Description

This Salt and Pepper Chicken recipe delivers crispy, spicy, and irresistibly flavorful chicken thigh pieces coated in a seasoned cornflour mix and fried to golden perfection. Enhanced with a fragrant stir-fry of onions, chillies, garlic, and spring onions, this dish combines bold spices and satisfying crunch for a perfect Asian-inspired meal suitable for 4 servings.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken Coating

60 g (1/2 cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tbsp table salt (divided: 3/4 tbsp for coating, 1/4 tbsp for stir-fry)
1 1/4 tbsp ground black pepper (divided: 1 tbsp for coating, 1/4 tbsp for stir-fry)
1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
6 skinless chicken thigh fillets, quartered

For Frying

Vegetable oil for frying (around 240 ml / 1 cup, plus 1 tbsp reserved for stir-fry)

Vegetable Stir-fry

1 onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks (about 1.5-2 cm)
1 red chilli, chopped into small pieces
1 green chilli, chopped into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 spring onions (scallions), roughly chopped

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Instructions

Prepare seasoning mix: In a bowl, combine 60 g (1/2 cup) of cornflour, 3/4 tbsp of salt, 1 tbsp of ground black pepper, and 1 tbsp of Chinese five-spice. This mixture will form the crispy, flavorful coating for the chicken.
Coat the chicken: Sprinkle the prepared seasoning mix evenly over the quartered chicken thigh fillets. Toss everything thoroughly to ensure each piece is well coated with the dry mixture.
Heat oil for frying: Pour 240 ml (1 cup) of vegetable oil into a large frying pan and take 1 tablespoon of this oil aside for later. Heat the pan over high heat until the oil is hot enough—test by placing a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil; if bubbles form around it, the oil is ready.
Fry chicken in batches: Carefully add the coated chicken pieces one at a time to the hot oil to prevent boiling over. You will likely need to fry in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Cook chicken: Fry each batch for about 5-7 minutes, turning once to achieve even, golden-brown crust and ensuring the chicken is cooked through.
Drain chicken: Using tongs, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
Repeat frying: Repeat the frying process with the remaining chicken pieces. Once done, turn off the heat for this pan.
Prepare stir-fry base: While the second batch cooks, heat the reserved 1 tablespoon of oil in a separate frying pan over medium-high heat.
Sauté aromatics: Add the chopped onion, red and green chillies, remaining 1/4 tbsp salt and 1/4 tbsp black pepper to the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions soften slightly.
Add garlic and spring onions: Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the minced garlic cloves and chopped spring onions. Continue frying for another minute, stirring often to prevent burning.
Combine chicken and aromatics: Once both batches of chicken are cooked, add them to the frying pan with the onion and chilli mixture. Toss everything together well, cooking for an additional minute to meld flavors.
Serve: Turn off the heat and transfer the salt and pepper chicken to serving plates. Serve hot and enjoy the crispy, spicy, and aromatic chicken.

Notes

For extra crispiness, double-fry the chicken by briefly frying the pieces once more in hot oil after the initial fry.
Adjust the amount of chilli according to your spice preference or omit if sensitive to heat.
Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying to prevent the chicken from absorbing too much oil and becoming greasy.
This dish pairs well with steamed rice or stir-fried vegetables for a complete meal.
Leftover chicken can be refrigerated and reheated, but best enjoyed fresh for maximum crispiness.