Bang Bang Chicken

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.

What is Bang Bang Chicken?

Bang Bang Chicken features crispy fried chicken bites tossed in a simple 3-ingredient sauce made of Kewpie mayo, sweet chili sauce and sriracha sauce. It's sweet and spicy, like a bang!

The best part is the sauce requires no heating at all! It's also so versatile - pairing well with fried shrimp, like in my Bang Bang Shrimp recipe.

Why you'll love this recipe:

• Ready in 30-minutes with minimal ingredients!
• Perfect for busy weeknights or meal preparation.
• Better-than-takeout and cheaper.
• 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 and reduce cooking time by 1-2 minutes.
• Buttermilk: or substitute with 1 cup or 250 ml dairy milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar. Or substitute with plain yogurt or sour cream.
• Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch. Avoid using tapioca or rice flour as these can cause the chicken pieces to stick to one another.
• Neutral Cooking Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
• Salt
• Garlic Powder 
• Black Pepper
• Green Onion

Bang Bang Sauce

• Japanese Mayonnaise (aka Kewpie Mayo): or substitute with regular mayonnaise. Both work fine for this recipe, but Japanese mayo is creamier and is available at the Asian market.
• 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 - Substitute the chicken with diced extra-firm tofu.
• Gluten-free version - Substitute the sweet chili sauce with a gluten-free version.
• Dairy-free version - Substitute the buttermilk with 1 cup oat milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes until it thickens.
• Less spicy version? Reduce the amount of sriracha to taste or omit it and add more sweet chili sauce.

Storage & Reheating

• Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat on the stovetop until hot throughout.
• Freezer friendly? This can be stored in a freezer friendly bag after cooling down and frozen up to 3 months. To reheat, defrost it 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, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
• other protein dishes like Beef Mushroom Stir Fry, Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Egg Foo Young, Shrimp Omelet, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu and more!
• salad or sandwiched between bread.

FAQ