Chili Garlic Chicken Recipe (Indo-Chinese Style)
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Chili garlic chicken is a bold, spicy Indo-Chinese dish where crispy chicken pieces are tossed in a glossy garlic-chili sauce. This is usually served as a starter in Indian restaurants or as a side dish with veg fried rice, Schezwan fried rice, or chicken Hakka noodles. Make it at home with my easy recipe.
Quick Look: Indo-Chinese Chili Garlic Chicken
Marination Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 people
Calories: Approx. 300 per serving
Dietary Info: Non-vegetarian
Skill Level: Medium
Tools Needed: A nonstick deep pan or kadai for frying, a wok for stir-frying, and a bowl.
★★★★★
“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
Table of Contents
Indo-Chinese cuisine definitely comes to mind when I think about my favorite cuisine. And I really think the best Indo-Chinese food is homemade. I have mastered a few recipes like veg hakka noodles and chicken hakka noodles, and they never fail me.
This chili garlic chicken recipe is a curry house favorite. It took me at least 4-5 trials to perfect it, but now I’ve got it down, and it is a staple in our home.
Is chili garlic chicken the same as chili chicken?
No. Chili garlic chicken is not chili chicken.
Classic chili chicken is prepared with a soy-based sauce with green chilies and onion. Chili garlic chicken, in contrast, uses red chili paste for heat and is heavy on the garlic, resulting in a more robust, pungent flavor. Both are dry-style Indo-Chinese dishes.
Ingredients
For the full recipe directions and ingredient amounts, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.
To Fry The Chicken
- Chicken – You’ll 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, thaw it to room temperature before adding it to the recipe.
- Rice vinegar – If you don’t have rice vinegar, use regular white vinegar.
- Oil – I used canola oil, but for a more pronounced Chinese flavor, you can use sesame oil.
- Cornstarch (also called Cornflour) & All-Purpose Flour (Maida) – These make a crispy coating on the chicken pieces.
- Others – You will also need baking soda, salt, and ginger-garlic paste. Baking soda helps to tenderize the chicken.
To Make The Chili Garlic Sauce
- Garlic is the star ingredient of this garlic chili chicken recipe. Mince the garlic using a knife or a garlic press.
- Red chili paste – I make my own red chili paste, but to save time, you can buy a jar.
- Soy sauce – Kikkoman is good, but any brand will do. If you want a stronger soy sauce flavor, get a bottle of dark soy sauce from an Indian grocery store.
- Red chilies – If you do not have red chilies, you can use any other type of chili.
- Others – You will also need oil, ginger, tomato ketchup, green bell peppers (also capsicum), onions, and spring onion greens. I only used green bell peppers, but you could add in other veg like red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, baby corn, or snap peas.
- Optional Garnish – Toasted sesame seeds add a nice crunch and visual appeal.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Making Chili Garlic Chicken
I have made this recipe multiple times now, and from each cooking experience, I have found common mistakes to avoid. Do read this section before cooking this recipe.
| Mistake | Why it’s a problem | How to avoid it |
| Using incorrect proportions of ingredients | Flavor becomes too salty, too spicy, or unbalanced | Stick to the exact measurements given in the recipe for the best results |
| Not gathering ingredients before starting (mise en place) | Indo-Chinese cooking happens very fast on high heat, because of which garlic may burn, sauces overcook, or the dish tastes uneven | Measure and keep all ingredients ready before turning on the stove |
| Not drying the chicken | Moisture prevents crisp coating and makes chicken soggy | Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels before coating with cornstarch |
| Using too much cornstarch to coat the chicken | The thick coating makes it heavy like pakoras | Use a light coating of cornstarch + flour |
How To Make Chili Garlic Chicken
Coat The Chicken
Step 1: In a medium bowl, add ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 pinch of baking soda, and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar.
Step 2: Rinse 500 g (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken (cut into ½-inch pieces) in a strainer under water. Pour off as much water as you can. Pat the pieces dry with paper towels to remove as much water as possible. Add the pieces to the bowl with the ginger-garlic paste and mix well to coat the pieces in the marinade. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Do not cut the chicken into large pieces; it will not cook properly.
Step 3: Add 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour to the bowl.
Step 4: Mix well to coat the chicken with the dry mixture.
Fry The Chicken
Step 5: Heat 2 cups of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat (350°F/180 °C).
If the oil is not hot enough, the chicken will absorb oil and become greasy; if it is too hot, the outside will burn while the inside remains raw.
Deep-fry the chicken pieces in batches until golden brown and then set them aside. Shake off excess dry flour from the chicken pieces before adding them to the hot oil.
I fried this quantity in three batches. Be careful not to overfill the pan when frying chicken; otherwise, the oil temperature will drop, and the chicken won’t get crispy.
Make The Sauce
Step 6: Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 ½ cups of water in a separate bowl.
Step 7: Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick wok over medium-high heat.
Step 8: Once 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 turns slightly brown.
Step 9: 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 10: Pour the cornstarch slurry into the wok.
Step 11: Add 2 tablespoons of red chili paste, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens.
Step 12: Add the fried chicken pieces to the wok and toss to coat well with the sauce.
Step 13: Taste for salt and sauce, and add more if necessary. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens. Serve hot. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top just before serving.
Serve immediately after tossing the chicken in sauce, within 5 minutes. The crust softens as it ages.
Variations
- Make it vegetarian – Swap the chicken for pressed, cubed firm tofu. Fry until golden all around, then add the sauce and toss. You can go for paneer also here.
- Gluten-Free – Use rice flour instead of all-purpose flour and tamari instead of soy sauce. Rice flour crisps up even better.
- With vegetables – Add thinly sliced bell peppers, baby corn, or broccolini after the garlic. Add in the sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- No Deep Frying – For a lighter version of the chicken, you can shallow-fry, pan-fry, or air-fry it. Air-fry the chicken at 380°F (190 °C) for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy, then toss with the sauce.
- Dry Version – Use 1 tablespoon cornstarch instead of 2 tablespoons, and dissolve it in 1 cup of water instead of the 2 ½ cups in the regular recipe. Leave the rest of the recipe as it is.
Chili Garlic Chicken FAQs
You can reduce the amount of red chilies and red chili paste in the recipe as per your taste.
This dish is best enjoyed right out of the wok. If you do have leftovers, though, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat well in a pan. Refrigerate, and the sauce will thicken; add a little hot water to adjust the consistency.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing it. It contains cornstarch, which changes texture when thawed.
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Chili Garlic Chicken Recipe (Indo-Chinese Style)
Ingredients
To Fry The Chicken
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 500 grams boneless skinless chicken (cut into ½-inch pieces)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (maida)
- 2 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
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoons chopped spring onion greens
Instructions
Coat 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.
- Now add cornstarch and all-purpose flour to the bowl and mix well to coat the chicken with the dry mixture.
Fry The Chicken
- Heat 2 cups of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 180°C (350°F).
- 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.
Make The Sauce
- Mix cornstarch 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 cornstarch 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 to coat with the sauce.
- Check for salt and sauces, and add more if needed.
- Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and serve hot.
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 🙂