You might recognise salt and chilli chicken from the menu of Chinese restaurants. With this salt and chilli chicken recipe, you will be able to recreate this simple yet tasty dish, fresh at home. 
It is an easy everyday dish, however that doesn't mean it's boring. In fact, salt and chilli chicken is a vibrant, flavourful plate of food that the whole family will enjoy. I love recipes that give me a tasty meal with little preparation time all in one wok, for those busy weekdays.
Salt and chilli chicken is just such a dish. You can prepare a delicious meal in only about 30 minutes. Once you learn it, I am sure that salt and chilli chicken will be a regular part of your repertoire, too.
products you need for this recipe
Here is a list of products which you'll need to make this favourite Chinese recipe:
- storage jars - you can make a large batch of the spice mix and store it in these elegant jars for when you want to make this recipe again and again. And again. And again.
- wok - you need a wok in order to complete the recipe. It's so versatile!
- You'll need the following spices: Chinese 5 spice, crushed chilli flakes, garlic powder, ground ginger and ground white pepper.
salt and chilli chicken stir fry recipe
A good salt and chilli chicken consist of three elements. The chicken itself, which needs to be deep-fried. Secondly, the vegetable stir fry on which the chicken is served. Finally, the rice to be served with it.
The original salt and chilli chicken stir fry is a very simple one with only onion, chilli and green peppers. In my version, I have stuck to this traditional combination. That being said the stir fry is where you can really put your own spin on the salt and chilli chicken.
The spice mix consists of 5 essential spices:
- Chinese 5 spice – you can also use all spice or these all spice substitutes as a last resort
- crushed chilli flakes – you can also use cayenne or chilli powder
- garlic powder
- ground ginger
- ground white pepper – you can also use black pepper, although white pepper is a lot smoother
If you don't want to make your own salt and pepper seasoning, you can buy it online.
You can add any vegetables to the stir fry you like. I recommend in particular, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, or bamboo shoots to keep to the Chinese flavours.
Other suggestions are red peppers, thinly sliced carrot, or courgette. Small florets of broccoli or chopped up baby corn are also nice additions.
Adding more vegetables is also a great way of making the dish more filling, without adding more meat. For more inspiration have a look at my Chinese mixed vegetable stir fry.
You can even serve this dish with Salt and Pepper Spring Rolls, Salt and Pepper Chips or Salt and Pepper Tofu!
If you're unsure what to make, you can't go wrong with a classic like my Hong-Kong style sweet and sour chicken recipe!
how to keep the chilli chicken juicy
For this salt and chilli chicken I am using chicken breast cut into strips. Chicken breast is the leanest part of the chicken, which means it can easily become dry if not treated correctly. In this case, deep-frying the chicken strips helps to contain the moisture in the meat.
If you want to be sure to have the juiciest chicken possible, you can try brining it. Brining means to marinate the chicken in a sort of salt marinade that helps to keep the chicken juicy.
I have used this technique with success a number of times, and you too can learn all about it in my ultimate chicken brining guide. Alternatively, you can use chicken inner fillet, which you take from the inside of chicken thighs.
This cut of meat is not quite as lean as the breast. Therefore, it does not end up getting dry as easily as the breast.
salt and chilli chicken wings
A fun variation of salt and chilli chicken is to make the dish with chicken wings instead. The process is otherwise the same. Again, for extra tenderness you can brine the chicken wings before starting. Brined chicken wings are even quite good on their own. Check out my recipe here you could also try chicken thighs.
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If you opt to go with the chicken wings, just remember that they will need a little longer to cook. Furthermore, if you brine the chicken before cooking the salt and chilli chicken, hold back on the salt for the spice mix. The chicken will already have absorbed some salt from the brine, so it is a good idea to use less salt for the spice mix.
Making this recipe with chicken wings is a good way to get your kids to try it out. Somehow eating with your hands is just a bit more fun.
spicing
Unlike many other Asian dishes, this one is made without the use of fresh herbs. The spice mixture itself consists only of dried and ground spices. If you can’t get enough kick in your food you can add more chilli to the mixture.
Alternatively, use extra-hot ground chilli powder instead of chilli flakes. For a more oriental aroma add a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom to the mixture.
You can also consider these Aleppo pepper substitutes as well as these chilli powder substitutes.
A tip is to make a larger portion of spice mixture and store it in an airtight container. This way you already have some pre-made for next time. In addition, you can use the salt and chilli spice mixture to make a vegetable stir fry or as seasoning for meat.
what to serve with salt and chilli chicken
In my opinion it is best to stick to the original version of salt and chilli chicken when it comes to serving. This means serving the chicken stir fry with white rice.
Use a good quality basmati rice and if you have a rice cooker then even better. For a bit of extra flavour put a little bit of vegetable stock in the boiling water, and give the rice a faint herbal aroma. Plain white rice is of course also an option.
If you don’t feel like rice, you can also serve the meal with noodles. Choose from normal egg noodles, the thin, clear glass noodles, or even fried noodles. Moreover, if you want to eat the dish using chopsticks, noodles are much easier to handle!
toppings
Although I didn't use any fresh herbs in the cooking, it doesn’t mean that you can’t top off the finished dish with a touch of green.
Fresh coriander is of course an ever-welcome addition to Asian food. If you find the flavour a little too dominant for the salt and chilli chicken, there are some alternatives.
My favourite topping is actually finely chopped tops of spring onion. The green tops give a lovely freshness to the dish without overpowering it.
Other Asian chicken recipes
I hope that the salt and chilli chicken whets your appetite for other Asian chicken dishes. If so, you can have a look at this sweet chilli chicken stir fry or my Hong Kong style sweet and sour chicken. There are a lot of possibilities and many delicious meals to be had.
If you love Salt and Chilli Chicken, then you'll love Salt and Pepper Chips!
Print📖 Recipe
Salt and Pepper Chicken
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Learn how to make salt and pepper chicken and never order Chinese takeaway again! Read about the possible variations and how to serve this chilli chicken.
Ingredients
Salt and Chilli Chicken
- 500g (1lb) chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
- 2 egg whites, whisked
- 60ml (4 tbsp) corn flour
- Oil, for frying
- 15ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 green peppers, washed and cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 red chillies, washed and thinly sliced
- 30ml (2 tbsp) rice wine
- 5ml (1 tsp) salt and pepper seasoning
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.
- Dunk the chicken in the egg white, then corn flour before deep frying.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the heat and drain on kitchen towel.
- Heat the oil in a wok and fry the onion, green pepper and chillies for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the rice wine and let it sizzle for 2 minutes while continuing to stir.
- Add the chicken to the stir fry and season with the salt and pepper seasoning.
- Serve immediately with rice. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you want to have your chicken to have a thick coating, use more egg and cornflour.
- Alternatively, you can shallow fry the chicken with less crispy but slightly healthier results.
- Feel free to add more of the seasoning if you prefer, but remember it’s quite salty!
- If you don't want to make your own salt and pepper seasoning, you can buy it online.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 414
- Sugar: 6.8g
- Sodium: 1244mg
- Fat: 18.2g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 18.4g
- Fiber: 2.4g
- Protein: 44g
- Cholesterol: 111mg
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Gina
Tried this instead of getting takeout the other night and we all loved it! So easy to make too!
Kelli
Let me tell you, this dish is an absolute game-changer! It's the perfect combination of spicy, savory, and oh-so satisfying.
But by far, the best part of this recipe is how it's been a hit with my boys. They absolutely loved it! As a busy mom, finding meals that please everyone in the house can be tough. So when I come across something like this that I know will be a crowd-pleaser, it's a win in my book.
Plus, I have to admit, I love not having to order takeout all the time! With this Salt & Chilli Chicken recipe in my arsenal, I can whip up a delicious, homemade meal whenever the craving strikes.
Claire
This is one of my favourite takeaway dishes!!!
I used your homemade seasoning and also added some yellow peppers and carrots to the mixture, (because anything that adds more veg to my teenagers diets is a good thing!)
It turned out perfectly! So full of flavour and just like the takeaway only better.
We had it with some homemade fried rice and some storebought frozen spring rolls. It was all delicious. THANK YOU
Sharina
We have no leftovers with this salt and chili chicken! It was so delicious and addicting! I just added it to our meal rotation. Highly recommended!
Giangi Townsend
Simple to make and so savory. We love Chinese food at our house and unfortunately have been unable to find a good restaurant where we live. Your recipe made it to my kitchen, and it is here to stay. Super delicious, and as I said earlier, super easy to prepare. Thank you.
Helen
This tasted just like the salt and chilli chicken we used to get from the takeaway!!!! Tasted amazing!! Was a big hit with the whole family. The chicken (we used tenderloins) was so juicy and the flavour was so good. Will definitely be making this again soon. Thanks for sharing the recpe
Maddy
I refer to this recipe often - it’s my favourite and most delicious dinner. It always goes down a treat with friends and family, and my best friend asked me for the recipe. Thank you!
Michelle Minnaar
Thanks for the great feedback, Maddy. So pleased you're sharing the love. 🙂
Mojoblogs
This looks so simple and easy to make. I can't wait to try this dish. Thank you for sharing this 🙂
Mojoblogs
I've said it before and I'll say it again, chicken is one of my comfort foods. And I love discovering new chicken recipes. Thanks for this!
Aline
Love this! How far ahead can you prep this ?
Michelle Minnaar
Thanks, Aline. The seasoning you can make a large batch of and store in an airtight container. The latter you can use at your own pace because it doesn't go off. As for the rest, if you can make it fresh you'll get the best results. I've not tried making it ahead before. If you do, please let me know how it pans out!
Lucille
Looking forward to trying this recipe out tonight. My favourite dish of all time. I'll keep you posted 😊
Michelle Minnaar
How did it go, Lucille? 🙂
Rose
I love this salt and chili chicken recipe, it's was a quick and simple yet delicious meal.
Stacey O'Toole
I made this for my tea tonight and it was delicious. I didn't have any rice wine so had to omit it and I used sesame oil for abit of added nuttiness. Will be making this again for sure
Gary
Made this the other week and loved it. I've since used the recipe to do salt and chilli chips on a couple of occasions and they're great too. Just made a huge batch of the seasoning so I can make this regularly. Awesome!
Michelle Minnaar
Thanks so much for your positive feedback, Gary. I make a stash as well and use it as I go along!
Samaira Reddy
Michelle Minaar, I love chicken but rarely prepare it at home because I think it is an effort taking task. The recipe shared here seems so simple that I am inspired to try. The picture you have shared here is also very nice. Post more recipes of different chicken dishes and snack items that I may try.
Pamela
Love the colors in this dish!