Description
This Bang Bang Chicken recipe features crispy fried chicken breasts coated in a flavorful batter and panko breadcrumbs, then drizzled with a creamy, spicy sauce combining mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, hot sauce, and honey. Perfect as a tasty appetizer or main dish, it delivers a delightful balance of crunchy texture and a sweet-spicy kick.
Ingredients
Scale
For Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce (I used Frank’s)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup buttermilk (use more if batter is too thick)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, hot sauce, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Add hot sauce, egg, and buttermilk, whisk until smooth to form the batter.
- Coat the chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the batter and toss until each piece is thoroughly coated. Set aside.
- Prepare breadcrumb coating: Pour Panko breadcrumbs into a separate bowl. Coat each battered chicken piece with breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Add more breadcrumbs as needed.
- Heat oil and fry chicken: Pour about ½ inch of vegetable oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high. When hot, add a few chicken pieces at a time, frying for about 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through and crispy. Avoid overcrowding. Transfer fried chicken to paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Serve: Drizzle the cooked chicken with the prepared Bang Bang sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
- Adjust the spice level of the Bang Bang sauce by varying the amount of hot sauce to taste or adding a pinch of garlic powder for extra flavor.
- You can substitute chicken breasts with thighs for a juicier texture; just increase the cooking time slightly.
- If Panko breadcrumbs are unavailable, regular breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes can be used though texture will be less crispy.
- Test oil temperature by dropping a small piece of batter into it; it should sizzle immediately for perfect frying crispiness.
- The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- Coated chicken pieces can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours before frying.
