This Bang Bang Chicken recipe is perfect for those who enjoy a bit of heat and crave complex flavors. Whether you’re a fan of Chinese cuisine or looking to try something new, this recipe is a must-try dish that will tantalize your taste buds.
Crunchy Bang Bang Chicken
This chicken features a delicious, crunchy, fried exterior coated in a sweet, hot sauce. To achieve its signature crunch, you roll the chicken in cornstarch instead of flour. Additionally, soaking the chicken in buttermilk for a few minutes before rolling it in cornstarch tenderizes it, thereby enhancing the dish’s flavor. Therefore, be sure to eat the bang bang chicken right away to fully enjoy its crunchy coating and prevent the sauce from making it soft.
Ingredients for Bang Bang Chicken
This recipe uses a handful of ingredients.
- Chicken breast–Cut into bite-size pieces.
- Buttermilk–Tenderizes the chicken.
- Cornstarch–Gives the chicken a crunchy taste.
- Cayenne pepper–Adds heat to the chicken.
- Salt and pepper–Seasons the chicken.
- Scallion–Adds extra flavor and crunch to the chicken.
- Mayonnaise– The main ingredient in the sauce.
- Sweet chili sauce–Adds a sweetness to the sauce.
- Sriracha hot chili sauce–Adds a hot kick to the sauce.
Add Scallion to Bang Bang Chicken
Chopped scallions, also known as green or spring onions, add a tasty crunch to this dish. Although scallions are considered a garnish, they add a fresh taste to the crunchy chicken and spicy sauce.
Spicy Sauce
The sauce for this bang bang recipe is mayonnaise based. It has a balance of sweet chili sauce and sriracha. Toss the crispy fried chicken in it and eat right away for the best taste.
Use Cornstarch for Bang Bang Chicken
This recipe uses only cornstarch to “bread” the chicken. The main advantage of cornstarch is that it makes the chicken extra crunchy, which helps prevent it from becoming soggy too quickly after it is tossed with the chili sauce. Additionally, using cornstarch instead of flour adds no wheat to this dish, making it naturally gluten-free.
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Bang Bang Chicken
Ingredients
Ingredients for Soaking Chicken
- 1 cup buttermilk (enough to cover cut-up chicken)
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, skin off, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Ingredients for Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (Maggi brand used in this recipe)
- 2 teaspoons sriracha hot chili sauce (Huy Fong Foods used in this recipe)
Ingredients for Cooking Chicken
- 1 cup cornstarch (add more cornstarch if necessary to thoroughly coat chicken)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- cooking oil with high smoke point (such as canola, vegetable, or peanut oil)
- 1 scallion, sliced (green onion)
Instructions
Directions for Soaking Chicken
- Soak chicken in buttermilk for 20 minutes.
Directions for Sauce
- Mix the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha hot chili sauce until well mixed. Set aside.
Directions for Cooking Chicken
- Add cornstarch, red pepper, salt, and pepper to a wide, shallow bowl. Stir to mix.
- Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dredge it in the cornstarch mix. Shake off the excess mix.
- Pour 1 to 2 inches of cooking oil in a pan. Heat to 350 degrees F. Drop in chicken and fry until golden brown, about a minute or 2 on each side or until chicken is 165 degrees inside.
- When all of the chicken is cooked, drizzle the sauce over it. and toss to coat the chicken. Sprinkle with sliced scallions. Serve immediately.