Description
Bang Bang Chicken from Sichuan, China brings a seriously spicy party to your dinner table. Tender shredded chicken gets drowned in a crazy-good sauce that’ll make your taste buds dance with pure flavor excitement.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce Ingredients:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Grab a clean cutting board and slice 2 chicken breasts (about 454 grams) into uniform bite-sized pieces around 1-inch cubes for consistent cooking.
- Create your seasoned coating by combining 60 grams cornstarch, 60 grams all-purpose flour, 5 grams garlic powder, 5 grams paprika, 3 grams salt, and 3 grams black pepper in a medium mixing bowl.
- Whisk 1 large egg and 120 milliliters buttermilk together in a separate shallow dish until completely blended.
- Dunk each chicken piece into the buttermilk mixture, allowing excess liquid to drip off, then thoroughly coat with the seasoned flour blend.
- Press coating firmly onto chicken surfaces to ensure maximum crispiness and complete coverage.
- Let coated chicken rest for precisely 5 minutes while preparing your frying station.
- Pour 480 milliliters vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pan, heating to exactly 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) using a digital thermometer.
- Carefully lower chicken pieces into hot oil, maintaining 3-4 pieces per batch to prevent temperature drops.
- Fry chicken for 4-5 minutes, rotating occasionally, until exterior reaches deep golden brown and internal temperature hits 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Transfer fried chicken onto wire cooling rack to maintain crisp texture and drain excess oil.
- Whisk 120 milliliters mayonnaise, 60 milliliters sweet chili sauce, 15 milliliters sriracha, 15 milliliters honey, and 5 milliliters lime juice until sauce becomes smooth and glossy.
- Select your serving style: either fully coat chicken in sauce or serve sauce separately for individualized dipping preferences.
- Optionally garnish with finely chopped green onions or toasted sesame seeds for additional flavor and visual appeal.
Notes
- Cornstarch creates an ultra-crispy coating that seals in moisture and prevents sogginess during frying.
- Let the coated chicken rest before frying to help the breading adhere better and create a crunchier exterior.
- Use a deep-fry or candy thermometer to maintain the precise oil temperature for consistent, golden-brown chicken without burning.
- For a lighter version, bake the chicken at 425F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, which reduces oil but still delivers great crunch.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 680 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 30 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg