Chili Garlic Chicken Recipe (Indo-Chinese Style)

Chili garlic chicken is a bold, spicy Indo-Chinese chicken recipe featuring crispy chicken tossed in a glossy garlic-chili sauce. This dish is commonly served in Indian restaurants as a starter or paired with veg fried rice, Schezwan fried rice, or chicken Hakka noodles. Make it at home using my easy recipe.

Indo-Chinese cuisine definitely comes to mind when I think about my favorite cuisine. And I strongly believe that 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 favorite, 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 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: 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 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, then mix well to coat them in the marinade. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of 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 (180°C, 350°F) 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.

Make The Sauce

Step 6: Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 ½ cups of water, then set the mixture aside.

Step 7: Now, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick wok over medium-high heat.

Step 8: 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 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: Now add the cornstarch slurry to the wok.

Step 11: Add 2 tablespoons of red chili paste, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup. Cook until the sauce thickens, stirring continuously.

Step 12: Add fried chicken pieces to the wok and mix well to coat with the sauce.

Step 13: Taste and adjust: Check for salt and sauces, and add more if needed. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and serve hot. You can also sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over this dish before serving.

Variations

• Make it vegetarian – Swap chicken for firm tofu, pressed and cubed. Fry until golden on all sides, then toss with the sauce. Paneer also works beautifully here.
• Gluten-Free – Use tamari instead of soy sauce and replace all-purpose flour with rice flour. The coating crisps up even better with rice flour.
• With vegetables – Toss in thinly sliced bell peppers, baby corn, or broccolini after the garlic step. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the sauce.
• Without Deep Frying – You can shallow-fry, pan-fry, or air-fry the chicken for a lighter version. Air-fry the chicken at 380°F (190°C) for 15-20 minutes or until crisp, then toss in the sauce.
• Dry Version – Use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch instead of 2 tbsp, and dissolve it in 1 cup of water rather than the 2 ½ cups used in the regular recipe. Keep the rest of the recipe the same.