make Salt And Chilli Chicken
Here’s a summary of how I make this crispy salt and chilli chicken. You can get the full recipe instructions on the recipe card below:
Step One:
I add dark soy sauce, white pepper and sesame oil to diced chicken and mix everything together. Then I add two whisked eggs and mix until all chicken pieces are coated.
Step Two:
In a separate small mixing bowl, I mix together salt, black pepper and Chinese 5 spice to make the salt and chilli spice mix.
Step Three:
Each piece of chicken is coated into cornflour (I always make sure that all areas are thoroughly coated).
The chicken is fried on a medium to high heat for around 3 minutes or until cooked, and the outside is golden brown and crispy.
Step Four: