Name: Spicy Crispy Chicken
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tsp ginger (fresh grated); 6 garlic cloves (finely minced); 1.5 tbsp hoisin sauce; 1 tbsp rice vinegar (sub white wine vinegar); 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce; 2 tsp sesame oil; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 3/4 cup chicken broth; 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite sized pieces); 2 tsp ginger (fresh grated); 4 garlic cloves (finely minced); 1 cup cornstarch; 1 – 2 cups oil for frying; Green onion (finely diced); Sesame seeds

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Spicy crispy chicken is one of my favorite dishes! Crispy chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce. This flavor packed dish is better than take out and soon to be one of your favorite dishes too!

spicy crispy chicken in bowls with rice on a wood board

Spicy Crispy Chicken Recipe

My homemade spicy cripsy chicken is better than take out! It is perfect for a weeknight dinner and it’s so easy to make you can have dinner on the table in only 30 minutes.

The chicken is tender and moist but crispy on the outside from the cornstarch coating. The sauce is sweet and spicy featuring lots of garlic and chili! This dish is a must try.

What is in Spicy Crispy Chicken?

ingredients to make spicy crispy chicken on a wood board

Crispy Chicken Ingredients

Chicken Thighs – for the most tender and moist crispy chicken, boneless skinless chicken thighs are best. The meat does not dry out after being fried and soaks up all the marinade flavors. However, if preferred you can use boneless skinless chicken breast.

Garlic and Ginger – two of my favorite aromatics are used to marinate the chicken thighs. A portion of the stir fry sauce is also added to t he chicken thighs to marinate them.

Corn Starch – the crispy coating of the chicken is simple corn starch. When fried the corn starch is light and crispy. A bonus is it is gluten free! Once the chicken is fried and combined with the sauce the coating also helps thicken the sauce leaving you with a perfectly glossy and thick sauce.

Sauce Ingredients

Chicken Broth – the base of the sauce is chicken broth which is elevated with plenty of classic Asian flavors. You can use homemade broth, store bought, or prepared Better than Bouillon or bouillon powder.

Soy Sauce – for this sauce I do prefer to use a low sodium soy sauce just so it does not over power the dish but any soy sauce works great, for a gluten free dish use gluten free soy sauce.

Hoisin Sauce – an Asian BBQ sauce with a deep rich umami flavor. If you cannot find hoisin sauce you can use your favorite dark BBQ sauce.

Brown Sugar – to create the sweet and savory flavor profile brown sugar is used. It adds a deeper molasses flavor than regular white sugar.

Chili Garlic Sauce – if you are familiar with Sriracha, chili garlic sauce is very similar. The main difference is the chili garlic sauce is not pureed and has garlic added in whereas sriracha is a smooth hot sauce without garlic. The two can be used interchangeably in this recipe but I love the texture and extra flavor the chili garlic sauce adds to this dish.

Rice Vinegar – commonly used in Asian stir fries this is also the vinegar used to season sushi rice. It has a different flavor profile from regular white vinegar. If you cannot find rice vinegar you can use white vinegar in place or apple cider vinegar.

Sesame Oil – this deep flavored oil is one of my favorite ways to finish off a stir fry. A little goes a long way so just a splash of sesame oil is added into the sauce but the flavor it adds is intense!

Garlic and Ginger – of course more garlic and ginger is added into the stir fry sauce!

How to make Spicy Crispy Chicken

Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of Page

Check out my short video tutorial here

1 Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stir until evenly combined and set aside.

2 Marinate the chicken with the garlic and ginger and 3 tablespoons of the sauce. Marinate 15-30 minutes.

3 In a deep bowl add the cornstarch. Add the chicken and toss until evenly coated.

4 In a large frying pan or deep pot, heat enough oil to shallow fry the chicken. You only need enough oil to come about 2”-3” inches up the sides of the pan so the chicken is submerged. Place a paper towel on a plate to drain the chicken once fried.

5 Shake off the excess cornstarch from the chicken pieces and fry in batches until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.

6 In another large frying pan (or use the same pan but remove oil and clean pan) bring the sauce to a simmer. Once simmering add in the fried chicken.

7 Toss the chicken in the sauce until evenly coated. The sauce will thicken as the chicken is added in.

Serve with a side of rice and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds!

Looking for More Easy Dinners?

Check out some of my favorite quick and easy dinner recipes:

Sticky Garlic Sesame Chicken Drumsticks – simple dinner with the perfect mix of sweet and savory
Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Vegetables Dinner – a quick and easy one pan meal, it is incredibly delicious and looks like a restaurant quality meal
Sheet Pan Teriyaki Salmon and Vegetables – tender salmon baked in sweet and tangy teriyaki sauce. Baked in a sheet pan with cauliflower, broccoli and red peppers for a quick dinner.

Enjoy!

– Sab

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission.