Chinese Chicken and Almonds Recipe: Crispy Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is a go-to food for many people. In most cases, the chicken is coated with flour or breadcrumbs. But have you ever eaten fried chicken coated in almonds? If not, I am going to teach you how to make this amazing chicken.
This Chinese chicken and almonds recipe includes my twist of a passion fruit dip. The combination of chicken and almonds is perfectly complemented with the freshly made dipping sauce. Throughout the recipe, I will share some secret tips so that you can make this dish just like me. Buckle up and let’s begin.
Table of Contents
Chinese Chicken and Almonds Overview
As this dish is made in multiple steps, you might find it overwhelming at first. Once you get familiar with the steps, it will become much easier. Check the overview before we start cooking.
| Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 25 minutes | |||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories |
| 2 persons | 15 minutes | 10 minutes | 313 kcal |
Ingredients Needed for Chinese Chicken and Almonds
The ingredients for this dish are a bit different from your regular fried chicken. You should organize everything properly.
- Chicken: Use 2 chicken breasts. Each breast should weigh about 200g.
- Egg: 1 pc. Use the whole egg.
- Ginger Ale: 2 tbsp
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Pepper: ½ tsp, freshly ground
- Chicken Powder: 1 tsp
- Two-Root Powder: 2 tbsp
- Almonds: 200g, thinly sliced
- Passion Fruit: 4-5 pcs
- Sugar: 80g
- Orange Juice: 80g
- Cornstarch: 2 tsp
- Cooking Oil: 500g
Chinese Chicken and Almonds Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
The preparation of this dish will take longer than cooking it. Let’s start with the chicken.
Step 1: Slice the Chicken Breasts
If you are using a whole chicken, you need to take the breasts off the bone. This will take some expertise and experience. You can avoid this hassle by buying chicken breasts.
You can also try Chinese Chicken Broth Recipe
Put the breasts on the chopping board and slice it across the depth to make two thin pieces from each breast. Thinner pieces will be cooked quickly.
Step 2: Marinate the Chicken
Take the sliced chicken breasts in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of chicken powder to the chicken. Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper and pour a bit of ginger ale. Then, put an egg into the bowl and mix everything well.
You can Also Try Chinese Chicken and Mushroom Recipe
Add the two-root crisp pulp powder to the bowl and rub it onto the chicken breasts. Do it until the powder turns into a paste. Let the marinated chicken sit for a few minutes.
Step 3: Coat the Chicken with Almond Slices
You will need some serious knife skills to slice almonds so thinly. An easier option is to buy sliced almonds. Spread the sliced almonds on a plate. Take one marinated chicken breast and put it onto the sliced almonds.
Sprinkle the slices on top with your dry hand. You can avoid a lot of mess by keeping your wet and dry hands separate. Flatten the chicken piece by pressing it with one hand. Do this step for all the chicken pieces.
Step 4: Prepare the Passion Fruit Dip
After coating the chicken, you can set it in the fridge for a few hours. If you don’t have that much time, let it sit for at least 10 minutes and make the dipping sauce in the meantime.
Open the passion fruits and take the pulp in a small bowl. Boil 300g of water in a large pot and add 80g of sugar to it. Once the sugar is dissolved, pour 80g of orange juice and stir the mixture.
Then, add the passion fruit pulp to the syrup and simmer it for about 10 minutes. Finally, mix about 2 tsp of cornstarch with water and add the slurry to the sauce. It will thicken the sauce.
Step 5: Fry the Coated Chicken
Heat oil in a wok. Put the coated chicken pieces into the oil. After putting the chicken, lower the heat to avoid burning the outside. Shake the wok gently so that the chicken doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Fry the chicken for about 3 minutes. Then, turn the heat up and fry the chicken until it turns golden brown.
Step 6: Cut the Chicken into Strips and Serve
Take the chicken out of the oil and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, cut them diagonally into strips and serve with the passion fruit dip.
Nutrition Facts of Chinese Chicken and Almonds
Chicken, almonds, and passion fruit are great sources of essential nutrients. Here is a list of nutrients present in this dish.
- Total Carbohydrates: 22g
- Protein: 20g
- Total Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 6.8g
- Total Sugar: 7.3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
- Sodium: 1113mg
- Potassium: 662mg
- Calcium: 545mg
- Iron: 3.2mg
- Vitamin A: 122IU
Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe
The following tips can improve the flavor and appearance of your Chinese chicken with almonds.
Do’s
- Let the chicken marinate for about an hour to increase the flavor.
- Keep the almond coating as thin as possible to make the chicken crispy.
Don’ts
- Don’t put frozen chicken directly into the oil. Always thaw the chicken before frying it.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken in batches.
Chinese Chicken and Almonds Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- If you are using a whole chicken, you need to take the breasts off the bone. This will take some expertise and experience. You can avoid this hassle by buying chicken breasts.
- Put the breasts on the chopping board and slice it across the depth to make two thin pieces from each breast. Thinner pieces will be cooked quickly.
- Take the sliced chicken breasts in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of chicken powder to the chicken. Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper and pour a bit of ginger ale. Then, put an egg into the bowl and mix everything well.
- Add the two-root crisp pulp powder to the bowl and rub it onto the chicken breasts. Do it until the powder turns into a paste. Let the marinated chicken sit for a few minutes.
- You will need some serious knife skills to slice almonds so thinly. An easier option is to buy sliced almonds. Spread the sliced almonds on a plate. Take one marinated chicken breast and put it onto the sliced almonds.
- Sprinkle the slices on top with your dry hand. You can avoid a lot of mess by keeping your wet and dry hands separate. Flatten the chicken piece by pressing it with one hand. Do this step for all the chicken pieces.
- After coating the chicken, you can set it in the fridge for a few hours. If you don’t have that much time, let it sit for at least 10 minutes and make the dipping sauce in the meantime.
- Open the passion fruits and take the pulp in a small bowl. Boil 300g of water in a large pot and add 80g of sugar to it. Once the sugar is dissolved, pour 80g of orange juice and stir the mixture.
- Then, add the passion fruit pulp to the syrup and simmer it for about 10 minutes. Finally, mix about 2 tsp of cornstarch with water and add the slurry to the sauce. It will thicken the sauce.
- Heat oil in a wok. Put the coated chicken pieces into the oil. After putting the chicken, lower the heat to avoid burning the outside. Shake the wok gently so that the chicken doesn’t stick to the bottom.
- Fry the chicken for about 3 minutes. Then, turn the heat up and fry the chicken until it turns golden brown.
- Take the chicken out of the oil and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, cut them diagonally into strips and serve with the passion fruit dip.
FAQs
Check the answers to some common questions regarding this recipe.
What type of chicken should I use for this recipe?
You should use Chinese chicken for this recipe. Chinese chicken has just the right flavor profile to be cooked in this way. Also, the breasts of Chinese chicken are thinner, so they will be cooked faster.
Can I use almond flour instead of whole almonds?
Yes, you can. But using almond flour won’t give this look and mouthfeel. Coating the chicken with almond flour will make them look like regular fried chicken. Sliced almonds turn out much crispier than almond flour. They also make the chicken look better.
How do I make sure the chicken is cooked through?
When you drop the chicken in the oil, it will sink. As it gets cooked, the chicken will start floating up. When the chicken is on top of the oil, it should be cooked through. At this point, keep flipping the chicken to prevent it from burning.
Can I use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth?
If you want to make a saucy chicken, you can make it with chicken or vegetable broth. Chicken broth tastes better, so I would recommend it. If chicken broth isn’t available, you can use vegetable broth.
Conclusion
From kids to adults, fried chicken is everyone’s favorite. You can bring some variation to the regular taste of fried chicken by making this Chinese chicken and almonds recipe. These chickens turn out super crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. I also showed how to make the passion fruit dip to make the chicken taste even better.
Try this recipe for yourself and see how different it is from your regular fried chicken. Follow the tips I shared to reduce the hassle while cooking and make the dish better. Don’t forget to share your experience.
