Thai-Style Fried Chicken
By Alli BerkeyPublished on March 28, 2019
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
3 ½ tablespoons fish sauce, divided3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, divided7 garlic cloves, minced, divided2 ½ teaspoons white pepper, divided1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes, divided2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips5 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce, plus extra for serving2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 cup white rice flour 1 cup cornstarch 1 cup water 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil, for frying2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Before You Begin
Boneless chicken breasts can be substituted for the chicken thighs; halve the breasts horizontally before slicing them crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more for this recipe. We developed this recipe using Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour.
Instructions
- Combine 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 6 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons white pepper, and 1 teaspoon pepper flakes in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Add chicken to marinade, seal bag, and turn to distribute marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, combine chili sauce, vinegar, remaining 1½ tablespoons fish sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce, remaining 1 garlic clove, remaining ½ teaspoon white pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper flakes in large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, water, and baking powder in second large bowl until smooth. Add chicken and marinade to batter and stir to coat.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.
- Working with one-third of chicken, 1 piece at a time, remove from batter, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, and add to hot oil. Cook until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring gently as needed to prevent pieces from sticking together. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer chicken to prepared rack. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken in 2 batches.
- Add fried chicken, cilantro, and basil to bowl with reserved chili sauce mixture and toss to combine. Transfer chicken to serving platter. Serve with extra chili sauce.
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
3 ½ tablespoons fish sauce, divided
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, divided
7 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 ½ teaspoons white pepper, divided
1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes, divided
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips
5 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
3 ½ tablespoons fish sauce, divided
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, divided
7 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 ½ teaspoons white pepper, divided
1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes, divided
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips
5 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
3 ½ tablespoons fish sauce, divided
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, divided
7 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 ½ teaspoons white pepper, divided
1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes, divided
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips
5 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For fried chicken with a light and crispy coating, we used a combination of rice flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. To that we added soy sauce, garlic, fish sauce, and sweet chili sauce to create a flavorful tempura-like batter. We fried the chicken until it was golden and then tossed it with fresh herbs and a sauce echoing the flavors of the batter for a fresh, potent flavor punch.
Before You Begin
Boneless chicken breasts can be substituted for the chicken thighs; halve the breasts horizontally before slicing them crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more for this recipe. We developed this recipe using Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour.
Instructions
- Combine 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 6 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons white pepper, and 1 teaspoon pepper flakes in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Add chicken to marinade, seal bag, and turn to distribute marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, combine chili sauce, vinegar, remaining 1½ tablespoons fish sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce, remaining 1 garlic clove, remaining ½ teaspoon white pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper flakes in large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, water, and baking powder in second large bowl until smooth. Add chicken and marinade to batter and stir to coat.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.
- Working with one-third of chicken, 1 piece at a time, remove from batter, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, and add to hot oil. Cook until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring gently as needed to prevent pieces from sticking together. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer chicken to prepared rack. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken in 2 batches.
- Add fried chicken, cilantro, and basil to bowl with reserved chili sauce mixture and toss to combine. Transfer chicken to serving platter. Serve with extra chili sauce.
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