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You are here: Home / Chicken Recipes / Chilli Chicken Recipe, How to Make Chilli Chicken

Chilli Chicken Recipe, How to Make Chilli Chicken

May 17, 2016 78 Comments

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken

Dry chilli chicken, easily the most popular Indian-Chinese chicken recipe for the meat lovers. It’s spicy (it’s called chilli chicken after all), it’s got a crunch from the flour coating over the chicken and the capsicum, and it’s really quite delicious. When TH asks what’s the one thing I’d say he’s missing being a vegetarian, my answer is usually a very confident “chilli chicken for sure”.

So yes, we all know it and love it but how do we make chilli chicken at home? If you’ve attempted to make any manchurian or Indian Chinese dishes at home, you’ve probably felt it’s not the same as what we get in the restaurants. The key reason for this is that they deep fry things without worrying about health or calories and we would probably hesitate. At least, that’s my theory. So this chilli chicken recipe is as close to how a restaurant would make it but I haven’t added any MSG which they are sure to add in chilli chicken. I also haven’t used any food colour because I really don’t think that’s necessary.

Looking for a vegetarian alternative? Check out my super easy gobi manchurian recipe.

Chilli chicken pairs really well with:
Mushroom fried rice
Egg fried rice
Chicken fried rice
Vegetarian fried rice
Vegetable noodles
Broccoli and mushroom fried rice

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken

The key in making a good chilli chicken is in the seasoning of the flour batter in which the chicken is fried. That can really make or break your dish to a large extend. I recommend experimenting a bit because it’s nearly impossible to get the exact same result even if you closely follow my recipe. Your corn flour is going to be a different brand, ground differently, the weather is not the same and you most definitely won’t be able to get the same consistency as I did for the batter. I know, sounds like a lot of bad news. But fear not, I am yet to make an inedible chilli chicken. No matter how it turns out, you can ‘fix’ it or just eat it anyway.

4.4 from 8 reviews
CHILLI CHICKEN RECIPE INDIAN-STYLE
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
40 mins
 
Chilli chicken is a popular Indian-Chinese appetiser that goes fabulous as a side dish to fried rice or noodles too
Author: nags
Recipe type: Chicken
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 250 grams of boneless chicken pieces, cubed
For batter:
  • ½ cup of plain flour (maida)
  • ¼ cup of cornflour or cornstarch
  • 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
  • ¼ tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 tsp of soya sauce
  • ½ tsp of black pepper powder
For stir-frying:
  • 1 tbsp of oil
  • 1 cup of cubed onions
  • ½ cup of cubed capsicum (bell pepper)
  • 2-3 green chillies, slit
  • 1 tsp of crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp of grated ginger
  • 1 tsp of tomato ketchup
  • 1 tsp of vinegar or lime juice
  • 2 tbsp of minced spring onions or coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
  1. Clean and cut the chicken pieces into bite-sized cubes
  2. Prepare the rest of the ingredients and keep it ready
  3. Mix all the ingredients for the batter and add enough water to make a thick batter (similar to bajji batter)
  4. Add the chicken pieces to this
  5. Heat oil for deep frying
  6. When the oil is smoking hot, add the chicken pieces thoroughly coated in the batter
  7. Fry on medium heat until golden brown
  8. Drain and set aside
  9. Proceed with the next batch until all the chicken is fried
  10. Drain and set aside
  11. Heat oil and add the onions, ginger, garlic, and green chillies
  12. Saute until the onions turn transparent and soft
  13. Then add the soya sauce, vinegar or lemon juice, and tomato ketchup
  14. Saute for 2 more minutes
  15. Then add the fried chicken pieces and capsicum
  16. Sprinkle some water and cover the pan
  17. Cook on very low heat for 4-5 mins or until the ingredients come together nicely
  18. Uncover, give everything a good mix, check for salt and add more if needed, and remove from heat
  19. Garnish with spring onions or coriander leaves
  20. Serve hot as an appetizer or side dish with fried rice or noodles
Notes
Instead of green chillies, you can add green chilli sauce
The vinegar or lemon juice is optional but I usually add some for the tang it gives
You can use capsicum in any colour
You can also follow the same recipe with small pieces of chicken with bone
The batter ingredients are very customisable. You can opt to add pepper in the final stage rather than into the batter, for example
3.5.3208

Step by Step Pictures for Making Chilli Chicken

Mix all the ingredients for the batter

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken

and add enough water to make a thick batter, similar to bajji batter

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken-2

Add cleaned and cut chicken pieces

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken-3

Stir well to combine

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken-4

Heat oil for deep frying and when it’s almost smoking hot, add the chicken pieces one at a time, well coated with the batter

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken-6

Fry on medium heat until golden brown. Drain and set aside

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken-7

Heat oil and add the onions, ginger, garlic, and green chillies
Saute until the onions turn transparent and soft

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken-8

Then add the soya sauce, vinegar or lemon juice, and tomato ketchup and saute for 2 more minutes

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken-9

Now add the fried chicken pieces and capsicum.

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken-10

Mix well, sprinkle some water, and cook cover for 4-5 minutes on very low heat. Stir in between if you feel the bottom of the pan is beginning to bury but do not add any more water

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken-12

Once done, uncover and adjust salt. Then garnish with chopped spring onions or coriander leaves.

dry indian chilli chicken, how to make chilli chicken-11

That’s it! Your dry chilli chicken is now ready to serve. Serve hot as an appetiser or with fried rice or noodles as a side dish with chicken.

If you make chilli chicken following my easy step by step recipe, do drop me a comment below.

For chilli chicken recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Urdu, Malay etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar

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By nags Filed Under: Chicken Recipes, Indo-Chinese Recipes, Indo-Chinese Side Dishes

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Comments

  1. Jayant

    April 24, 2017 at 1:38 pm

    Hi,
    Will be trying out the recipe very soon. Have a couple of questions though. Would using wholewheat atta instead of maida make a substantial difference? And can one shallow fry the chicken instead of deep fry? Appreciate your reply.
    Thanks
    Jayant

    Reply
    • nags

      June 9, 2017 at 9:08 pm

      atta can be used and you can certainly shallow fry

      Reply
  2. Sourav Chowdhury

    January 24, 2017 at 4:51 pm

    Thank You.I am very helpful for this recipe….many many thanks.

    Reply
    • nags

      February 7, 2017 at 7:37 pm

      you’re welcome!

      Reply
  3. Sudeepa Nair

    January 21, 2017 at 7:09 pm

    Nice recipes I will try, thank you

    Reply
  4. Sridhar

    December 26, 2016 at 3:34 pm

    Amazing .thank u

    Reply
  5. Nishant

    May 25, 2016 at 11:21 am

    Tried the recipe….very quick to make and tastes amazing. Thanks!

    Reply
    • nags

      May 26, 2016 at 1:00 pm

      Thank you Nishant, glad you liked the chilli chicken recipe

      Reply
  6. Mystica

    May 18, 2016 at 3:48 pm

    Made this for lunch today with rice, potatoes white curry and tempered long beans. Enjoyed by all. Nothing remaining!

    Reply
    • nags

      May 20, 2016 at 2:06 pm

      lovely to hear. thank you!

      Reply
  7. Naziya

    May 11, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    Nice recepie

    Reply
  8. Purnima

    May 5, 2016 at 10:25 am

    I m yet to try this… However one question… Doesn’t the chicken harden after Frying? I have tried different methods and it never comes out like the restaurant one… It turns hard chewy and the fried batter taste kills it all…

    Reply
  9. vineela

    April 21, 2016 at 11:30 pm

    Amazing steps….
    I’d made it very easily

    Reply
  10. NIDA SHAFQAT

    April 20, 2016 at 11:24 am

    your dish is really looking awesum.in taste i tried it later

    Reply
  11. Anisha zaheen

    April 7, 2016 at 10:10 pm

    I tried this recipe and it came out really good and testy. Thanks for sharing the recipe

    Reply
    • nags

      April 10, 2016 at 2:11 pm

      thank you anisha!

      Reply
  12. twinkle

    March 29, 2016 at 1:32 pm

    recipe is nice…thanks

    Reply
  13. Dr.shailashri

    March 16, 2016 at 12:47 am

    Thanks for the recipe. Prepared it for first time n got good compliments from hubby .will prepare again keep posting some more recipe

    Reply
    • nags

      March 16, 2016 at 8:06 am

      Thank you Dr! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Aarti

    March 6, 2016 at 9:14 pm

    Very well explained…
    I tried dis recipe., it turned out amazing… Thanks fr sharing..

    Reply
    • nags

      March 16, 2016 at 9:00 am

      thanks aarti, glad you like it

      Reply
  15. idayathshariff

    February 22, 2016 at 3:35 pm

    super

    Reply
  16. Marina

    January 20, 2016 at 1:33 pm

    Hi nags, I did try this recepi . just relished it. my son just loved it . I hv bookmarked this recipe. Thanks fr sharing
    Rgds
    Marina

    Reply
    • nags

      January 21, 2016 at 9:20 am

      thank you marina!

      Reply
  17. Meenu

    January 16, 2016 at 2:23 pm

    I made this at home last week and my hubby just loved it! I am going to make this again soon! 🙂 Instead of ketchup i added fresh tomato puree and that added more gravy to it. I did this because I served it with rice 🙂 Thanks Nags!

    Reply
    • nags

      January 16, 2016 at 5:44 pm

      Thank you Meenu! 🙂

      Reply
      • Balaram Patra 7873780997

        November 23, 2016 at 12:34 am

        chilli chicken very testy and drink

        Reply
  18. Anonymous

    March 17, 2013 at 9:11 am

    I tried this today and it was the best chicken dish I have prepared till date. It was so soft and yummy. Thanks to you. 🙂

    But, what I prepared didn't look like the picture. It didn't have any red color at all. I followed exactly as per your recipe. Did I miss anything?

    Reply
    • Nagalakshmi V

      March 18, 2013 at 2:34 am

      i added kashmiri chilli powder to this version. also, i think it's an issue with the lighting since i took this picture under artificial lights.

      Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 18, 2013 at 9:26 am

      Oh ok. Never mind the color. The dish was simply awesome!!
      Thanks so much 🙂 Your recipes are inspiring me to cook more and more!!

      Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 18, 2013 at 9:28 am

      But u haven't mentioned chilli powder in the recipe.

      Reply
    • Nagalakshmi V

      March 19, 2013 at 1:58 am

      sorry about that! will add a note to the recipe.

      Reply
  19. Anonymous

    January 17, 2013 at 12:16 pm

    i am making it for the second time. it is super hit in my family. thanx
    nikhat

    Reply
  20. Jen Das

    January 15, 2013 at 11:58 pm

    Hi there,
    I have had a lot of chilli chicken in the past but had never tried it at home. I used your recipe as a jumping off point but something made me add a little tomato sauce and a little sugar (maybe the Beng in my household?). I don't know why I had that inspiration, but it came out nicely. Thanks for helping me get a handle on a family favorite.

    Reply
  21. Anonymous

    December 31, 2012 at 8:01 pm

    The dish feel light and easy to prepare. If my understanding is right this is a dry dish. Let me know if there is a way..we can prepare a gravy format of the same..Thanks in advance

    Reply
    • Nagalakshmi V

      January 1, 2013 at 2:45 am

      Yes, you can make a gravy with some roasted garlic, soya sauce, chilli sauce, ketchup and cornflour mixed in water.

      Reply
  22. Sinu Susan Cherian

    December 30, 2012 at 2:09 am

    Tried this today and came out very well. Excellent recipe.
    Thanks Naga !

    Reply
  23. Chodon Bairagi

    November 26, 2012 at 8:46 am

    I will certainly try this recipie. thank you.

    Reply
  24. mary Ryan

    November 3, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    How about a little tomato sauce

    Reply
    • Nagalakshmi V

      November 4, 2012 at 1:23 am

      sure why not

      Reply
  25. Anonymous

    October 10, 2012 at 2:25 pm

    It was my first try with chilli chicken recipe last saturday, and it really turned out amazing. Went very well with the red wine that our guests brought. I could make this in very less oil,this was the best part of it as this recipe doesnt ask for deep frying.Deep frying recipes are always not very exciting for me.
    It is best when served right from the stove, mine had turned somewhat cold by the time we started eating it, but the chicken still soft.

    Reply
  26. Anonymous

    September 23, 2012 at 10:39 pm

    This is my second time I am making it.this was a big hit at our dinner table thank u for sharing the recipe

    Reply
  27. Bapu Gouda

    August 27, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    It's past midnight, I NEED to eat this. AND I'm in my gran's strictly vegetarian home. Life is not fair.

    Reply
  28. Manoj Kumar

    August 17, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    Hello Nagalakshmiji I tried it for my son and it turned out very yummy ,my son was asking for more and more……but somehow it was a bit chewy kind of……so plz tell me how to make it soft.

    Reply
  29. Anonymous

    August 6, 2012 at 11:48 am

    Tried this and turned out great! Thanks for sharing!
    Rashmi!

    Reply
    • nags

      December 30, 2015 at 8:51 am

      Thank you rashmi!

      Reply
  30. Anonymous

    June 27, 2012 at 12:00 am

    Chilli chicken NRI Style: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNCNEZfgxtk

    Reply
  31. Rheena

    June 18, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    Hi …I made this today for my dad's bday and it came out very well.tq!

    Reply
  32. Anonymous

    April 17, 2012 at 12:31 pm

    hi..naga it is my first visit to your site…this dish looks sooooooooooooo good..i want to eat it nw

    Reply
  33. Anonymous

    March 29, 2012 at 12:12 am

    Thanks for this very good, fairly quick recipe. I made this today and it came out really well!

    Reply
  34. clarence

    March 14, 2012 at 9:01 pm

    Making this right now……

    Reply
  35. lordgabbana

    February 17, 2012 at 9:30 am

    Hello…I love all your recipes, Tried your Gobi Manchurian and everyone loved it. Will try this as well. I have been looking for a good Duck recipe. Do you have any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Nagalakshmi V

      February 18, 2012 at 11:24 am

      I am afraid I don't have any duck recipes since I don't cook with it.

      Reply
  36. notyet100

    February 11, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    Prepared this for today's dinner,thanks for the recipe,..:)

    Reply
  37. Nagalakshmi V

    February 7, 2012 at 2:30 am

    Manchurian is usually made by dipping the main ingredient in a batter, deep or shallow frying it and then dunking it in a sauce. Chilly dishes are made as is, with lots of chillies but sometimes they are marinated as well. So it depends on how the cook wants to create it I suppose.

    Reply
  38. John kingsley

    February 6, 2012 at 8:04 am

    I was searching for chicken manchurian and came up on this article!! Gr8 work on your site and usefull info.

    The recipe's for machurian chicken and chilli chicken are more or less the same around the many Indian sites i have visited, any idea on that !! Even wiki has very limited info on that, though it elaborates on manchurian c. type but nothing much on chilli c.

    Reply
  39. Nags

    July 25, 2011 at 3:14 am

    I have edited the post

    Reply
  40. Anonymous

    July 24, 2011 at 2:34 pm

    How much oil are you supposed to use? You mention 1/4 oil but don't specify a measurement. Also, where does the white vinegar fit in?

    Reply
  41. Amanda

    April 7, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    Hi there, just have a quick question. For the cornflour, do you mean cornstarch or actual corn flour? really want to try this but just want to be sure i get it right. thanks!

    Reply
  42. Nags

    April 8, 2011 at 12:24 am

    its corn starch amanda 🙂 we call it corn flour in asia (india)

    Reply
  43. Beula

    April 5, 2011 at 3:24 am

    YUM!

    Reply
  44. Kankana

    April 4, 2011 at 2:53 am

    looks so spicy and tasty. Chilly chicken is one of my fav with some simple vegi noodle.. i think i will have to make that sometime soon 🙂

    Reply
  45. triveninayak

    April 3, 2011 at 5:40 pm

    hi nags..thanks for this mouthwatering recipe

    Reply
  46. Ananda Rajashekar

    April 3, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    Absolutely fabulous, on the low days they strike me first 🙂

    Reply
  47. Usha

    April 3, 2011 at 2:49 pm

    Looks very good!

    Reply
  48. Only Fish Recipes

    April 3, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    firs time here….wow dear…I'm seriously drooling over the pics….ur presenatations r so good !hope to learn something from u ….do visit my space whenever u hav time 🙂

    Reply
  49. s

    April 2, 2011 at 1:01 pm

    ooooohhhh! looks so crunchy and DELISH!!! I would do anything to have a plate of this NOW!!

    Reply
  50. Karishma

    April 2, 2011 at 12:21 pm

    Hi Nags, so many "chilli chicken" recipes floating around, but I think am going to bookmark this and try it..it's simple and looks great 🙂

    Reply
  51. Pavithra

    April 2, 2011 at 4:04 am

    Looks yumm 🙂 Love Indo chinese anytime 🙂

    Reply
  52. Sathya Sankar

    April 1, 2011 at 9:51 pm

    Looks wonderful and very tempting chicken!

    Reply
  53. Priya

    April 1, 2011 at 7:29 pm

    Slurp,mouthwatering here..truly irresistible..

    Reply
  54. Saee Koranne-Khandekar

    April 1, 2011 at 6:39 pm

    It's past midnight, I NEED to eat this. AND I'm in my gran's strictly vegetarian home. Life is not fair.

    Reply
  55. Divya Vikram

    April 2, 2011 at 1:36 am

    Indo-chinese is my most fav cuisine. This looks so good Nags.

    Reply
  56. Vimitha Anand

    April 1, 2011 at 3:40 pm

    That is a very yummy and mouth watering dish

    Reply
  57. Anonymous

    April 1, 2011 at 3:09 pm

    finally a chicken recipe….thanks

    Reply
  58. Sharmilee! :)

    April 1, 2011 at 4:17 pm

    Yummy, craving for some right now 🙂 Its sure risky to bloghop after dinner I guess 😉

    Reply
  59. Arundhuti

    April 1, 2011 at 7:15 am

    Unboubtedly, looks great!

    Reply
  60. Nags

    April 1, 2011 at 10:12 am

    Thanks Arundhuti 🙂

    Reply

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Hello!

I am Nags, the face behind Edible Garden, a food and recipes website for the busy (and sometimes lazy!) cook since 2007. My recipes are meant to be quick yet healthy and delicious - Nothing fancy, nothing too difficult. Follow Me On Instagram for real-time food and life updates.

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