Chili Garlic Chicken Recipe (Indo-Chinese Style)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Shake off excess dry flour from the chicken pieces, then add them to the hot oil. Deep-fry the chicken pieces in batches until golden brown and then set them aside.

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 finely chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons 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 red chili paste, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon 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 add more if necessary. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and toasted sesame seeds (optional). Serve hot.

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 also use paneer 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 in other veggies like red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, baby corn, or snap peas 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 10-12 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.
• Less spicy – Reduce the amount of red chilies and red chili paste to taste.

Storage Suggestions

This dish is best enjoyed right out of the wok. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat well in a pan. Add a little hot water to adjust the consistency.

I wouldn’t recommend freezing it. It contains cornstarch, which changes texture when thawed.