Bang Bang Chicken. Crispy fried tender chicken coated in a delicious, sweet chili mayo made of simple ingredients! It's finger licking good! Ready in 30 minutes!
Perfect as a main dish with your favorite sides for weeknight dinners.
Furthermore, this bang bang chicken recipe was inspired by my Bang Bang Shrimp recipe, which became a hit on social media. If you love crispy fried chicken, then this recipe is for you!
I could literally eat buckets of this stuff, it's so good! You can enjoy these crispy chicken bites as a main dish with white rice and vegetables for a full meal. Or serve them as an appetizer.
Easy Recipe
Surprisingly, this simple recipe is so easy! The entire cooking process only takes about 30 minutes, give or take and 11 ingredients (which isn't bad for an Asian dish!)
What is Bang Bang Chicken?
My version of this dish is made of juicy chicken pieces tenderized in buttermilk and coated in seasoned cornstarch mixture. Then the bite-sized pieces of chicken are fried in hot oil until golden brown.
Next, the chicken nuggets are coated in a simple sauce made of mayo, Thai sweet chili sauce and sriracha sauce. The sauce is called "bang bang sauce". It's a spicy sauce that is creamy in texture and spicy thanks to the hot sauce.
Two Versions of Bang Bang Chicken?
There are actually two versions of “Bang Bang Chicken” that are very different in taste and texture. The original recipe comes from China. It’s a cold shredded chicken served with a spicy delicious sauce made with sesame paste, sesame seeds, or sesame oil. The name Bang Bang Chicken is derived from the method that the chicken is tenderized by a hammer or stick. This version comes from China and served by street vendors in the Hanyang district. It's a popular dish in Chinese cuisine.
While the second version (the one you're reading about) was inspired by the popular Bang Bang Shrimp. It's super crispy chicken coated in a delicious sauce that is creamy, sweet, and spicy. Bang Bang Shrimp is an iconic dish served at The Cheesecake Factory and Bonefish Grill in the United States.
Furthermore, the owners of Bonefish Grill, Chris Park and Tim Curci developed Bang Bang Shrimp as a popular appetizer. It's an Asian fusion dish combining Thai flavors and American fried shrimp (where the shrimp is tenderized in a buttermilk batter). Replace the shrimp with chicken and that's how Bang Bang Chicken was born!
Ingredients
You’ll need the below ingredients for Bang Bang Chicken. Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
- Chicken thighs, skinless boneless is recommended for ease. You may use chicken breast but please reduce the cooking time.
- Buttermilk, or substitute with 1 cup dairy milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Cornstarch, or potato starch
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Green onion
Creamy Sauce:
- Japanese Mayo, or sub with normal mayo
- Sweet Thai Chili sauce
- Sriracha sauce
How to Make Bang Bang Chicken
First slice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch-wide bite-size pieces. Then transfer chicken pieces into a large bowl.
To your large bowl of diced chicken, add buttermilk. Let chicken tenderize in buttermilk for 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine Sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Then in a medium bowl, combine cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
Dredge each piece of chicken into the corn starch mixture until coated. Shake off any excess. Transfer coated chicken to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
In a large skillet (10-inch) on medium heat, add vegetable oil or any neutral cooking oil. Once oil is hot, fry coated chicken in 2-3 batches until golden and crispy on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. For chicken to be safely consumed, it should reach an internal temperature of 165 F with a digital thermometer. Do not overcrowd or overcook.
Then transfer deep-fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
Transfer crispy chicken to a large bowl. Pour sauce over top. Toss to mix.
Finally garnish with green onions. Enjoy while hot and crispy!
Storage
This will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
FAQ
Can I make the chicken in the air fryer?
Yes, you can, and it tastes pretty close to deep frying chicken. Follow these simple steps:
- Lightly spray air fryer basket with neutral oil.
- Place coated chicken into the basket in a single layer, giving each piece enough space. You may need to air fry in a few batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Lightly spray the chicken with oil.
- Air Fry at 400 F for 10-14 minutes until golden and crispy.
What can I substitute Sriracha sauce for?
Chili oil or red pepper flakes are a great substitute. Please add to taste.
Other Chicken recipes you may enjoy!
- Mongolian Chicken
- General Tso Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Honey Sesame Chicken
- Sweet and Sticky Korean Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Black Pepper Chicken
- Salt and Pepper Chicken
Easy Bang Bang Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs skinless boneless
- 1 cup buttermilk or substitute with 1 cup dairy milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 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
Creamy Sauce:
- ½ cup Japanese Mayo or sub with normal mayo
- ¼ cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 2 tablespoon sriracha sauce
Instructions
- First dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch-wide bite-size pieces. Then transfer chicken pieces into a large bowl.
- To your large bowl of diced chicken, add buttermilk. Let chicken tenderize in buttermilk for 10-12 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine Sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
- Dredge each piece of chicken into the cornstarch mixture until coated. Shake off any excess. Transfer coated chicken to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- In a large skillet (10-inch) on medium heat, add vegetable oil or any neutral cooking oil. Once oil is hot, fry coated chicken in 2-3 batches until golden and crispy on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd or overcook. For chicken to be safely consumed, it should reach an internal temperature of 165 F with a digital thermometer. To Air Fry Chicken: please see Notes below for instructions.
- Transfer deep-fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
- Transfer crispy chicken to a large bowl. Pour sauce over top. Toss to mix.
- Garnish with green onions. Enjoy while hot and crispy!
Notes
To Air Fry Chicken:
- Lightly spray air fryer basket with neutral oil.
- Place coated chicken into the basket in a single layer, giving each piece enough space. You may need to air fry in a few batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Lightly spray the chicken with oil.
- Air Fry at 400 F for 10-14 minutes until golden and crispy.
Did you enjoy my recipe?