Taiwanese-Style Fried Chicken
Crispy, craggy fried chicken tossed lightly in a chili-crisp glaze and finished with fragrant fried basil.
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Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb Boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces
- 3/4 tsp Salt kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp White pepper
- 1/2 tsp Five spice
- 1 large Egg
- 1/2 cup Corn starch or sweet potato starch
For Frying
- Neutral Oil enough for shallow frying
Fried Basil
- Thai basil leaves, washed and completely dried
Light Glaze
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chili crisp including some oil and solids
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp Honey
- 1 tsp Rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup Water
For Serving
- Rice cooked
- White pepper extra, optional
- Sliced scallions optional
Instructions
Season the Chicken
- Season the chicken evenly with kosher salt, white pepper, and five-spice powder.
Fry the Chicken
- Add the egg to the chicken and mix until evenly coated.
- Add the cornstarch and mix until the coating is shaggy and dry-looking.
- Add neutral oil to a skillet to a shallow-fry depth and heat to about 350°F over medium-high heat.
- Fry the chicken in batches until deeply golden, craggy, and crisp.
- Transfer immediately to a wire rack to drain.
Fry the Basil
- Carefully add the basil leaves to the hot oil and fry for 10–15 seconds until bright green and crisp.
- Remove immediately to the rack.
Prepare the Glaze and Finish the Chicken
- Drain the pan, then combine chili crisp, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and water.
- Simmer briefly until lightly syrupy and cohesive, then remove from heat.
- Toss the fried chicken lightly in the glaze until just coated.
- Fold in the fried basil at the very end.
Serve
- Spoon the chicken over hot rice.
- Finish with extra white pepper, sliced scallions, and chili crisp if desired.
Notes
- Sweet potato starch creates a lighter, crisper crust than flour or breadcrumbs.
- Frying basil separately preserves its aroma and prevents bitterness.
- Tossing the chicken in glaze off heat keeps the crust crisp rather than soggy.