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CLose up of pieces of browned chicken in a sauce with spring onions slices and red chillies.
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4.56 from 29 votes

Crispy Chilli Chicken (Healthy Fakeaway Chinese)

This crispy chilli chicken recipe is a healthier alternative to the classic Chinese crispy shredded chicken, without compromising on flavour.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: mains
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 5
Calories: 588kcal
Author: Mimi Harrison
Cost: £1.20

Ingredients

  • 650 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin chunks (£3.85)
  • 2 fresh chillies, 1 finely chopped & 1 thinly sliced (£0.50)
  • 1.5 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (£0.80/3)=(£0.27)
  • 250 g white rice (£0.45/4)=(£0.12)
  • ½ lime, juiced + remaining wedges to serve (£0.20)
  • 300 g green beans (£0.75/3)=(£0.25)
  • 50 g spring onion, thinly sliced to garnish (£0.43)
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (£0.65/3)=(£0.22)
  • 1 egg (£1.00/6)=(£0.17)
  • 200 g tenderstem broccoli (optional side)

Cupboard Essentials

  • 3.5 tbsp cornflour +
  • 1.5 tbsp cornflour slurry
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2-3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 200 ml water
Metric - US Standard

Instructions

  • Place the prepped chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add the whisked egg into the bowl and coat the chicken. Then stir the cornflour into the bowl, until each piece of chicken is covered in the light batter.
  • To a large non-stick frying pan, adding 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil at a time, fry the pieces of chicken in batches on a high heat, rotating once golden and crispy, after around 4 minutes. Set each batch aside once golden on both sides.
  • Meanwhile, steam or boil your tenderstem broccoli and green beans. Also pop your rice on to cook at this point.
  • Once all the chicken is golden and crispy, using the same pan, reduce the heat and add the garlic and chillies. Fry for a couple of minutes before adding the sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, cornflour slurry and lime juice.
  • Heat until the sauce thickens. Then, pour the chicken into the pan and toss to combine. Serve with a portion of rice and greens and a sprinkle of spring onions and thinly sliced chillies.

Notes

  • Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces for even cooking.
  • Cook chicken in batches in a non-stick pan with a little oil.
  • Use cornflour/self-raising flour and egg for the batter, and fresh red chillies for the sauce for better flavor and presentation.

Nutrition

Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 19g