Description
Whipping up Salt and Pepper Chicken delivers a crispy, flavor-packed meal that’ll have your taste buds dancing with delight. Grab some chicken, seasoning, and your favorite oil to create this simple yet satisfying dish that brings restaurant-quality crunch right to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Proteins:
- 1 pound Chicken Breast
Binding and Coating Ingredients:
- 1 large Egg
- 1 cup Cornstarch
Marinade and Flavor Enhancers:
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Rice Wine
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ cup Water
Frying and Garnish:
- 2 cups Vegetable Oil
- 2 tablespoons Green Onions
Instructions
- Mix marinade ingredients in a large bowl, combining minced garlic, salt, brown sugar, water, rice wine, baking soda, and soy sauce until well blended.
- Add 1 pound of chicken pieces to the marinade, ensuring every piece is coated. Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Crack 1 large egg into a separate bowl and beat thoroughly until smooth and uniform.
- Drain chicken from marinade and discard remaining liquid. Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels.
- Dip each chicken piece into beaten egg, ensuring complete coverage.
- Pour 1 cup of cornstarch into a separate bowl and roll each egg-coated chicken piece until fully dusted.
- Heat 2 cups of vegetable oil in a wok or deep skillet to 350°F, creating a half-inch deep pool of oil.
- Carefully lower chicken pieces into hot oil, cooking in small batches to maintain temperature.
- Fry chicken for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until pieces reach golden brown color and internal temperature hits 165°F.
- Remove fried chicken with a slotted spoon, letting excess oil drip back into the pan.
- Sprinkle additional salt and pepper over hot chicken pieces for extra seasoning.
- Garnish with 2 tablespoons freshly chopped green onions before serving immediately.
Notes
- Marinate chicken for the full 30 minutes to ensure deep flavor absorption and tender meat texture.
- Use a thermometer to check oil temperature, as precise heat prevents greasy chicken and ensures crispy coating.
- Pat chicken dry before marinating to help the coating stick better and create a crunchier exterior.
- For a lighter version, consider baking or air frying the chicken instead of deep-frying, though the crisp will be slightly different.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-5 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg