This Chili Chicken Recipe (Indo-Chinese) combines the best flavors of Pakistani and Chinese cuisine in one dish. Crispy chicken bites and vegetables are coated in a spicy and tangy sauce. With a cooking time of just 30 minutes, this is a perfect cozy meal the whole family will love.
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Indo-Chinese cuisine is a popular part of Pakistani cuisine. In this chili chicken recipe, boneless chicken is marinated in a few simple spices and cornstarch, creating a crispy coating. Once fried, the chicken is mixed with sauteed onions, bell peppers, and a tangy sauce. A garnish of green onions and cashew nuts completes the mouthwatering meal.
My favorite way to enjoy this chicken is with basmati rice. Add chicken corn soup or hot and sour soup to the menu for a more elaborate meal.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Great weeknight meal option - This family-friendly recipe makes a refreshing change from the same old recipes and is one the whole family will love.
- Easy recipe - This chili chicken recipe is easy to cook and has easy-to-source ingredients.
- Packed with flavor - The crispy chicken coated in the sweet, tangy, and spicy sauce combine to make a delectable meal.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken - I like using boneless chicken tenderloins in all my recipes, like my chicken malai tikka and butter chicken curry.
- Onion - Yellow onions work best in this recipe. They have a mild and neutral taste that blends well with all the other flavors in this chili chicken recipe.
- Bell pepper - Green bell peppers are a predominant part of Indo-Chinese recipes.
- Cooking oil - Use a neutral cooking oil with a high smoking point, like canola, sunflower, or avocado.
- Cornstarch - The cornstarch helps make the Chicken crispy and golden on the outside and juicy on the inside.
- Egg - Adding an egg to the chicken before frying it makes it crispier.
- Spices - A simple blend of salt, Kashmiri chili powder, and black pepper is all this recipe needs.
- Ketchup- This adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the sauce, a vibrant red color, and a lovely glossy finish.
- Cashews - Half of these are ground into a cashew paste that helps thicken the curry and adds a delicious nutty flavor to this chili chicken recipe. The other half is chopped and added as a garnish at the end, following through with more of that nutty taste.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Add more depth to the sauce - Some soy sauce or tamari for a gluten-free option will add more flavor and deeper color to the chili chicken recipe.
- Use other spices - Substitute the Kashmiri chili pepper with Paprika for convenience and add some whole dried red chilies to give the chicken an earthy and smoky flavor.
- Make more gravy - Whili chili chicken is traditionally a dry recipe; if you want more sauce, add one cup of water and one tablespoon of cornstarch as a slurry.
Step-by-step instructions
Marinating the chicken
- First step - Cut the chicken tenderloins into 1-inch cubes and mix with the garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper, and Kashmiri chili powder.
- Second step - Mix the cornstarch until all the pieces are coated in it.
- Third step - Beat the egg, toss the chicken, and cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Fourth step - Grind two tablespoons of the cashews into a fine powder.
Prepping the vegetables
- Fifth step - Chop the remaining cashews and set aside to use as a garnish later.
- Sixth step - Peel and slice the onion.
- Seventh step - Deseed and slice the green bell pepper.
- Eighth step - Chop four green onions, both the green and white parts, and set aside for later.
Preparing the base
- Ninth step - Preheat the cooking oil and fry the chicken in batches.
- Tenth step - Let the chicken cook until it automatically separates from the bottom of the pan and flip over. Once it's cooked, set it aside for later.
- Eleventh step - Discard all but half a cup of oil and saute the onions and peppers. About 1-2 minutes is enough as we want them to retain a crisp texture.
- Twelfth step - Add in the ketchup to the vegetables and mix.
Finishing the chicken
- Thirteenth step - Mix in the powdered cashews and red chili peppers and stir until well combined.
- Fourteenth step - Turn the stove off and add in the fried chicken.
- Fifteenth step - Mix just enough to coat the chicken in the sauce and remove to a serving platter.
- Sixteenth step - Garnish with the green onions and chopped cashews and serve.
Expert Tips
- Fry the chicken in small batches - Use a wide, shallow pan to fry the chicken and work in batches. Adding it all at once will reduce the temperature of the oil and make it soggy.
- Marinate the meat - A minimum of half an hour is essential for the meat to be well seasoned all the way through.
Recipe FAQS
Manchurian chicken usually has more gravy, is less spicy, and has soy sauce in the recipe. Chili chicken, on the other hand, is crispy, on the dry side, and more piquant.
Eating fresh chili chicken is best, as it will get soggy over time. However, it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 6 weeks in an airtight container. To reheat, thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight and microwave.
Other Asian-inspired recipes you may like
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture, tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Chili Chicken Recipe (Indo-Chinese)
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Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless chicken
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup cornstarch (see notes)
- 1 egg (see notes)
- 1 cup cooking oil
- 1 onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- ½ cup green onions
- ½ cup cashews
- 1 cup tomato ketchup
- 2 teaspoon red chili powder
Instructions
- cut the chicken into cubes.
- Mix the garlic, ginger, Kashmiri chili powder, salt, black pepper, cornstarch, and egg, and use it to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.
- Thinly slice the onion and bell pepper, chop the green onions.
- Chop all but two tablespoons of the cashews and set aside.
- Grind the 2 tablespoons of cashew nuts in your spice grinder to make a paste.
- After marination is complete, heat the oil and deep fry the chicken in batches. (see notes)
- After the chicken is done remove all but ½ cup of the oil from the wok and saute the onions and bell peppers for 2-5 minutes (see notes)
- Add the ketchup, cashew paste and red chili powder to the vegetables and stir till well mixed
- add the chicken to the sauce and mix just till the chicken is coated with the sauce
- sprinkle the cashew pieces and green onions and serve with rice
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