Quick & Easy Bang Bang Chicken

Name: Quick & Easy Bang Bang Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs (or chicken breast); 1 cup buttermilk (or see below Notes for substitute); 1 1/4 cup cornstarch (or potato starch); 1 cup vegetable oil (or any neutral oil); 1 1/4 tsp salt; 1 1/4 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 green onion (finely chopped for garnish); 1/2 cup Japanese Mayo (or regular mayo); 1/4 cup Sweet Chili Sauce ((aka Sweet Thai Chili sauce)); 2 tbsp sriracha

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Crispy fried chicken bites coated in a simple 3-ingredient sweet chili mayo. This quick and easy bang bang chicken recipe uses minimal ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes. It's a family-friendly, better-than-takeout main or appetizer perfect for busy weeknights or parties!

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Ingredients & Substitutes
Variations
Expert Tips
Instructions
Storage & Reheating
Pairing Suggestions
FAQ
More like this
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Bang bang chicken features fried chicken coated in Japanese mayo, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha. The crispy chicken tastes sweet and spicy, like a bang, hence the name.

The best part is the sauce requires no heating at all - you're only frying the meat making it an easy and fast chicken recipe!

What makes my recipe unique is that the chicken is tenderized in buttermilk and lightly coated in cornstarch, so there's no messy wet batter!

I actually adapted this recipe from my Bang Bang Shrimp recipe, which was a hit with my readers, so I hope you enjoy this recipe too!

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs: Or substitute with chicken breast and adjust the cooking time. I recommend using chicken thighs as they're more tender and fattier, which makes it more forgiving if you overcook it.
Buttermilk: Or substitute with plain yogurt, or sour cream. Or replace with 1 cup dairy milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
Cornstarch: Or substitute with potato starch to coat the chicken. Or coat with tapioca starch but keep the chicken spread apart or they can stick together.
Neutral Oil: Use a neutral oil like avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low-smoke-point oil.
Salt
Garlic Powder: Don't substitute with minced garlic cloves or this will burn when the chicken fries.
Black Pepper
Green Onion: This is for garnishing.

Bang Bang Sauce

Japanese Mayo: A creamy Japanese-style mayonnaise made of egg yolks instead of using whole eggs - I recommend the Kewpie brand available at Asian grocery stores or select Western grocers in the ethnic aisle. Or substitute with a regular mayo that is thicker and creamier, like Hellman's.
Sweet Chili Sauce (aka Sweet Thai Chili Sauce): A thick, reddish, translucent Thai dipping condiment that is mildly spicy, sweet, and sour. It contains red chili flakes and is typically found at Asian or Western grocery stores in the ethnic aisle.
Sriracha: A red hot sauce made of red chilis, garlic, and vinegar and typically found at most Asian grocery stores. I recommend the Rooster brand, but other brands work well too.

Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores, or you can check online.

Variations

Shrimp version - Swap the chicken with peeled, deveined, jumbo shrimp and only fry the shrimp until cooked, golden, and crispy, about 1-2 minutes.
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.
Mild 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 fry consistently.
Evenly coat the chicken in cornstarch ensuring no bald spots or the chicken won't be crispy.
Use a heavy-bottomed pan to maintain consistent oil temperature or you can end up with overcooked chicken.
Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying, around 325-350 F with a digital cooking thermometer, or insert a wooden chopstick into the oil and look for rapid bubbles.
Fry the chicken in small batches and do not overcrowd the pan or it can cause soggy fried chicken.
Drain the fried chicken on a wire rack or paper-towel-lined plate to remove excess oil, which can make the chicken less crispy.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make bang bang chicken:

Dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch-wide pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

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 the chicken in cornstarch mixture.

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 the chicken in hot oil until golden and crispy.

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 can last up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
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 pairs well with:

Starters: Salad, Egg rolls, Crab rangoon, Egg drop soup, or Hot and sour soup.
Rice Dishes: White rice or Fried rice.
Noodle Dishes: Chow mein or Lo mein.
Vegetable Dishes: Garlic Green Beans
Protein Dishes: Beef with Black Bean Sauce, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Egg Foo Young, or Soy Garlic Tofu.

FAQ

Can I prepare this in advance?

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.

Can I air fry bang bang chicken?

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.

Why is my chicken not crispy?

Soggy chicken can be caused by: not evenly coating the chicken in starch, the oil is not hot enough, overcrowding the pan, constantly moving the chicken around as it fries, or not draining off excess oil.

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