Chili Garlic Chicken Recipe
Fiery hot and full of garlic flavor, this Indo-Chinese Chili Garlic Chicken is a super delicious recipe. Enjoy it with fried rice or plain steamed rice. Here is how to make it.
Here are some more Indo-Chinese recipes: Veg Hakka Noodles, Chicken Hakka Noodles, Darsaan, and Vegetable Fried Rice.
★★★★★
“I have always been a fan of chilly chicken, but didn’t know how to make it. I tried it today. It turned out fantastic. Thank you very much.”
– Paul Cheema
A Quick Look At This Chili Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Flavor: Spicy, garlicky, tangy, and packed with bold Asian-style flavors
- Marination Time: 30 minutes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Marination Time: 30 minutes
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Diet: High-protein, non-vegetarian
- Serves: 6
- Best Equipment: Wok or heavy skillet
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Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite Recipe!
- Bursting with restaurant-style Indo-Chinese flavors right from your own kitchen.
- Uses simple pantry ingredients, such as garlic, chili sauce, and soy sauce.
- Quick and easy—ready in under 1 hour, including marination, perfect for weeknights.
- Works as a starter, side dish, or main course—pair it with vegetable fried rice, chicken Hakka noodles, or enjoy it with drinks.
- Customizable spice levels—adjust chilies to make it as fiery or mild as you like.
- A crowd-pleaser for family dinners, potlucks, or even game night!
Table of Contents
Indo-Chinese cuisine definitely comes to mind when I think about my favorite cuisine. I have my set of restaurants from where I like to order, but the best Indo-Chinese food is made at home. I have mastered a few recipes, such as Veg Hakka Noodles and Chicken Hakka Noodles, and they never disappoint.
This curry house favourite, chili garlic chicken recipe, took me at least 4-5 trials to master, but now that I have done so, it is a staple in our home. I am sharing my recipe, which you must try because it is too good.
About Chili Garlic Chicken
Chili Garlic Chicken is an Indo-Chinese dish made by tossing crispy chicken pieces into a garlicky sauce loaded with Chinese flavors. It is available in many restaurants worldwide, but you can also easily make it at home using this easy recipe.
Ingredients
To Fry The Chicken
Chicken – You will need boneless, skinless chicken. I used chicken breasts, but you can also use thighs. You can use fresh or frozen chicken. If using frozen chicken, then thaw it to room temperature before using it in the recipe.
You will also need salt, ginger-garlic paste, rice vinegar, cornstarch (also known as cornflour), all-purpose flour (maida), and oil.
If rice vinegar is unavailable, you can substitute it with regular white vinegar.
I used canola oil, but for a more prominent Chinese flavor, you can use sesame oil.
To Make The Chili Garlic Sauce
Garlic is the star ingredient of this garlic chilli chicken recipe. Mince the garlic using a knife or a garlic press.
You will also need oil, ginger, red chilies, red chili paste, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, green bell peppers (also known as capsicum), onions, and spring onion greens.
I make my own red chili paste, but to save time, you can buy a jar.
I use Kikkoman soy sauce, but you can use any brand you prefer. If you prefer a stronger soy sauce flavor, consider purchasing a bottle of dark soy sauce from an Indian grocery store.
If red chilies are not easily available, use any other type of chili.
I used only green bell peppers, but you can add other vegetables, such as red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, baby corn, or snap peas.
How To Make Chilli And Garlic Chicken
Fry The Chicken
Step 1: Mix ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste, 1 pinch of baking soda, and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar in a medium mixing bowl.
Step 2: Rinse 1 lb (500 g) of boneless, skinless chicken (cut into ½-inch pieces) with water and drain as much water as possible. Pat the pieces with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. Add the pieces to the bowl with the ginger-garlic paste and mix well to coat with the marinade. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
Note: Do not cut the chicken into large pieces; otherwise, they will not cook properly.
Step 3: Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the bowl and mix well to coat the chicken with the dry mixture.
Step 4: Heat 2-3 cups of oil in a nonstick pan over high heat to fry the chicken pieces.
Deep-fry the chicken pieces in batches until they are golden brown, then set them aside. Before adding the chicken pieces to the hot oil, shake off all the excess dry flour from them.
Note – I fried this amount in three batches. Do not overload the chicken while frying; otherwise, it will not turn crispy.
Make The Sauce
Step 5: Mix 2 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 ½ cups of water and set this mixture aside.
Step 6: Now, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick wok over medium-high heat.
Step 7: When the oil is hot, add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons of finely chopped ginger, and 2-3 red chilies (slit in half) to the wok and sauté for 40-50 seconds or until the garlic is slightly browned.
Step 8: Add 1 green bell pepper (cut into 1-inch pieces) and 1 medium onion (cut into 1-inch pieces, with petals separated), and sauté for 1 minute.
Step 9: Now add the cornstarch slurry to the wok.
Step 10: Add 2 tablespoons of red chili paste, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 3 teaspoons of tomato ketchup. Cook until the sauce thickens, stirring continuously.
Step 11: Add fried chicken pieces to the wok and mix well.
Step 12: Check for salt and sauces, and add more if needed.
Step 13: Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and serve hot, accompanied by fried rice or steamed rice. You can also sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over this dish before serving.
Pro Tips By Neha
The proportion of ingredients makes a lot of difference in this spicy chicken recipe, so stick to the measurements mentioned in the recipe.
Gather all the ingredients before starting to make the recipe. When making Indo-Chinese food, it’s essential to add ingredients one by one; having them readily available ensures the dish turns out perfectly.
To vary the taste of the sauce, you can add a little fish sauce, oyster sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.
Chili Garlic Chicken FAQs
Yes! You can shallow fry, pan fry, or even air fry the chicken for a lighter version.
You can adjust the amount of red chilies and red chili paste in the recipe as per your taste. De-seed the red chilies to bring down the heat.
This dish tastes best when served right off the wok. However, if you have some leftovers, then you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan until nicely hot. The curry will thicken after refrigeration, so add some hot water to correct the consistency.
I don’t recommend freezing it. It contains cornstarch, which alters the texture once thawed.
Other Chinese Style Recipes We Recommend
Main Course
Chinese Hunan Chicken
Main Course
Chinese Style Mango Chicken Stir Fry
Global Desserts
Darsaan Recipe (Chinese Honey Noodles)
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Chili Garlic Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
To Fry The Chicken
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken (500 g, cut into ½-inch pieces)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (maida)
- 2-3 cups oil (for frying the chicken)
To Make The Sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
- 2-3 red chilies (slit into half)
- 1 green bell pepper (capsicum) (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 medium onion (cut into 1-inch pieces, petals separated)
- 2 tablespoons red chili paste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 teaspoons tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoons chopped spring onion greens
Instructions
Fry The Chicken
- Mix salt, ginger garlic paste, baking soda, and vinegar in a medium mixing bowl.
- Rinse the chicken with water and drain as much water as possible. Pat the pieces with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. Add the pieces to the bowl with the ginger-garlic paste and mix well to coat with the marinade. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
- Note – Do not cut the chicken into large pieces; otherwise, they will not cook properly when frying.
- Now add cornstarch and all-purpose flour to the bowl and mix well to coat the chicken with the dry mixture.
- Heat 2-3 cups of oil in a nonstick pan over high heat to fry the chicken pieces.
- Deep-fry the chicken pieces in batches until they are golden brown, then set them aside. Before adding the chicken pieces to the hot oil, shake off all the excess dry flour from them.
- Note – I fried this amount in 3 batches. Do not overload the chicken while frying; otherwise, it will not turn crispy.
Make The Sauce
- Mix cornflour in 2 and ½ cups of water and keep this mixture aside.
- Now heat oil in a nonstick wok.
- When the oil is hot, add garlic, ginger, and chilies to the wok and saute for 40-50 seconds or until the garlic is slightly browned.
- Add green bell pepper and onion, and saute for 1 minute.
- Now add the cornflour slurry to the wok.
- Add red chili paste, soy sauce, and tomato ketchup. Cook until the sauce thickens, stirring continuously.
- Add fried chicken pieces to the wok and mix well.
- Check for salt and sauces, and add more if needed.
- Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and serve hot with fried rice or steamed rice.
Can this recipe be frozen?
I don’t recommend it. It has cornstarch added to it which will change texture once thawed.
Hi Neha, I love your recipes. For this chilli garlic chicken can I swap chicken with paneer? Any changes in the recipe needed for paneer?
Thanks
Yes, you can do that. No changes needed.
Hi Neha,
Love your recipes. Can I swap chicken with paneer for this recipe? Anything I need to change in the steps for it?
Thanks
Hello! What kind or brand of red chili paste do you use? I am a little confused.
I used homemade paste. There is a recipe on the blog. But if not possible, you can use any red chilli paste. It’s available in Indian or Asian stores or even online.
I have always been a fan of chilly chicken, but didn’t know how to make it. I tried it today. It turned out fantastic. Thank you very much.
Very glad to hear this 🙂
What kind of red chilli paste do you use? Do you make your own? Recipe please or bottle brand of chilli paste. Thank you.
I have a homemade red chilli paste recipe on the blog. Do check it out. https://www.whiskaffair.com/red-chili-paste/