Name: Salt and Pepper Crispy Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 400 g / 14 oz Chicken Thighs, cut in bite sizes; 1 cup Cornstarch; 1 tsp Baking Powder; 1 Onion, medium, diced; 2 Red Thai Chili, chopped; 2 Green Onions, sliced; 3 large Garlic Cloves, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil; Oil for frying; 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce; 1 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine; 1 tbsp Garlic, grated; 1 tbsp Sichuan Peppercorns; 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns; 1 tbsp Sea Salt

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Salt and Pepper Crispy Chicken has wonderfully crispy texture and amazing flavor. The Chicken is crispy outside and juicy inside. And the recipe is simple and easy to make.

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Salt and Pepper Crispy Chicken is such a classic Chinese dish. My parents used to make this a lot at home when I was a child. Even today, I miss their version of the dish. Salt and Pepper is the perfect seasoning combo that I have used in many of my recipes. The flavor and the aroma opens up your appetite, lingering around your tongue. Moreover, the Chicken tastes crispy outside and juicy inside. Every bite is sensational. And trust me, the recipe is so simple and easy to make.

As mentioned, I have several recipes that are made with Salt and Pepper. If you are vegetarian, you can try out my Salt and Pepper Crispy Tofu. If you love Shrimp, you have to try this Salt and Pepper Crispy Shrimp. For a fried rice version, my Salt and Pepper Shrimp Fried Rice is another level of yumminess.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Tastes simply scrumptious – The taste of the Salt and Pepper Chicken is simply divine! You will fall in love with the first bite. It’s hard to resist!

Simple and Easy to make – Who doesn’t like a recipe that is simple and easy to make and taste so delicious? This is a winner.

Great snacks to enjoy – You can enjoy the Salt and Pepper Chicken as snacks. Why not match this with a glass of cold beer?

Family favorite – This can easily become one of your family favroties. Make this today!

SALT AND PEPPER MIX

For the Salt and Pepper mix, I use both Sichuan Peppercorns and Black Peppercorns for the best possible aroma and taste. For the Salt, you should always use Sea Salt and not regular salt. If you can, I recommend to make the Salt and Pepper mix from scratch instead of buying it from the store. It is really quick and easy to make at home. You will be so glad if you have tried it yourself.

INGREDIENTS

MARINADE

Chinese Cooking Wine – This is also commonly used in marinating meat in Asian cooking.

Light Soy Sauce – This is normally used in marinade as well, which helps enhances the flavor.

Garlic – This adds a great garlicky flavor to the chicken.

SALT AND PEPPER MIX

Sichuan Peppercorns – This is known for its numbing sensation. You can buy Sichuan Peppercorns in your local Asian grocery stores.

Black Peppercorns – This is commonly used in our daily cooking.

Sea Salt – I love SeaSalt flakes. You can also use other kind.

OTHER INGREDIENTS

Chicken thighs – I love the juicy chicken thighs for this recipe. You can also use chicken breast.

Cornstarch – We use this to coat the chicken. Cornstarch is widely used in Asian cooking. It is also called corn flour.

Baking Powder – This helps the Chicken to be crispier during frying.

Onion – The onion has a special flavor that transcend the whole dish.

Red Thai Chilies – It adds a nice red color and a spicy tang to the dish.

Green Onions – or called Spring Onions. I like to use this for garnishing at the end. It adds beautiful green color and it is rich in healthy nutrients.

Garlic – Garlic always adds a magic garlicky flavor.

Vegetable Oil – I love using this for frying. I normally use Rapeseed Oil. Do not use Olive Oil.

HOW TO MAKE THIS SALT AND PEPPER CRISPY CHICKEN

1. Marinate the Chicken – In a large mixing bowl, mix together Chicken, Light Soy Sauce, Chinese Cooking Wine, and Garlic. Set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes.

2. Prepare the Salt and Pepper mix – In a frying pan, toast Sichuan Peppercorns and Black Peppercorns on medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Then use a mortar and pestle to grind into fine powder. Transfer to a bowl. Add in Sea Salt (not regular salt). Mix well. Salt and Pepper mix is ready.

3. Coat the Chicken – In another large bowl, add in Cornstarch and Baking Powder. Mix well. Add in the Chicken and marinade. Use your hands to mix well the Chicken pieces and Cornstarch. Shake off extra starch.

4. Fry the Chicken – In a wok, on high heat, add in enough oil for the Chicken to float. Use a wooden chopstick to check the temperature of the oil. When there are small bubbles coming up quickly, the oil is ready. Add the Chicken pieces into the hot oil one at a time. Fry in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel or a wire rack.

5. Cook the Vegetables – In a clean wok, add in 2 tbsp of Vegetable Oil on medium-high heat. Add in Garlic and stir fry about 15 seconds until fragrant. Then add in the Onions. Stir for about 2 minutes until the Onions are a bit softened. Add in the Red Thai Chilies and Green Onions. Keep stirring. Then add in about 1 tsp of Salt and Pepper mix. Stir well.

6. Assemble the dish – Add in all the fried Chicken pieces. Combine well. Add in more Salt and Pepper mix. Give it a taste to adjust to your preference.

7. Ready to serve – Transfer to serving plate. Garnish with extra Green Onions and Salt and Pepper mix. Ready to serve!

Haini’s Tips

1. Do not use regular Salt when making the Salt and Pepper Mix. Always use Sea Salt.
2. It is important to fry the Chicken in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan.
3. Take a close look at the Chicken when frying, especially when the color changes. You don’t want to burn them so much.
4. You can also use Chicken breast for this recipe. But I highly recommend to use the dark meat part of the Chicken, such as legs and thighs.

I hope you will enjoy making this Salt and Pepper Crispy Chicken recipe. This is perfect for a weeknight meal or a fancy weekend dinner. You can enjoy this as main course or snacks. Add this to your weekly or monthly to-do recipes. I believe you will want to make it again and again once given it a try.

If you love cooking and have your own carefully crafted recipes, I have a small suggestion to make your cooking process more interesting. You can try to present the key steps of making food with stickers. GSJJ is a good choice for custom stickers. When you include this salt and pepper crispy chicken in your to-do recipes, you can use colorful and interesting custom stickers to present some steps. These small stickers are a good way to enhance your cooking experience.

MORE SCRUMPTIOUS FRIED CHICKEN RECIPES:

The Best Chinese Pepper Chicken

Chinese Crispy Honey Lemon Chicken

Sweet and Spicy Korean Fried Chicken

Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken

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