Chicken Manchurian recipe – Delicious fried chicken in slightly sweet, hot & sour Manchurian sauce. Chicken Manchurian is an Indo chinese food that is much popular in the Indian subcontinent. The vegetarian versions like Gobi manchurian, Veg manchurian & Paneer manchurian are also popular & are loved by many.
Chicken Manchurian is not an authentic Chinese dish. But is a fusion food from the Indian Chinese cuisine which is developed with the adaptation of Chinese seasoning & cooking methods to suit Indian taste buds.
Chilli chicken and chicken manchurian are 2 dishes that are made similarly but they taste very different. I had chicken Manchurian in a couple of fine dining Indochinese restaurants and had absolutely loved it.
In the regular restaurants it is usually made with cubed chicken in a much similar way like the chilli chicken. Just the flavor of soya sauce is much more intense in Manchurian.
However the ones I had tasted was made with minced chicken balls which were crisp fried & then tossed in Manchurian sauce. It just tasted awesome & very unique.
After several experiments I got hold on the recipe and loved the way it turned out similar to the restaurant chicken Manchurian except for the color.
Usually manchurian dishes look darker in color due to the liberal use of soya sauce. Since I prefer to minimize it mine turned out pretty bright in color.
If you do not prefer to make the chicken balls, you can just make the recipe with diced or cubed chicken. The recipe will remain the same & will still taste awesome & delicious.
Tips to make chicken Manchurian
- Most often I marinate the chicken before frying as it helps to tenderize the chicken. You can also skip this step but for best flavor & texture setting aside for at least 45 mins is recommended. It helps in tenderizing & enhancing the flavor.
- Usually chicken stock is used to make the chicken Manchurian sauce but I have used water as I did not have it in hand. However you can just replace the water & use chicken stock.
- I have deep fried the chicken. However you can also grill it and then add it to the Manchurian sauce.
- You can also whip up an entire meal in the same pan. Just set aside the chicken manchurian and retain some sauce in the pan. Add cooked noodles or rice and stir fry for a minute. You meal is ready in minutes.
For more Chicken recipes visit
Chicken kebab
Chicken burger
Shawarma recipe
Chicken lollipop
Chicken manchurian is best served as a starter or as a side with Hakka noodles or Fried rice.
Chicken manchurian
Chicken manchurian
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
To fry
- 250 grams chicken breast boneless, (cubed or minced)
- ½ egg white (1 egg white for ½ kg chicken)
- 1/8 tsp pepper coarsely crushed
- 1 tsp soya sauce (Prefer naturally brewed)
- 2 pinches chili powder (optional, for color)
- 2 tbsp corn flour
- 1 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour or maida (or rice flour)
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste or minced
- salt little
- oil as needed for frying
for manchurian sauce
- 1 tbsp garlic chopped finely
- ½ tbsp ginger chopped finely
- 1 medium onion chopped finely or 2 tbsps spring onion whites
- 1 tbsp soya sauce (use more for intense flavor)
- 2 tbsp red chili sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce optional
- 1 tsp vinegar (add more if needed)
- 1 cup water or chicken stock
- 2 tsp corn flour (3 for gravy)
- 3 tbsp water to mix with flour
- salt little
- ½ to 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ cup capsicum or bell peppers cubed
- 2 tbsps scallions or spring onions greens
How to make the recipe
Preparation for chicken manchurian
- Mix chicken with soya sauce, salt, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder (optional) and pepper powder.
- Add egg white and flour. Mix well. Set aside for at least 1 hour.
- If you have used chicken cubes then skip this step. If you have used the mince divide the mixture to 12 portions. Make balls. If you don’t get round balls, that’s just fine.
- Heat oil until hot enough to fry. Test by sliding a small portion of the batter to the hot oil. It has to rise without browning. This is the right temperature.
- Deep fry chicken on a medium flame until golden & crisp. When the chicken is done cooking bubbles will begin to reduce. Remove the fried chicken to a kitchen towel. Please make sure the chicken is cooked completely inside before you add it to the sauce.
Making manchurian sauce
- Stir in the corn flour with 3 tbsp water in a small bowl. To another small bowl, add vinegar,soya sauce, tomato sauce (optional) and red chilli sauce. Mix all of these and set aside.
- Transfer the oil to a bowl and retain only half a tbsp. Fry ginger garlic until aromatic. Fry onions or scallion whites until transparent.
- Add bell peppers and fry for 2 minutes. Pour the sauces.
- When they begin to bubble, Stir the corn flour mixture & pour it along with 1 cup water or stock.
- The sauce begins to bubble and thickens. Taste the sauce and add in more salt or any sauces you desire. Turn off the heat. Then add fried chicken & spring onions.
- Stir and coat the chicken with the sauces. If you have made to chicken balls then cook for 2 mins.
- Garnish with spring onions and serve chicken manchurian as a appetizer.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
If you are a beginner or new to Indian cooking, I highly suggest you to check the supporting step by step photos for best results. Step by step photos with description available below after the recipe card.
Preparation for chicken manchurian
1. Make sure there is no excess moisture in the chicken before you use it. You can either use cubed chicken or chicken mince (keema).
I prefer to chop finely and then use. Add soya sauce, ginger garlic, salt , red chili powder (optional) and pepper to a mixing bowl. Mix well. For Chinese recipes, generally no chili powder is used. But i prefer to use to get a a good color which otherwise is got by food colors in restaurants.
2. Add egg white, rice flour and corn flour. 1 egg white works good for half a kg chicken. I used only half of 1 egg white since i used only 250 grams chicken. Do not add more egg otherwise the mixture will turn soggy.
3. Mix everything well and set aside for at least 1 hour. You can also skip this.
Frying chicken
4. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Check if the oil is hot enough by sliding in a small portion of batter. It must rise without browning. If using cubed chicken then slide the batter coated pieces to the hot oil. Fry on a medium heat until the chicken is golden and crisp. When the chicken is cooked fully bubbles will reduce.
If using minced chicken. Take small portions of the mixture and make balls. Fry them in hot oil. You may not get round balls, that is just fine. In case you want to make perfect round balls, then you need to reduce egg or add more flour. But that alters the texture of the ball.
Egg is used to lock the meat juices and prevents the meat balls from turning dry. A reduction of egg may turn the balls dry and hard.
5. We need to stir often while frying to cook the meat evenly.
6. Transfer all the balls to a kitchen towel. Switch off the stove.
7. Add 2 tsp corn flour to a bowl and mix with ¼ cup water. Stir and set aside.
8. Add vinegar, soya sauce, sugar and red chili sauce to a bowl. You can also add little tomato sauce if you prefer. Set this aside as well.
How to make chicken manchurian
9. We can use the same pan further. Transfer the hot oil to a cup, keep only ½ tbsp oil. Fry chopped garlic ginger till you begin to smell good.
10. Add onions and spring onion whites and saute till they turn transparent.
11. Add bell peppers, these are optional. If you do not have skip them. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
12. Pour the sauces. Stir and mix.
13. When the sauces begin to bubble, Stir the corn flour mixture and then pour it to the pan.
14. Pour 1 ¼ cup water and begin to cook. Taste the sauce and adjust salt & spice. This has to be slightly sweet, sour and hot.
15. When the sauce begins to bubble, add the fried chicken and spring onions. Toss well to coat them in sauce. If you have made the chicken balls then simmer for 2 minutes, this helps the balls to absorb the flavors. If the sauce becomes very thick, you can add one to 2 tbsp water and stir.
This recipe yields a semi dry chicken manchurian. If you like to have more gravy, just add 1 tsp more of cornflour and ½ cup more water.
Serve right away as a appetizer or as a side to fried rice or hakka noodles or simple veg noodles.
Nafisa says
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe…my family loved it.. I found it a little tangier then what I normally prefer… perhaps I will use less vinegar next time…but still 5 stars for this yumm recipe
Iqbal singh says
Very good recepy
Shayal says
Hi Swasthi,
I am Shayal, your recipes are very good. I have tried your recipe and everything turned out very good. Thank you very much for the wonderful recipe.
swasthi says
Hi Shayal,
You are welcome. Glad your food turned out good. Thank you so much for the comment.
Catherine says
Hi Swasthi,
I am ardent fan of your recipes. I intend to make chicken manchurian for a lunch party. Can I make this with chicken breasts. How can I make this ahead and reheat? Appreciate any inputs.
swasthi says
Hi Catherine,
Thank you so much! Yes you can make the chicken manchurian with diced chicken breasts. I wouldn’t suggest you make the entire dish and reheat. Since this is a fried appetizer it is good to fry it just before serving and add it to the sauce. Otherwise the chicken will turn soggy. You can make the sauce ahead and set aside. But then it may turn thick as it cools down. So you may need to sprinkle some water and bring it to consistency first. Then fry the chicken & add to the manchurian sauce. Hope this helps.
Bhandavi says
Nice recipes
swasthi says
Thank you
Keerthi says
Your recepies are too good and I’d love the taste. I have tried almost all of your recepies and everything turned out very good.
Thanks Swasthi
swasthi says
Welcome Keerthi
So happy to know the recipes have turned out good. Thanks a lot
Samatha says
Hi
Thanks for your recipes.whenever I try it turns out really delicious.but now I want to make with 5kgs chicken for harvest festival in my church.can u pls suggest the measurements especially eggs.
Thank you
swasthi says
Welcome Samatha,
Thank you so much for trying. I am so sorry I have never made in such a large quantity and scared to guide you.
Cheflanky says
Perfect recipe
I tried mine and was perfect
I appreciate
swasthi says
Thanks for trying
Ayessha Kalpana says
Thanks for the recipe..it taste great.
swasthi says
Welcome Ayesha
Thanks for trying
Christina says
Hi swasthi.
I have tried this recipe. It came out good. But this time I’m using 1.2 kg chicken. I was confused about the measurement of the spices. Had a quick question…You have used 250 g of chicken and mine is almost triple quantity. So do I triple everything?
One of your replies to Ms.charlotte mentioned about doubling the spices for 1/2kg; instead of 1tbsp(your recipe) it’s 1.5 tbsp(1/2kg)- this isn’t exactly doubling the recipe. That’s why I was confused about tripling the spices..
sorry if I’m confusing you. Hope you can help..
thanks! ?
swasthi says
Hi Christina,
Thanks for trying. 1.2 kg will be almost 5 times of this recipe. Here are my suggestions, go with 1 kg & 250 grams chicken.
Multiply the recipe by 4 times for ginger garlic proportions and corn flour. Rest of the recipe ingredients multiply by 5. It should turn out good.
If the chicken doesn’t bind well, just add in bit more of corn flour. But not a lot. It makes the balls hard.
You may need to adjust the sauces towards the end. Taste it and adjust what ever is needed.
Hope this helps. Would love to know how it turned out.
🙂
Anand says
Very useful tips for the beginners. Thank you very much! ? ❗
mehrun says
everyone liked it,
too bad its not printer friendly. would really be nice if we can print them
Deelip Rai says
I wnat a koocking mumbai styles pawvaji but how to make it ready
Give me some information
swasthi says
You can check this link on pav bhaji recipe
Deelip Rai says
So good looking item
Sudha Reddy says
Anyone can get a good Manchurian by following this recipe. I’m just starting to find.my feet in the kitchen. I attempted this and everyone says it’s amazing. All u people browsing this should try it out.
It’s simple and tasty.
Will get u compliments for sure.
swasthi says
Hi Sudha
Thanks for trying the recipe and the comment
Anisha says
Can I fry the chicken without the cornflour, plain flour and egg to make them without a batter and lower calorie?
swasthi says
Hi Anisha
All the ingredients you mentioned are used to bind the chicken, you cannot make the recipe without them.
You can try this chilli chicken just grill them in the oven
Ashween says
Hi, I tried this recipe today and my manchurian balls a very moist from inside, I’m unable to judge if it’s cooked or not! I used chicken keema
swasthi says
Hi Ashween,
I guess you haven’t fried them properly. Actually the balls turn very firm after frying, all the moisture dries up while frying. You will need to check whether they are cooked well before adding them to the sauce. If you haven’t added them yet to the sauce, do refry them until cooked. Then put them in the sauce
Ratna says
“1/2 sugar”?? Half of what?
swasthi says
It is 1/2 tsp