Chilli chicken recipe | How to make chilli chicken dry & gravy

Chilli chicken recipe – Learn with ease how to make chilli chicken recipe gravy & dry restaurant style recipe with step by step photos. For those who do not know what this is.. chilli chicken is one of the most popular Indo-Chinese style chicken appetizer or starter that is served in Chinese restaurants across the globe. Vegetarian alternates are made with paneer, mushroom, potato and tofu.

Boneless chicken (fillets or cubes) are marinated in soya sauce, chili sauce and pepper. Then deep fried and then seasoned again in sauces to get the best chinese chilli chicken. For a healthier option you can shallow fry or grill the chicken, details mentioned in the instructions below.

These tender bites taste mildly hot, sweet and sour. It is best served hot as an appetizer or with
Veg fried rice
Schezwan fried rice
Hakka noodles
Schezwan noodles

Usually in the restaurant made chinese chicken, ajjinomotto or monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used to give a unique flavor to it. Food color is also used to bring the deep red color and are oily and tend to dehydrate a lot. This recipe of chilli chicken dry doesn’t need ajjinomotto or food color, but still can be made the best.

If you wish to brine the chicken first as they do in restaurants to yield tender juicy bites, please scroll down for brining tips.

Chinese chilli chicken recipe

Chilli chicken recipe

Chilli chicken is a popular chicken starter or appetizer from the Indo-chinese cuisine. Making restaurant kind delicious chilli chicken at home is easy with this recipe. Pair it with hot stir fried noodles or fried rice. Or serve it as a starter in parties. Surely it will be a winner in your menu!

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Course Appetizer

Cuisine Indian

Keyword easy, restaurant

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Marination 45 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 378 kcal

Author Swasthi

Ingredients (240 ml cup used)

• Oil for deep frying

Marination for chilli chicken

• 250 grams chicken boneless
• 1 ½ tsp red chilli sauce (less spicy kind)
• 1 ½ tsp soya sauce (naturally brewed)
• ¼ tsp pepper powder
• 2 to 3 tbsps corn flour or corn starch
• 2 to 3 tbsps all-purpose flour or maida (optional use to get restaurant style)
• ¼ tsp red chili powder (optional) or paprika or red chilli paste
• Salt little (about 1/8 tsp)
• 1 to 2 tbsp water or egg white (optional)

Seasoning for chilli chicken

• 1 ½ tsp soya sauce (naturally brewed)
• 1 to 2 tbsp red chilli sauce (or ketchup) (use as desired)
• ½ tsp red chilli powder (optional) or paprika or red chili paste
• ¼ tsp pepper powder (optional)
• ¾ to 1 tsp vinegar (apple cider)
• ½ to 1 tsp sugar

Other ingredients (veggies)

• 1 medium onion thinly sliced or cubed
• 2 tsps garlic chopped
• ¼ to ½ cup bell pepper or capsicum - cubed
• 1 to 2 green chilies slit and deseeded (optional)
• 1 sprig spring onion chopped (optional)
• 4 to 5 leaves celery chopped finely (optional)
• 1 tbsp Spring onion green for garnish

How to make the recipe

Preparation for chilli chicken

1. (Optional) To make the chicken juicy, succulent and to prevent from drying up you can brine the chicken following the instructions in recipe notes below. 

2. Marinate chicken with chilli sauce, soya sauce & pepper powder. 

3. Set aside until you prepare the rest. At least for 45 minutes. 2 hours is best. Meanwhile cube the onions, bell pepper and keep the sauce ready for seasoning.

4. Sprinkle corn flour, plain flour, chilli powder on the chicken along with salt and mix well. 

5. Coat the chicken well. if the mixture is dry you can sprinkle little water or use half of an egg or only egg white. (refer notes) Mix well.

6. Prepare the sauce in a bowl. Add soya sauce, chili sauce, red chili powder, vinegar and sugar to a bowl and mix well. Set this aside.

Making chilli chicken

1. Heat oil in a pan for deep or shallow fry. It can also be grilled at 240 C for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated oven. 

2. Check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small quantity of batter to the hot oil. It must rise without browning.

3. Now add the chicken cubes. Fry on a medium heat until crisp and evenly cooked from inside.

4. Keep stirring to fry evenly. Do not over fry, it tends to turn hard.  When the chicken is cooked completely, bubbles in the oil will begin to reduce. Drain on a kitchen tissue.

Seasoning chilli chicken

1. Remove off excess oil from the pan, just keep 2 spoons oil in the pan.

2. Add garlic & fry for about a min. Then add onions, capsicum, spring onions & celery (optional)  and green chilies. 

3. Fry till they turn slightly soft for about a minute or so. The veggies must still be crunchy.

4. Pour the sauce. Let the sauces bubble up well. Taste the sauce and add more salt , spice or sauce as needed. Also taste the chicken and add accordingly. 

5. To make chilli chicken dry - If the mixture looks dry, sprinkle little water. Then add the fried chicken, Mix well. Saute on high flame for 1 to 2 minutes.

6. To make chilli chicken gravy - just stir in 1 tsp corn flour with 1/3 to ½ cup water. Pour it to the pan and allow the sauce to thicken. You will need to add more chilli and soya sauce. Taste the sauce first and then add the chicken.

7. Serve chilli chicken hot as appetizer or with fried rice or noodles.

Recipe Video

Video of crispy chilli chicken recipe

This recipe uses more sauce.

Recipe Notes

Mix together 3 tbsp yogurt with 2 cups of water and 1/4 tsp salt. Add the chicken to this and leave it for 45 mins to 1 hour. Brining in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours gives the best results. Drain the chicken completely & use in the recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Chilli chicken recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 378 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 26g 40%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Cholesterol 62mg 21%

Sodium 449mg 19%

Potassium 211mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 16g 5%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 4g

Protein 17g 34%

Vitamin A 10%

Vitamin C 7%

Calcium 2.1%

Iron 7.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

To make the best out of the chilli chicken recipe I suggest using kashmiri chili powder or paprika and saute well in the sauces on high flame which also lends a smoky flavor. If you do not use enough chili powder, the final dish may not get a good color. So try adding more or less than mentioned in the recipe.

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Preparation for chilli chicken recipe

1. To a bowl, add 250 grams of cubed boneless chicken, 1 ½ to 2 tsp soya sauce, 1 ½ tsp chili sauce and ¼ tsp pepper powder. Marinate and set aside until you prepare the seasoning ingredients. If you have time you can leave it for 45 minutes. This helps the meat to absorb the flavors.

2. Sprinkle 2 tbsp cornflour, 2 tbsp plain flour if using and salt on the chicken. If you like to have a thick crunchy coating of the flour like we get in restaurants, add 1 tbsp more of plain flour and 1 tbsp more of corn flour. Mix well to coat. If the chicken is too dry, sprinkle little water and mix.

Optional: You can also use egg for binding instead of water. One small egg for ½ kg (1 lb) chicken works well. I have not used

3. Add chilli powder or paprika and mix again. This helps to get a good color. This is optional.

4. This is how the chicken looks. If you add too much water or make a batter, it will absorb lot of oil and will not turn crispy.

Frying chicken

5. Heat oil until hot enough. Shallow fry or deep fry the pieces until golden. Drain off on the kitchen tissue. It can also be grilled in a preheated oven at 240 C for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.You can as well put them on a skewer and grill.


6. Prepare the sauce for seasoning in a bowl. This way you will not end up using more sauces. Add 1 ½ tsp. soya sauce, ¾ to 1 tsp. vinegar, ½ tsp. sugar, ½ tsp. red chilli powder or paprika, 1 tsp chilli sauce or ketchup, ¼ tsp pepper powder (optional) to a bowl. I am using red chilli powder here again for the color.

How to make chilli chicken recipe

7. Remove the oil to a bowl and Keep 2 tsps. Oil in the pan. Add garlic and fry for a minute. Add onions, green chilies, spring onions, celery and capsicum. Fry until they turn slightly tender. They must still keep the crunch.

8. Add the sauces and allow to bubble. If you feel it is dry, sprinkle little water.

9. Add the chicken and toss. Fry on high for 1 to 2 minutes till it looks dry.

Serve chilli chicken hot as a appetizer.