Chili Garlic Chicken Recipe (Indo-Chinese Style)

Chilli Garlic Chicken is a bold, spicy Indo-Chinese chicken recipe made with crispy chicken tossed in a glossy garlic-chilli sauce. This homemade version tastes just like your favorite restaurant dish, uses simple pantry ingredients, and comes together in under 30 minutes of active cooking time.

This dish is commonly served in Indian restaurants as a starter or paired with veg fried rice, Schezwan fried rice, or chicken Hakka noodles.

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, the chili garlic chicken recipe, took me at least 4-5 trials to master, but now that I have, it is a staple in our home. I am sharing my recipe, which you must try because it is too good.

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 the common mistakes you can make. 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
Frying in oil that’s too cold	Chicken absorbs oil and becomes greasy	Fry at 170–180°C (medium-high heat)
Frying in oil that’s too hot	Outside burns, inside remains undercooked	Maintain steady medium-high heat
Overcrowding the pan	Oil temperature drops, chicken becomes soggy	Fry chicken in small batches
Cooking chicken too long in the sauce	Chicken loses crispness and becomes soggy	Add fried chicken at the end and toss briefly (30–60 seconds)

How To Make Chilli And Garlic Chicken

Coat 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.

Fry The Chicken

Step 4: Heat 2-3 cups of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-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 any excess dry flour.

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 with 2 ½ cups of water, then set the 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.