Don't you just love it when a recipe surprises you with how good it is?! I've seen Bang Bang chicken on restaurant menus and various recipes floating around the internet, but I never considered making it because I'm not a fan of spicy things. I guess I finally saw it often enough that I got inspired to give it a try tonight, and I'm so glad I did!
I decided to leave the hot sauce out of the batter because I figured I could eat the chicken plain if the sauce was too spicy for me, but the sauce turned out to be just fine, even for my sensitive palate. You can always add more or less hot sauce to suit your own tastes, of course.
The chicken itself was absolute perfection--moist and tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Even picky kiddos would happily scarf down these homemade nuggets. The secret is the panko breadcrumbs; they're the crispiest!
I served the whole thing over some white rice, and it rivaled any restaurant dish. I'll definitely be making it again and again!
Bang Bang Chicken
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
BATTER:
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 Tbs hot sauce (if desired)
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 lb chicken breasts
salt & pepper, to taste
1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 green onions, sliced
SAUCE:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
2 Tbs hot sauce (or less, if desired)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs honey
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Heat oil in a deep fryer or on the stove to 350°F.
Cut the chicken breasts into bite size pieces and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine the batter ingredients. Add the chicken to the batter and mix well to cover each piece. Then coat each battered piece of chicken in panko.
When the oil is hot, carefully drop in chicken pieces. Fry till golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
Drizzle the fried chicken pieces with sauce, sprinkle with green onions, and serve immediately.
*You can make homemade buttermilk by adding 1/2 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 cup milk then let sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
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