A spicy chicken dinner that makes a great takeout alternative! My Crispy Chinese Plum Chicken with Sticky Chilli Sauce is super-quick to make (20 minutes!). Also, check out my trick to save on the washing up!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Keyword: Any Time Of the year, better than takeout, Fakeaway, Quick and Easy
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan until very hot.
3 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
Whilst the oil is heating, place the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle on the cornflour. Mix together with a fork or your hands until the chicken is coated.
3 chicken breast fillets, 2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
Now break the egg into the bowl with the chicken, and use a fork to mix everything together thoroughly. There should be no egg pooling at the bottom of the bowl. If there is, discard it.
1 medium egg
Next, sprinkle on the flour, followed by salt, pepper, garlic salt and paprika. Mix everything together with your hands. The chicken should be well-coated, but will also be sticky.
10 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tsp garlic salt, 2 tsp paprika
Add the chicken to the wok and cook on a high heat for 6-7 minutes, turning two or three times during cooking, until well browned. You may need to cook in two batches (I find I can do it in one batch so long as there are no more than 3 chicken breasts).
Once golden brown, add the plum slices, peppers, and garlic. Cook, with the chicken for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the plum starts to soften.
3 plums, 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 2 cloves of garlic
Now add all of the sauce ingredients to the wok, stir, and bubble on a high heat until the sauce reduces by about a third (should take 2-3 minutes).
2 tbsp tomato puree/paste, 1 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar, 3 tbsp light brown sugar, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp chili flakes, 180 ml (3/4 cup) pineapple juice
Turn off the heat and divide between four bowls. Serve with boiled rice and top with spring onions and chilli flakes.
boiled rice, chilli flakes, shredded spring onions
Video
Notes
Can I make it gluten free?
Yes, replace the soy sauce with tamari and the flour with gluten free flour blend. Sweet chilli sauce is often gluten free, but best to check (I use Linghams sweet chilli sauce). Rice vinegar and tomato puree are generally gluten free, but it’s best to check.
How can I make my chicken extra crispy?
The absolute best way to get extra crispy chicken is to use more oil to fry the chicken, and make the veggies and sauce in a separate pan. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and dish out onto the rice. Spoon the veggies and sauce over the top. If you cook the chicken in the sauce, like I have (still delicious and saves on the washing up), the chicken will be less crispy the longer it’s in the sauce. So add your sauce ingredients just a few minutes before you’re ready to serve.
Can I make it ahead?
You can prepare the sauce ahead, by mixing the sauce ingredients together and covering (store at room temperature or in the fridge). The chicken can be covered in the coating ahead of time (a few hours ahead maximum). The coating will be sticky, but it will crisp up when fried.
Don’t like it spicy?
Replace the sweet chilli sauce with ketchup and leave out the chilli flakes. The kids LOVE it!
Can it be frozen?
Yes, you can cool, cover and freeze, then defrost before reheating thoroughly (heat in the microwave or covered in the oven or in a wok/frying pan). However, the chicken won’t be crispy, and the vegetables will soften. It’s still tasty for a quick meal though..Nutritional Information is per serving, WITHOUT the serving suggestion of boiled rice.