The crispiest juiciest Taiwanese-style fried chicken! I love a good fried chicken and this one never fails to hit the spot. Taiwanese fried chicken is a popular street food that originates from Taiwan. It’s also commonly found in many bubble tea shops as a snack to enjoy with your favorite drink.
While there are many variations of Taiwanese fried chicken, this recipe offers a combination of salty, sweet, and spicy flavors that will have you coming back for more. The chicken is first marinated in soy sauce, cooking wine, various spices, and a secret ingredient – freshly squeezed orange juice. After marinating for at least one hour or overnight, it is ready to be cooked! The sweet and spicy elements are found in the Sichuan-white peppercorn seasoning that is used to season the chicken as it comes out of the fryer.
I’m convinced that anything deep-fried is good but with a few tricks, you can make it even better.
- Double frying is key to the crispiest and crunchiest fried chicken so it’s highly recommended.
- A squeeze of fresh orange juice will help tenderize the meat and add a nice citrusy flavor.
- When tossing in the tapioca starch (or potato starch), you want to see small little clusters of starch coat the chicken to make it extra crunchy. You can add a few drops of water at a time to help form the clusters.
This recipe is relatively straightforward and easy to make. Next time you’re craving a delicious fried chicken, give this recipe a try!
Taiwanese Style Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless & skinless chicken thighs (3 to 4 thighs)
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 tsp white pepper ground
- 1 cup tapioca flour or potato starch
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves washed and pat dry
- 6 cups neutral oil for frying
Sichuan-White Peppercorn Seasoning
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn ground
- 1 tsp white pepper ground
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into 1 1/2 inch thick pieces.
- In a bowl, combine the chicken thighs, grated garlic, soy sauce, Shaoxing cooking wine, orange juice, sugar, Chinese five spice powder, white pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat and combine Sichuan peppercorns and white peppercorns (if using whole). Toast for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure to constantly stir to prevent the spices from burning. Remove and transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Grind into a powder or your desired coarseness. Transfer to a bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix then set aside for later.
- Fill a pot with neutral oil about half way up. Heat over medium heat to 350F or 175C.
- Toss the chicken along with any juices in the bowl with tapioca flour. Add about 1 teaspoon of water to form small beads around the chicken.
- For the first fry, carefully place the battered chicken into the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Be sure to work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack or plate lined with paper towel. Repeat until all chicken is fried.
- For the second fry, raise the oil temperature to 400F or 205C. Working in batches again, carefully place the fried chicken into the oil and fry for 1 minute until golden brown and crispy. Remove immediately then sprinkle the Sichuan-white peppercorn seasoning over the chicken. Repeat for remaining chicken.
- Pat the Thai basil leaves completely dry before adding into the hot oil. Carefully add the Thai basil and fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until they're crispy. Be sure to have a lid or splatter screen ready because the Thai basil will cause the oil the splatter vigorously! Remove then serve with the fried chicken. Sprinkle a little more Sichuan-white peppercorn seasoning on top and enjoy!
