Salt and Pepper Chicken (2024)

Make this easy Salt and Pepper Chicken dish at home, crispy seasoned chicken, fried up with aromatics garlic and spicy chilies. this recipe is a realflavour explosion and will keep you coming back for more. You have all the ingredients in your kitchen

Who doesn’t love crunchy deep-fried of chicken bite tossed with some simple ingredients you have in kitchen which is garlic and peppers and some aromatics? This is my family favorite! specifically, the spicy and irresistible aroma of white pepper with salt. Simply delicious! Do not forget The crunch is too good to hear!

Do not be intimidated by the picture of chilies around, those are not not hot spicy food, it’s just ‘warm’ enough, well at least for me as a medium-spicy tolerance. you can adjust the spiciness based on your taste😉

What is salt and pepper chicken?

Salt and pepper chicken is originally Chinese dish. The chicken is coated in a well-seasoned, gently spiced cornflour mixture before being fried for a flavoursome, lovely dish.

But lately, there are some modification in this salt and pepper chicken, some of them is from Taiwan, well, here in Indonesia we have salt and pepper chicken too, basically we can change the chicken with yellow tofu, prawns and even nuggets because the ingredients is so simple.

I love to serve this salt and pepper chicken with my steamed white rice, and also in a lettuce wrap. It’s a great party appetizer or game-day snack.

Salt and pepper chicken is a must-try recipe at home because it offers a perfect balance of flavors and textures, it’s customizable to your preferences, and it allows you to recreate the magic of a restaurant-quality dish in your own kitchen.

Give it a try, and you’ll likely find yourself coming back to this recipe again and again.

For the detailed ingredients and step-by-step instructions for how to make this recipe, check this out

Ingredients of Salt and Pepper Chicken

I know it looks like a lot but I bet you have all in your kitchen maybe except for the lime leaves, but seriously it really smells good and will change your dish much better.

• Boneless chickenthighs; Chicken thighs are preferable to chicken breast for this recipe, as they’re cooked at a very high heat. Thigh meat stands up better to this high-heat cooking without drying out.
• Cornstarch; for coating chicken bites, also known as Cornflour makes a light crispy coating for the chicken.
• Frying Oil (any neutral-flavored, high-smoke-point oil like safflower, sunflower seed, peanut, corn, canola, or vegetable oil) I use vegetable oil here

Marinade

For marinating chicken you will need;

• Lemon Juice; Lemon juice is used in the marinade to provide a tangy and acidic element, adding brightness and flavor to the chicken.
• Seasoning: here I use garlic powder, paprika powder, chicken powder, brown sugar (use a small amount of sugar to marinade chicken as it gives balance to the saltiness.), salt, and white pepper.
• Gingergrated; Fresh ginger is grated and used in the marinade to add a spicy and aromatic flavor. It’s a common ingredient in many Asian dishes.

Sauteed

• Garlicminced; Fresh garlic cloves for aromatics and flavor.
• Curly red Pepper; The type you choose depends on how hot you like it. I tend to curly red pepper which is just a little bit spicy. You can use hotter Chillies (bird eye’s chili) or replace them with red and green bell pepper if you don’t like the heat at all.
• Cayenne pepper/ bird eye’s pepper; this is spicy chili you only need to use a few of this unless you like it to be super spicy food.
• Lime Leaves; Lime leaves are aromatic leaves from the kaffir lime tree and are used to add a citrusy and herbal flavor to the dish. They are often used in Southeast Asian cuisine.
• Salt I use sea salt (also known as kosher salt). Table salt will work too.
• Pepper; I used white pepper to make it more authentic.
• Chicken Powder; Chicken powder is a seasoning powder often used to add a concentrated chicken flavor to dishes. It intensifies the chicken’s natural flavor.
• White sugar; to gives balance to the saltiness for seasoning

How to Make Salt and Pepper Chicken

Begin with cutting the chicken into bite cube sized, and then prepare a bowl then mix the chicken with the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well until evenly coated and let it marinate for approximately minimum 30 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge

Next, after marinating, coat the chicken with cornstarch.. When coating the chicken with the cornstarch mixture, make sure to do it evenly and press the coating onto the chicken to ensure it adheres well. This will result in a better-textured crust.

When the chicken are ready, Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Fry chicken in batches for 5-6 minutes, turning once so the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside. This, I Fry the chicken twice until golden brown, then drain the excess oil.

Fry the chicken in batches to maintain a consistent temperature in the oil and to ensure each piece cooks evenly. Overcrowding the pan can lead to uneven frying and less crispy chicken.

Once the chicken is fried, place it on a wire rack or paper towels to drain excess oil. This will help keep the chicken crispy.

Move to the next step, heat a pan and sauté garlic and lime leaves until fragrant, Return chicken to skillet, tossing to coat the fried chicken to the pan, then sprinkle with curly red pepper and cayene pepper.

And then season with salt, chicken powder, black pepper, and sugar. Keep stirring until everything combine very well.

Finally, The dish is ready to be serve. Serving your Salt and pepper chicken as an appetizer, snack or even side dish with steamed rice. Enjoy and share!

Recipe Notes and Variations;

• Cook aromatics over low heat Aromatics like garlic,or ginger tend to burn easily when cooked over very high heat so I like to recommend lowering the heat, so you have more control. Be careful not to brown the garlic, or it will be bitter.
• Cut chicken into equal bite size pieces for even cooking time, I usually cut each thigh into 6-8 pieces (about 1 x 2-inch-long pieces). I’ll slice the thigh horizontally and then cut them vertically.
• Prepare your ingredients ahead of time, it will be easier for you,since in Asian cooking it is all about preparing the ingredients prior to cooking. Since we are cooking this dish in a hot wok, it is important to have the ingredients lined up and ready to throw into the pan. You do not want to be fumbling
• If you want more heat, add a pinch of chilli flakes or powder to the cornflour mix. If you don’t want that kick of heat, use red and/or green bell peppers instead.
• Fry the chicken in batches so that you don’t crowd the pan. If you put too much chicken into the oil at once, it will lower the temperature of the oil and you won’t get that nice golden brown color.
• You only need to marinate the chicken for 20-30 minutes. But if you have time, marinate it overnight for even more flavor.
• For optional, you can add some freshly squeezed lemon juice to brighten up the dish.

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