Crackly fried chicken in a sweet-hot glossy glaze with chilies and scallions — the Chinese-American icon, home edition.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
3
500 g
🍗 Chicken Thighs ›
bite-size
80 g
❄️ Cornstarch ›
1
🥚 Eggs ›
white only
3 tbsp
🍶 Soy Sauce ›
2 tbsp
🍶 Hoisin Sauce ›
2 tbsp
🍶 Rice Vinegar ›
2 tbsp
🍬 Sugar ›
1 tsp
🌶️ Red Pepper Flakes ›
3 cloves
🧄 Garlic ›
1 thumb
🫚 Ginger ›
3
🌱 Scallions ›
300 ml
🛢️ Vegetable Oil ›
for frying
2 portions
🍚 White Rice ›
to serve
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
25m
Prep
15m
Cook
40m
Total
3
Serves
Equipment
Large skillet
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Prep checklist
Chicken Thighs — bite-size
Eggs — white only
Vegetable Oil — for frying
White Rice — to serve
4 steps
Method
1
Toss the chicken in egg white, then dredge heavily in cornstarch until dusty and dry-looking.
💡
The cornstarch crust is what stays crisp under sauce — flour would go soft in seconds.
2
Fry in 180°C oil in batches until deep gold and crackly, 4–5 minutes per batch. Drain on a rack.
3
Stir-fry garlic, ginger, and chili flakes 20 seconds; add soy, hoisin, vinegar, sugar, and a splash of water, and boil to a glossy glaze, 1 minute.
4
Toss the chicken through the glaze with scallions and serve over rice while it still crunches.
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Freezing
Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently: covered in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes, or in a pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock. The microwave works at 50% power in short bursts — full blast toughens proteins.
Make ahead
Most braises and sauces improve overnight. Sear-and-serve dishes: do every step up to the final cook, then finish fresh.
Wine pairing
Match the weight of the dish — ask the AI Chef for a specific bottle.
Beer pairing
Match intensity: lagers for delicate dishes, amber ales for roasted flavors, stouts for the rich and braised.