Air-Fried Chilli Chicken: A Quick, Crispy Delight

Chilli chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese dish that combines Chinese cooking techniques with Indian flavours. It is a sweet, spicy, and slightly tangy dish that is typically deep-fried but can also be made in an air fryer for a healthier alternative. The chicken is usually marinated in a variety of sauces, fried until crispy, and then stir-fried with ingredients such as ginger, garlic, onions, and bell peppers. The dish can be made as a dry appetizer or with gravy to be enjoyed with rice or noodles.

Marinating the chicken

Firstly, gather your ingredients. For the marinade, you will need a combination of spices, sauces, and other ingredients such as ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, chilli powder, salt, black pepper, egg, cornstarch, and flour. You may also want to add some vegetable oil or another type of oil of your choice for frying. The specific measurements for each ingredient will depend on the size of your chicken and your personal preferences for taste and spiciness.

Next, cut the chicken into thin slices or cubes. The size and shape of the chicken pieces will impact the cooking time and the overall texture of the dish, so aim for uniformity. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and set aside.

Now, it's time to prepare the marinade. In a separate bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and mix well. Adjust the spices and sauces to your desired level of spiciness and flavour. You can also add a little water to the marinade to thin it out slightly and help it coat the chicken more easily.

Once the marinade is ready, add it to the bowl of chicken pieces. Use a spoon or your hands to mix and coat the chicken evenly with the marinade. Make sure all the pieces are thoroughly coated to ensure consistent flavour and texture.

After coating the chicken, let the marinade work its magic. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinate. The ideal marination time can vary from 10 minutes to overnight, depending on the ingredients used and the intensity of flavour desired. For example, if your marinade includes acidic ingredients like vinegar or lemon juice, a shorter marination time is recommended to avoid toughening the meat.

While the chicken is marinating, you can prepare the other ingredients for your chilli chicken dish, such as chopping vegetables and making any necessary sauces or slurries. This will ensure that you can cook the chicken as soon as it's finished marinating, keeping it juicy and tender.

Once the marination time is complete, your chicken is ready to be cooked in the air fryer! Follow the instructions for your specific air fryer model to cook the chicken to a crispy, golden perfection. Remember to preheat your air fryer and coat the basket with a light spray of oil before adding the chicken.

Air-frying the chicken

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

Start by cutting the chicken into thin slices or cubes. You can use boneless chicken thighs or breasts, but make sure to pat them dry with paper towels first. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and add the marinade ingredients. For a basic marinade, you can use soy sauce, vinegar, ginger garlic paste, chilli garlic paste, salt, black pepper, and a little water. Mix well to coat the chicken evenly and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Preheat the Air Fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 350-400°F (180-200°C) for about 3-5 minutes. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil to prevent sticking.

Step 3: Cook the Chicken

Place the marinated chicken pieces in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they are not overcrowded. Lightly spray or brush the chicken with oil. Air fry the chicken for about 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown, shaking the basket halfway through for even cooking. The exact cooking time will depend on your air fryer model, so keep an eye on the chicken to avoid overcooking.

Step 4: Prepare the Vegetables (Optional)

While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare the vegetables if you want to serve them with the chilli chicken. Common vegetables used in chilli chicken include onions, bell peppers, and green chillies, cut into cubes or slices. You can also add ginger and garlic to the mix.

Step 5: Make the Sauce (Optional)

To make a sauce for your chilli chicken, combine ingredients like dark soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sweet chilli sauce, and honey in a bowl. Mix well and set aside until you're ready to toss the chicken in the sauce.

Step 6: Assemble and Serve

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the air fryer and set it aside. If you're making a stir-fry, now is the time to cook the vegetables and sauce in a pan. Add the chicken to the pan and toss everything together until the chicken is coated in the sauce. Garnish with chopped scallions or sesame seeds, and serve immediately. Enjoy your homemade chilli chicken!

Making the sauce

To make the sauce for chilli chicken in an air fryer, you'll need a mix of Chinese and Indian sauces and spices. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Ingredients:

• Soy sauce (dark or light)
• Vinegar (white or black Chinese)
• Chilli garlic paste or sauce
• Ketchup
• Honey (optional)
• Cornstarch
• Water
• Sugar
• Salt and pepper
• Kashmiri red chilli powder (optional)

Method:

• In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, chilli garlic paste/sauce, ketchup, and honey (if using). Mix well and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch and water. This will be added to the sauce to thicken it.
• Heat oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat.
• Add ginger, garlic, and green chilli pepper. Sauté for a minute, stirring continuously.
• Add onions, red and green bell peppers, and white parts of spring onions (if using). Sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
• Pour the prepared sauce over the stir-fried vegetables and mix well.
• Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan and cook until the sauce thickens, stirring continuously.
• Adjust the spice level to your taste by adding Kashmiri red chilli powder or extra chilli sauce if needed.
• Your chilli sauce is now ready to be tossed with the air-fried chicken!

Stir-frying the vegetables

Now that you have your chicken marinated and air-fried, it's time to cook the veggies! For this recipe, you will need to prepare the following vegetables:

• White scallions/spring onions
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Green chilli
• Onions
• Red and green bell peppers/capsicums

Chop the scallions/spring onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilli. Cut the onions and bell peppers/capsicums into squares or cubes of roughly 1 inch in size. You can also make a slit in the green chilli for extra spice.

Heat some oil in a wok or a large pan. Add the chopped ginger, garlic, and green chilli to the pan and sauté for about a minute. Then, add the onions and bell peppers/capsicums and sauté for another 1-3 minutes. You want to cook the veggies on high heat to get them flash-cooked with a slight crunch.

Next, add the white part of the scallions/spring onions and sauté for another minute or so. Remember to have all your stir-fry ingredients ready before frying the chicken, so that the chicken stays crispy when added to the stir-fry.

Making the sauce

While the veggies are cooking, prepare the sauce by mixing the following ingredients in a separate bowl:

• Soy sauce
• Chilli garlic paste/sauce
• Sugar
• Water
• Cornstarch slurry

Add the sauce to the pan and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. The liquids should start to thicken. Turn the heat down.

Adding the chicken

Finally, toss the air-fried chicken into the pan when you are ready to serve. Cook everything together until heated through, being careful not to overcook the veggies. Garnish with the green part of the scallions/spring onions and some sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy your chilli chicken!

Combining the chicken and sauce

Now that you have your chicken marinated and air-fried, it's time to combine it with the sauce!

For the sauce, you will need to heat up some oil in a wok or a large pan. Add ginger, garlic, and green chilli pepper, and sauté for a minute. You can adjust the spice level according to your preference by adding more or less green chilli. After a minute, add onions, red and green bell peppers, and sauté for another minute or two. Remember, you want to cook the veggies on high heat to get that flash-cooked crunch.

Next, add the sauce mixture. For this, you can use a combination of soy sauce, vinegar, red chilli sauce, ketchup, honey, and sugar. Adjust the sauce ingredients to your taste preferences. Give the sauce a minute to cook and thicken.

Now, it's time to add the star of the show—the chicken! Toss the air-fried chicken into the pan and mix well until everything is coated in the delicious sauce. Make sure to do this step just before serving to ensure the chicken stays crispy.

Finally, garnish with chopped green onions or scallions, and maybe even some sesame seeds. Serve immediately and enjoy your mouthwatering Chilli Chicken!

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