Tired of regular fried chicken? It's time to try out this Taiwanese Style Crispy Asian Fried Chicken ( Taiwanese Fried Chicken Steak )! Crispy fried chicken cutlets with Chinese salt and chilli seasonings and aromatic basil flavour. Easy to make at home and incredibly delicious!
If you are a fan of Asian crispy chicken, you will definitely like our viewer's favourite Chinese Takeaway recipes:
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I've learned this recipe from my Taiwanese friend, this is how her family used to make it at home. I love the authentic flavours and simplicity of this fried chicken that her mom made for us. One of the best Asian fried chicken recipes that I've ever tried.
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I made some adjustments to our family liking and everyone loves it! My picky pre-schooler said this fried chicken is his new favourite. 🤗🤩
If you haven’t tried this crispy chicken recipe, I highly recommend trying it at home. You can customize the spices, salt or any ingredients according to your preference when you make them at home. It's so much easier than you've imagined. In this recipe, we'll be sharing our homemade Taiwanese Style Large Fried Chicken with chicken cutlets.
When you make it at home you can customize just how much spices, chilli and vegetables you want. Learn our simple tips and make your own salt and chilli chicken better than a restaurant. You will find it much easier than you have imagined.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast - Ideal to make with boneless, skinless chicken breast. You can use chicken thigh as well.
- Marinade - Marinate the chicken cutlets with soy sauce, sugar, garlic paste, Shaoxing wine and Chinese five spices.
- Coating - To achieve the perfect crispy golden chicken coating, you will need sweet potato starch(flour), plain flour and baking soda.
- Seasonings spice mix - We love to add garlic powder, paprika powder, white pepper and fine salt in the spice powder to sprinkle over the fried chicken. You can also add toasted ground Sichuan peppercorns too.
- Basil leaves - Crispy fried basil leaves makes the dish more flavourful. Hightly recommed to add fried basil leaves. If you cannot get Thai basil, use Italian or sweet basil instead.
How to make perfect Taiwanese Fried Chicken
- Marinate the chicken cutlets with Shao Xing wine, soy sauce, garlic, sugar and Chinese five spices for at least 30 minutes.
- Dip each chicken cutlet in whisked egg and dredge in sweet potato flour, plain flour and baking soda coating mixture.
- Fry the coated chicken with pre-heated hot oil ( about 350°F ) for 3-4 minutes. Once it start floating remove from oil and let it sit for 3-4 minutes.
- Then fry it again in hot oil for another 3-4 minutes or until crispy golden brown.
- Add all the chilli salt ingredients in a small bowl. Fry the basil leaves in the hot oil until crispy.
- To serve cut the chicken cutlets into thin slices, sprinkle chilli salt seasonings and crispy fried basil.
Cooking Tips
- Sweet Potato Flour ( Starch ): Is very similar to tapioca starch, which is made from starch of sweet potato and widely used in Chinese and Asian cooking.
- Double Frying: Top Tips - Don't skip the double frying step! Double frying creates the airy, crispy coating texture that lasts for few hours after you fried it. Fry the coating chicken cutlets in hot oil for 3-4 minutes, until it floats above the oil, remove from oil and set it aside for 3-4 minutes. Then fry it again in hot oil for 2-3 minutes or until the coating is crispy golden brown.
Why this fried chicken is so special?
- It's a perfect crowd pleasing snack that all kids and adults enjoy. Your party guests will definitely love it! I can guaranteed that!
- Special sweet potato flour coating is extremely crispy outside and moist and juicy chicken inside.
- Easy to make at home without much hassle.
- Super addictive and you can't stop for another bite! Soon to be your favourite Asian fried chicken!
What to serve with this dish?
It tastes best to serve freshly fried, you can serve on its own, just sprinkle with chilli salt seasonings. Or you can serve with your favourite dipping sauce. We love to serve with spicy mayo dipping sauce. And here is how to make it at home :
Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce
Mix two tablespoons of Japanese mayonnaise (or regular mayonnaise) and one teaspoon of hot chilli sauce in a small bowl. Sprinkle Japanese Shichimi chilli powder or hot red chilli flakes. That's it!
FAQ
Taiwanese Fried Chicken cutlets ( XXL Fried Chicken ) and popcorn chicken are very popular street food in Taiwan. Crispy chicken with sweet potato flour coating tossed with flavourful chilli salt and fried basil leaves.
Thick sweet potato starch is ideal to use in this recipe, but if you cannot find it, substitute it with potato starch or tapioca starch.
Deep frying tastes best but if you wish to bake, preheat the oven to 400° F, spray a generous amount of cooking oil over the coated chicken cutlets. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked and crispy golden. Flip halfway through.
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Taiwanese Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 500 g Chicken breast ( 2 large chicken breast about 500-600 g )
- 1 cup Sweet potato starch Or Potato starch/ tapioca starch
- ¼ cup Plain flour Or all purpose flour
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- 2 Egg
- handful Basil leaves Thai, Italian or Regular Basil ( Optional )
- Oil for frying ( vegetable oil, canola, grapeseed, sunflower or any neutral flavour oil )
Marinade
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shao Xing wine
- 1 tbsp Garlic Grated garlic/garlic paste
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp White pepper
- 1 tsp Chinese five spices
Chilli Salt Mix
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Paprika powder
- ½ tsp White pepper
- ¼ tsp Fine salt
Instructions
- Cover the chopping board with cling film, cut chicken breasts into half lengthways. Cover the chicken cutlets with cling film and flatten it by pounding with rolling pin or meat tenderizer.
- Mix all the chilli salt seasoning ingredients in a bowl and set it aside.
- Mix the chicken cutlets well with soy sauce, garlic paste, white pepper, Shao Xing wine, Chinese five spices and sugar. Let it set aside and marinade for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. If you have more time you can place it in a fridge overnight in an airtight container.
- Beat two eggs in large tray or bowl and set aside. Mix sweet potato starch, plain flour, and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside.
- Dip the marinated chicken cutlet in the egg first, then dredge in the flour mix. Press gently to coat the chicken evenly and toss the excess flour out before frying.
- Heat the vegetable oil to high heat about 340-350° F. Deep fry the coated chicken for 3-4 minutes until the chicken start to float. Once it float, remove from oil and set it aside for 3-4 minutes. Then double fry it again until crispy golden brown. Remove from oil and place it over the cooling rack.
- Fry the bail leaves in the oil for 2-3 minutes until crispy. Remove from oil and place it over the paper towel.
- To Serve the fried chicken, cut the chicken cutlets in the medium bite size slices, or pieces. Sprinkle the chilli salt seasonings and crispy basil leaves on top. You can simply serve on its own or serve with spicy mayo or any your favourite dipping sauce.
Notes
- How to make Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce? Here is our simple homemade spicy mayo dipping sauce that need 3 simple ingredients. Japanese mayo ( or regular mayonnaise), hot chilli sauce ( or Sriracha chilli sauce), and Japanese Shichimi chilli powder ( or paprika powder ). Mix 2 tablespoon of Japanese mayo, 1 teaspoon of hot chilli sauce and sprinkle Japanese Shichimi chilli powder. You can adjust the chilli sauce amount according to your preference.
- Shao Xing Wine - Is a Chinese cooking rice wine, you can find it in Chinese and Oriental Asian grocery stores or supermarket Asian aisle. If you cannot get Shao Xing Wine, you can add Japanese mirin, or dry sherry. If you wish to make non-alcohol version you can omit it add a splash of rice vinegar.
- Chinese Five Spices – is a powder mixture of cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, and fennel. Available in Chinese grocery stores or Amazon online.
- Basil Leaves - Don't skip frying basil leaves if you like the authentic Taiwanese style flavour. If you are not a basil fan, you can skip adding basil leaves.
Martyn Hele says
Is that Light Soy or Dark Soy in the marinade ?
Khin says
You can add light soy sauce ( thin soy sauce ) or regular all-purpose soy sauce to the marinade.
Dave says
Hi, can I ask a question please. In your recipe you say use high heat 225 x 250 f. Can I ask if this is correct as I usually regard high heat at around 350 for frying?
Khin says
Hi Dave, thank you so much for pointing out. The temperature should be around 340-350'F. Edited now at recipe card. Sorry for late reply.
Tammy says
Tried it. It was so good. We had it with sweet chilli sauce.
Khin says
Thank you so much for trying my recipe. I am so happy that you like the recipe.