Crispy fried chicken in a sweet chili mayo made with minimal ingredients! This quick and easy bang bang chicken - ready in 30-minutes! A flavorful main or appetizer that's family-friendly, better-than-takeout, or great as party food.
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What is Bang Bang Chicken?
Bang Bang Chicken features crispy fried chicken bites tossed in a 3-ingredient sauce made of mayo, sweet chili sauce and sriracha.
It tastes deliciously sweet and spicy, like a bang, hence the name.
The best part is the sauce requires no heating at all - you're only cooking the chicken making this such an easy recipe. That's why I love it!
The sauce is also so versatile! It pairs well with fried shrimp or cooked salmon, like in my Bang Bang Shrimp recipe, which this recipe was adapted from.
Why you'll love this recipe:
- Ready in 30-minutes!
- Made with minimal ingredients.
- Perfect for busy weeknights.
- Cheaper and better-than-takeout!
- The sauce requires no cooking!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs: or substitute with chicken breast, jumbo shrimp, diced cod, haddock, or halibut.
- Buttermilk: or substitute with plain yogurt, sour cream, or dairy milk mixed with lemon juice / white vinegar.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch.
- Neutral Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low-smoke point oil.
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
- Green Onion
Bang Bang Sauce
- Japanese Mayonnaise (aka Kewpie Mayo): or substitute with regular mayo.
- Sweet Chili Sauce (aka Sweet Thai Chili Sauce)
- Sriracha Sauce
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or check online, like on Amazon.
Variations
- Vegetarian version - Swap the chicken with diced extra-firm tofu.
- Gluten-free version - Swap the sweet chili sauce with a gluten-free version.
- Dairy-free version - Swap the buttermilk with oat milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar and let it thicken.
- Less spicy version? Reduce or omit the sriracha and add more sweet chili sauce.
Expert Tips
- Don't pat dry the chicken as some moisture is needed for the starch to stick.
- Evenly dice the chicken, so they can cook consistently.
- Evenly coat chicken in cornstarch ensuring no bald spots.
- Use a heavy bottomed pan to maintain oil temperature.
- Heat the oil to 325-350 degrees F before frying, or insert a wooden utensil into the oil and look for rapid bubbles.
- Fry the chicken in small batches for crispy cooked chicken. Overcrowding the pan can cause soggy uncooked chicken.
- Drain the fried chicken on a wire rack to remove excess oil to prevent soggy chicken.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make bang bang chicken:
- Dice the chicken: Dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch-wide pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Tenderize chicken in buttermilk: Add buttermilk to the chicken and mix. Let the meat tenderize for 10-12 minutes.
- Make the sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- Dredge chicken: In a medium bowl, combine cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Dredge chicken into the cornstarch mixture until evenly coated, shaking off excess.
- Fry chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry coated chicken in 2-3 batches until golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per side. Then transfer fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil.
- Toss chicken in sauce: Transfer fried chicken to a large bowl and add sauce. Toss until evenly coated. Garnish with chopped green onions. Enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
- Bang bang chicken will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge, once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
- Bang bang chicken can be frozen up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag, once cooled. To reheat, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
Pairing Suggestions
Bang bang chicken serves well with:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, or hot and sour soup.
- white or brown rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, or plain noodles.
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- other protein dishes like Beef Mushroom Stir Fry, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Egg Foo Young, Shrimp Omelet, Soy Garlic Tofu, and more!
- salad
- sandwiched between bread.
FAQ
Bang bang chicken can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge, once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
Bang bang chicken can be made in the air fryer. First lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil. Then place coated chicken in a single layer with enough room between each piece. Lightly spray oil over the chicken. Air fry at 400 F for 10-14 minutes until golden and crispy - no need to flip. Then toss in the prepared sauce.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Bang Bang Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast
- 1 cup buttermilk or see below Notes for substitute
- 1 ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 green onion finely chopped for garnish
Bang Bang Sauce
- ½ cup Japanese Mayo or regular mayo
- ¼ cup Sweet Chili Sauce (aka Sweet Thai Chili sauce)
- 2 tablespoon sriracha
Instructions
- Dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch-wide pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add buttermilk to the chicken and mix. Let the meat tenderize for 10-12 minutes.
- Combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Dredge chicken into the cornstarch mixture until evenly coated, shaking off excess.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry coated chicken in 2-3 batches until golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per side. Then transfer fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil.
- Transfer fried chicken to a large bowl and add sauce. Toss until evenly coated. Garnish with chopped green onions. Enjoy!
Shirley
I haven't made your recipes yet, but I read the recipes of many and they all look delicious! I will leave a comment when I cook one. Thank you and keep sending them!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the kind support and the positive review for my overall content! I hope you enjoy my recipes in the future 🙂
JOSE G DUMLAO JR
It looks good,will cook this eve
Mrsbergstedt
Best bang bang chicken recipe I’ve tried! Came out exactly as described. Everyone loved it! Thank you!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and so glad everyone liked it!
Marie
This was so so so good and simple to make. Definitely a keeper!
Sharan
I've tried the bang bang chicken recipe today and it turned out fantastic. Added caneye pepper for the extra spice. Everyone loved it.😋
Christie Lai
I'm so happy to read this, Sharan! Thank you so much for making it!