Manchurian chicken

Manchurian chicken is a classic Chinese dish that has long held a place of honor in the hearts of lovers of original and aromatic food.

Typically, for the preparation of this dish, juicy chicken is used, which is cut into pieces, fried in a deep fryer to a golden crust, and then stir-fried with vegetables and dressed with sauce.

In the classic recipe, Manchurian chicken is prepared with leek, carrot, and bell pepper, but this recipe is so popular that it has developed a vast number of variations.

The sauce for “Manchurian Chicken” is based on soy sauce, with the addition of ketchup, sugar, vinegar, and oyster sauce. Often, chicken broth is also added to the sauce. This kind of sauce turns out to be vibrant with a sweet and sour flavor profile.

Manchurian chicken can be served with rice, noodles, or fresh vegetables, depending on your preferences. Chinese people cook this dish for all occasions: for holidays, family dinners, or even for a quick lunch.

⏱ Cooking time — 60 minutes overall. Includes 45 minutes of preparation and cooking + 15 minutes unattended.

🥣 Ingredients

🍽 For 4 servings:

For the marinade:

• 600 g (1,3 lb) chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 egg whites (check what to cook with leftover egg yolk)
• 4 tbsp. cornstarch (3 + 1, separate)
• 8-10 g (0,3 oz) ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• black pepper

Vegetable component:

• 1-2 chili peppers
• 3 garlic cloves
• 8-10 g (0,3 oz) ginger
• 1 onion
• 1 bell pepper (2 halves in different colors, I have yellow and red)
• 1 carrot
• 2-3 stalks of green onions
• cilantro (optional, for serving)

Sauce:

• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 2 tsp. wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp. ketchup
• 30-50 ml (2 tbsp.) water

Optional:

• 1 ½ – 2 l vegetable oil for deep frying

 🔪 Step by step Directions

Cut 600 g (1,3 lb) of chicken thighs into cubes about 2.5 cm (1 inch) on each side. Place them in a large bowl.

Peel the ginger root with a knife, cut it into 2 pieces of 8-10 g (0,3 oz) each, and set it aside.

Crush 5 garlic cloves with a knife and peel them.

Finely chop one piece of the ginger and 3 cloves of garlic, transfer them to a saucer and set aside. Grate the second piece of ginger and the remaining 2 cloves of garlic using a fine grater.

Into a deep bowl, add 3 tbsp. of starch, add 2 egg whites, and whisk until smooth.

Add the grated garlic and ginger and stir again.

Then add the chopped chicken thighs and stir with a spatula so that all pieces of chicken are covered with the batter.

Peel the carrot, remove the tails, if you wish, make longitudinal grooves with a knife or vegetable peeler to give the sliced carrot rings a star-like shape.

Take 1 chili pepper, cut off the tail. Slice the pepper lengthwise, then chop crosswise into pieces about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.

Cut off the stem from 1 large onion, cut it in half through the root, peel off the skin, and remove the root. Cut each half into 4 parts.

Transfer all the vegetables to a plate and set aside.

Remove the partitions and seeds from 2 halves of a sweet pepper. Slice each half into strips, then into pieces about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.

Take 1 stalk of green onion, separate the white part and slice into thin rings. Transfer to a saucer with the chopped ginger and garlic. Chop the green part finely and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp. of soy sauce, 1 tbsp. of oyster sauce, 1.5 tbsp. of ketchup, 1 tbsp. of sugar, and 2 tsp. of wine vinegar. Stir it up.

In another bowl, mix 1 tbsp. of starch and 50 ml (2 tbsp.) of water.

Place a wok on the stove, pour in 1.5-2 liters of vegetable oil and heat it to 165 °C (325 °F).

Check the oil heating temperature with a thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, use a wooden stick. Dip the stick into the oil, when the temperature reaches 160-165 °C, bubbles will start to form around the stick (see video: no bubbles at first, temperature is about 150°C, bubbles appear the second time, temperature is about 165°C) — this means that the oil has reached the necessary temperature.

Add 1-2 tbsp. of vegetable oil to the bowl with the chicken and stir.

Using tongs, lower half of the chicken into the oil. Don’t rush, lower the pieces one by one carefully. Fry until golden brown for 5-6 minutes.

If the batter sticks to the bottom or the chicken pieces stick together — no problem. Don’t rush to separate them or scrape off the bottom. After 4-5 minutes they will detach on their own, and if not — after this time, you can help them by slightly lifting from the bottom with a spatula or slotted spoon. Also, towards the end of the cooking process, you can separate the stuck together pieces, but I recommend doing this after you’ve removed them from the oil and they’ve cooled down a bit.

Closer to the end of the process — you can flip the chicken pieces in the oil.

Place the fried chicken pieces on paper towels to remove excess grease.

Fry the remaining chicken in the same way.

Carefully drain the oil after frying the chicken into a heat-resistant container (you can use it for simple frying in a pan or for deep frying next time). Clean the wok from any burnt pieces if there are any. Then place the wok back on the stove to heat until it smokes.

Pour 2-3 tbsp. of vegetable oil into the heated wok. Transfer the chopped onion into it and cook using the stir-fry method, stirring frequently for about 1 minute.

Add the sweet pepper and continue to stir-fry for another 2 minutes, constantly stirring.

Pour the carrot, finely chopped garlic, and ginger into the wok. Cook, constantly stirring, for 20-30 seconds until the aroma appears.

Then pour in the prepared sauce and water, and stirring well, simmer the vegetables for about 5 minutes.

Add half of the previously prepared cornstarch and water mixture to the wok, and stirring constantly, heat until boiling. Stir and assess the thickness; if it’s not thick enough, add more cornstarch and water.

Return the fried chicken pieces to the wok and cook, stirring for 30-60 seconds. Remove from heat.

Serve, garnished with green onion feathers and cilantro leaves.