Description
This Salt and Pepper Chicken recipe features crispy, juicy chicken thigh fillets coated in a flavorful blend of cornflour, salt, black pepper, and Chinese five-spice, then fried to golden perfection. The chicken is tossed with sautéed onions, fresh red and green chillies, garlic, and spring onions for a spicy, aromatic finish. Perfect as a delicious appetizer or a main course with rice or noodles.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Coating
- 60 g (1/2 cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 tbsp table salt (divided)
- 1 ¼ tbsp ground black pepper (divided)
- 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice
- 6 skinless chicken thigh fillets, quartered
For Frying and Toppings
- Vegetable oil for frying (around 240 ml / 1 cup)
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks (about 1.5-2 cm)
- 1 red chilli, chopped into small pieces
- 1 green chilli, chopped into small pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 3 spring onions (scallions), roughly chopped
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: Combine 60 g (1/2 cup) cornflour, ¾ tbsp salt, 1 tbsp ground black pepper, and 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice in a bowl to create the coating mixture.
- Coat chicken: Sprinkle the dry mixture over the quartered chicken thigh fillets and toss thoroughly to ensure even coating.
- Heat oil for frying: Pour about 240 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil into a large frying pan and set one tablespoon aside. Heat the oil over high heat until hot enough that bubbles form around a wooden spoon or chopstick inserted into the oil.
- Fry chicken batch one: Add the coated chicken pieces carefully one at a time to avoid oil splashing or boiling over. Fry in batches if necessary.
- Cook chicken thoroughly: Fry each batch for about 5-7 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown on all sides.
- Drain chicken: Use tongs to transfer the fried chicken to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
- Fry chicken batch two: Repeat frying and draining with the remaining chicken pieces. Turn off the heat when all chicken is cooked.
- Prepare aromatics: Heat the reserved 1 tablespoon of oil in a separate frying pan over medium-high heat once the second chicken batch starts cooking.
- Sauté onions and chillies: Add the chopped onion, red chilli, green chilli, remaining ¼ tbsp salt, and remaining ¼ tbsp black pepper to the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions soften slightly.
- Add garlic and spring onions: Reduce heat to medium and add minced garlic and chopped spring onions, frying for an additional minute while stirring often.
- Combine chicken and aromatics: Add all the cooked chicken pieces to the frying pan with the sautéed onion and chilli mixture.
- Toss and heat through: Toss everything together for 1 minute just to meld the flavors and reheat the chicken slightly.
- Serve: Turn off the heat and serve immediately while hot and crispy.
Notes
- Using chicken thighs ensures juicy and tender meat with crispy coating.
- Adjust the amount of chilli to suit your spice preference.
- Make sure oil is hot enough before frying to achieve a crispy texture.
- Frying in batches prevents overcrowding and soggy chicken.
- Serve with steamed rice or noodles for a complete meal.
